Wondering about the latest updates on Point Molate?
You may have heard of the Richmond City Council’s recent decision to approve the sale of remaining parcels of land at the site to the East Bay Regional Park District. The move was widely celebrated across RPA, whose members have spent decades advocating for conscious stewardship.
According to Gayle McLaughlin, City of Richmond Councilmember and Former Mayor, “This regional park and its amenities will provide enormous environmental, cultural, historic, and recreational benefits…The historic and environmental richness of the site provides great learning opportunities, including enhancing education about the climate emergency we are all facing...This [letter of intent] LOI clearly sets the stage for an inspirational project. We are saving this land for the public.”
Where Is Point Molate?
If you haven’t had a chance to explore Richmond’s hidden gem, you’re in for a treat! Point Molate is an 80-acre area on the San Pablo Peninsula, just north of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Look up and you may catch a glimpse of the osprey, once endangered — white-tailed kites, and pipevine swallowtail butterflies. Dive in, and you will encounter the largest eelgrass bed in the Bay Area — a vital component of the local marine food web.
Richmond’s tribal groups have long advocated for preserving their ancestral village and sacred sites at Point Molate. Other historic features include Winehaven, a Chinese shrimp fishing camp, and the last whaling station in the U.S.
A Bit of History
During the wartime era, Point Molate served as a naval storage and transfer facility, closing in 1995. In 2003, Richmond obtained a deed for 85% of the land.
In 2004, the RPA launched an advocacy campaign to prevent an urban casino from being built on Point Molate. A few decades later, we joined forces with The Point Molate Alliance against a $292 million bond to build luxury housing units. In addition to avoiding a massive construction bill, Richmond taxpayers were spared the burden of paying for costly fire and police substations for the proposed residences.
“RPA has been in the struggle to save our precious Point Molate ever since 2004…with much perseverance and advocacy under the leadership of Point Molate Alliance and our current awesome City Council, we have come to a place where the land can be purchased by East Bay Regional Park District to make this unique piece of bay shoreline habitat available to the public for generations.” — Marilyn Langlois, Co-founder, RPA
The Movement Continues
RPA remains deeply committed to Point Molate, including endorsing candidates like Lynda Deschambault, who want our organization to continue to have a say in its management and use. We are also keeping a close eye on opportunities to collaborate with the East Bay Regional Park District, which is forming a citizen-led committee to advise on the next steps for this invaluable community resource.
Do you have any ideas on how Point Molate can best serve the needs of Richmond residents?
RPA is all ears! Some of our priorities include equitable representation, safe and accessible public spaces, holding polluters accountable, and investing in a sustainable future economy. If you are interested in connecting with our longtime civic leaders and community activists to learn about the history of Point Molate, please get in touch.