Politics & Government

Council Moves Ahead on Transferring Albany Bulb to State, Park District Control

The Albany City Council on Monday pushed ahead with the city's goal of transferring responsibility for the Albany Bulb to the East Bay Regional Park District to operate as part of McLaughlin Eastshore State Park.

The Albany City Council Monday night took a further step in pursuing the city's goal of handing over responsibility for the city-owned Albany Bulb to the East Bay Regional Park District to manage as part of a state park.

The council authorized the Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Manager to negotiate with the park district and California State Parks "for the purpose of planning the Albany Bulb as a park and planning the transfer of responsibility to the State," according to a brief meeting summary provided Tuesday by city hall.

The action formalized the council's unanimous 5-0 vote on May 4 to ask the Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Manager engage in the talks. At that meeting, the council also took action on the issue of homeless people living on the Bulb, instructing the Police Department to begin enforcing the no camping ordinance as of October and voting to issue a request for proposals to provide three months of outreach and engagement services for $30,000.

The council also agreed to suggest that members of the city's Homeless Task Force, formed in May of last year, become advocates for the homeless through a community based organization.

The Bulb – which is made of landfill, including a large amount of construction debris – juts into the Bay and is as a kind of wilderness area that includes some homeless encampments and scattered art made mostly from debris materials close at hand. 

When the landfill was closed, City of Albany officials "envisioned it being part of a regional park along the San Francisco Bay," according to a staff report from City Manager Beth Pollard prepared for the council meeting on Monday this week.

"Ultimately that vision came into sharper focus when the State of California incorporated the Albany Bulb into the General Plan for Eastshore State Park (now McLaughlin Eastshore State Park) that was approved by State Parks in 2002."

The Eastshore Park Project General Plan calls for shoreline and lagoon protections, with possible pocket beaches, breaking up large pieces of construction debris and improved trails.

On the Bulb art, the plan says, "Consistent with the Eastshore park project's cultural resource guidelines, the practice and products associated with  unauthorized artistic expression (e.g., installations, structures, paintings, etc.) on the Albany Bulb will be reviewed in accordance with State Parks' systemwide cultural resource procedures prior to their removal."

We'd like to know if you have recommendations for what should happen to the Bulb when it becomes part of the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. You can tell us in the comments.


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