Breuner Marsh
Encyclopedia
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
made of current and former wetlands with little development.
History
It was purchased in 2000 by Bay Area Wetlands LLC, a company that planned on selling the land to the highest bidding developer. The East Bay Regional Parks District has considered using expropriationEminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
to prevent development of the rare undeveloped San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
shoreline and to protect endangered species. Bay Wetlands at one point wanted to build "Edgewater Technology Park" but were rebuffed by Parchester residents. Signature Properties
Signature Properties
Signature Properties is a real estate developer based in Pleasanton, California in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area that constructs housing in the United States, primarily in the state of California. The company president is Mike Ghielmetti.-History:...
, a housing construction firm, bought a six month option at one point, but was unable to persuade the city council to rezone the area from light industrial, since the city wanted revenue building commercial development instead of funds-draining housing that would place addition strain on city services. The East Bay Regional Park District purchased a large portion of the historic marsh in 2008 for $8,830,155. The Park District intends to restore tidal wetlands on the property in addition to adding a component of the Bay Trail
San Francisco Bay Trail
The San Francisco Bay Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian trail that will eventually allow continuous travel around the shoreline of San Francisco Bay. As of 2011, approximately 310 miles of trail have been completed...
.
It is located alongside Parchester Village
Parchester Village, Richmond, California
Parchester Village is a master planned neighborhood majority African-American village in Northwestern Richmond, California that was the first in the state to sell to blacks.-History:...
a neighborhood built with the promise of maintaining the marsh development free. However the landowner subsequently sold it off and the new owner Gerry Breuner and during the time he owned the property during the 1970s much of the wetlands were illegally destroyed with the intention of building a civil aviation airport Breuner Field. This was a failure due to community opposition and it became mixed wetlands grasslands with a small model airplane airport of sorts.
Since then various proposals to develop the marsh have been put forward. These include upscale housing, an industrial complex, a mixed use transit village
Transit village
A transit village is a residential development planned around a transportation hub, such as a train station, with the intent to make it convenient for village dwellers to get to/from work or run errands and travel via a public transportation network....
with housing businesses, and a transit center, and expansion of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
The Point Pinole Regional Shoreline is a regional park on the shores of the San Pablo Bay, California . It is approximately in area, and is operated by the East Bay Regional Park District.-History:...
with Breuner Marsh being restored. The latter is the preferred option from the Parchester Village Neighborhood Council which has fought development in the past. Development is also being fought by the Sierra Club and the North Richmond Shoreline Open Space Alliance.
The surrounding boundaries are approximately San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water channel approximately in mid bay, which allows access to Sacramento, Stockton, Benicia, Martinez, and...
to the west, Giant Marsh
Giant Marsh
Giant Marsh is a wetland made up of mud flats, and tidal flats in Richmond, California. The marsh is located on the western coast of Richmond near the city's landfill between San Pablo Creek Marsh and Breuner Marsh. The areas has been damaged by erosion, pollution, and other human activities...
and Point Pinole Park to the north, a SP railroad embankment and Parchester Village to the east, and Rheem Creek
Rheem Creek
Rheem Creek is a 3 mile long urban stream in western Contra Costa County, California which empties into San Pablo Bay south of Point Pinole. The creek rises from Rolling Hills Cemetery and passes through Rollingwood, the campus of Contra Costa Community College, and the city of San Pablo, California...
to the south
The city is willing to zone 27 acres (11 ha) for residential but no more.
A lawsuit has been filed and the courts preliminary judgment has been reached. The jury decided that the value of the 217 acre (0.87816862 km²) was $6.85 million, this is contrary to the districts appraiser whom valued it at $1.5 million and the price paid for at purchasing time from the Breuners of $3 million. The defendants argued that the city would make up to $18 million off the 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) where development will be allowed. The property owners will be allowed to keep 20 acres (8 ha). The owners are appealing the March 28, 2008 decision.
Threatened wildlife in the area includes the white-tailed kite
White-tailed Kite
The White-tailed Kite is an elanid kite of genus Elanus found in western North America and parts of South America.Their coloration is gull-like, but their shape and flight falcon-like, with a rounded tail...
, a state "Species of Concern" and endangered species such as the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse
Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse
The Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse , also known as the Red-bellied Harvest Mouse and some times called by Saltmarsh Harvest Mouse, is an endangered rodent endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area salt marshes in California. There are two distinct subspecies, both endangered and listed together on federal...
and the California Clapper Rail
California Clapper Rail
The California Clapper Rail is an endangered subspecies of the Clapper Rail . It is found principally in California's San Francisco Bay, and also in Monterey Bay and Morro Bay...
.
Breuner Airfield
Breuner Airfield or Breuner Field is a 5 acre (2 ha) private radio controlled aircraft airfield or "flying field" and club that was built in the 1970s on the Breuner Marsh site in the Parhcester VillageParchester Village, Richmond, California
Parchester Village is a master planned neighborhood majority African-American village in Northwestern Richmond, California that was the first in the state to sell to blacks.-History:...
neighborhood of Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. The runway is about 300 ft (91 m) and is marked with x's to state that it is not suitable for landing by any planes. It is located at 4114 Goodrick Avenue, Richmond, California, 94801.
Location
It is located on reclaimed wetlands of what was formerly Breuner Marsh, a wetlands area. The airfield is located at Goodrick Avenue and is accessible from Richmond ParkwayRichmond Parkway
The name Richmond Parkway may refer to:*In California:**Richmond Parkway in Richmond, California, planned as State Route 93**Richmond Parkway Transit Center, a bus hub in Richmond, California*In New York:...
. The site is adjacent to the shoreline of San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water channel approximately in mid bay, which allows access to Sacramento, Stockton, Benicia, Martinez, and...
and has a sports club, some cottages, and a fishing pier.
History
The land has been owned by Fred Parr; later by the owner of the former Breuners furniture chain, Gerry Breuner; and currently by Bay Area Wetlands LLC. Breuner originally wanted a private general aviation airport at this location but community and political opposition prohibited it and the model plane airfield was the largest he could build. The site has in recent times been up for debate with regards to use including proposed upscale housing by developers, an office park by the city council, and an expansion of Point Pinole Regional ShorelinePoint Pinole Regional Shoreline
The Point Pinole Regional Shoreline is a regional park on the shores of the San Pablo Bay, California . It is approximately in area, and is operated by the East Bay Regional Park District.-History:...
as restored wetlands by Gayle McLaughlin
Gayle McLaughlin
Gayle McLaughlin is a California politician. She is a member of the Green Party and, since 2006, the mayor of Richmond, California and a member of Richmond's City Council. McLaughlin was elected on November 7, 2006 by a 279-vote margin over incumbent mayor Irma A. Anderson...
and the East Bay Regional Parks District. It is run by the Bay Area Radio Control Society. In the 1980s Gerald Bruener tested experimental aircraft, a gyrocopter, at the site and used it as his primary residence.
External links
- Google maps
- Bay Area Radio Control Society (BARCS) - remote control airplane club which operates the facility