North Richmond compromise coming to Commission, Council

View of coastal prairie and former baylands of the Freethy property in North Richmond, one of the ecologically valuable properties that should be protected by General Plan changes. Photo courtesy of Citizens for East Shore Parks.

Update (March 1, 2012): The item has been pulled from the March 6 agenda.

Update (Feb. 21, 2012): On Feb. 16 the Richmond Planning Commission failed to agree on a recommendation regarding the North Richmond shoreline. The decision will now go to the City Council on March 6.

The last remaining issue regarding the Richmond General Plan is what level of private development should be allowed on the North Richmond shoreline (see previous article). The City Council deadlocked on this issue in December.

The current designation is Low Intensity Business/Light Industrial. We had sought to get the area better protected with an Open Space and Recreation designation. The private owners wanted a designation that would have allowed them more development. Neither proposal could get the needed four votes from the Council.

The Richmond planning staff is now recommending keeping the current designation, with limited changes. One would improve habitat protection by banning development within 100 feet of the shoreline. The owners want some greater height allowances, a concession that we can accept. The matter goes to the Richmond Planning Commission on Thu., Feb. 16. We will support this compromise, and the owners have also indicated their support. We therefore think that the Commission can approve the staff recommendation. Once approved at the Planning Commission, we believe it will have the best chance of getting four votes at the Council.