Point Molate Alliance is a Blue Frontier project that, in 2010 (as Citizens for a Sustainable Point Molate), helped defeat plans for a mega-casino on this publically owned 422-acre natural headlands and waters that include 180 acres of the most pristine eelgrass beds in San Francisco Bay. With our encouragement the citizens of Richmond California voted 58 -42 percent against the Casino scheme. For several years after we worked on opening Point Molate to greater public access – starting with a beach park and hoping to creating a world class regional park – while also sponsoring field trips for Richmond’s underserved high schools.
Then in 2016 Richmond’s new Mayor, a developer, cut a deal with the failed Casino developer to try and sell off and privatize these world class public lands and waters to a southern California based real estate corporation. Today SunCal has plans for building a high-end housing tract for up to 2,280 units.
The Point Molate Alliance thinks this is a bad deal for Richmond in terms of the environment, climate, economics (we commissioned a study when the city failed to), public safety (it’s a high fire hazard zone located between a century-old Chevron refinery and a crowded bridge with just a two-lane road in and out) and equity in terms of real housing solutions for Richmond’s predominantly low income communities of color, and also in terms of public access to parks, recreational and cultural opportunities. With growing support among the vast majority of people in Richmond, including the Ohlone, the original stewards of the land, PMA is working on many fronts – legal, political, social and educational – to keep these beautiful public lands in public hands.
A short video on Point Molate produced by UC Berkeley Journalism students.
Point Molate is an example of the resilience of nature left unpaved, rapidly reclaiming its terrestrial area as hilly coastal grassland. It is range-managed by mule deer, coyote and wild turkey with colossal Toyons – Christmas Berry shrubs – live oaks, federally protected Suisun Marsh Aster, native Molate Blue Fescue (a unique local bunchgrass horticulturists have bred for landscaping), coyote brush, wild mint, Dutchman’s pipe vine and its rarely seen companion, the pipe vine swallowtail butterfly, over 500 species of plant, insects, birds and animals that have been identified in recent citizen science Bio-Blitzes co-sponsored by PMA. Offshore the eelgrass beds offer essential habitat for leopard sharks, seals, herring (that lay their eggs there) young crabs and many fish that feed a growing number of nesting Osprey families at Point Molate. Point Molate could be the third emerald jewel of Bay-facing green parks, along with the Presidio of San Francisco and Fort Baker in Marin.
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Some photos from Richmond High School Health Academy Field Trip to Point Molate – Friday Feb. 26
Blue Frontier and the Point Molate Alliance (a diverse coalition of Richmond residents and supporters) are continuing to work with the city and others to restore Point Molate as a world-class natural and recreational area for all the people of Richmond, the Bay Area and the world. For more information visit Point Molate Alliance or contact us at info@bluefront.org.
