Point Molate

  
          Point Molate Community Advisory Committee Visits the City’s Closed Point Molate Beach Park

The 413-acre former Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot (NFD) contains about 290 acres of land above high tide elevation. Located on Richmond’s shoreline about 1- 1/2 miles north of the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge this unique site contains:

• 1.4 miles of unoccupied shoreline
• A 400 foot high ridge line with sweeping views of two bays, a Victorian island lighthouse, Mount Tamalpais and Mount Saint Helena
• A 1400 foot long pier providing deep water access
• A 41-acre National Register Historic District
• A Rhineland-style castle that was the largest winery in the U.S. prior to Prohibition
• Extensive inter tidal eel grass beds and
• Rare coastal prairie and coastal bluff native plant communities.

Once the largest winery in the United States, the 41-acre Winehaven Historic District is recognized under both Federal and State law.

Beginning in 1942, Point Molate served as a U.S. Navy fuel storage and transfer facility. It closed on September 30, 1995 under the U.S. Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990. The Navy sold 218 acres of the property to the City of Richmond for one dollar in September 2003. Transfer of the remaining land was completed in March 2010 under an Early Transfer Cooperative Agreement under which the Navy provided the City with $28.5 million for a cleanup approach agreed upon by the parties and the Regional Water Quality Control Board, including a 2008 Remediation Agreement between the City and Upstream that further details Upstream’s remediation obligations.

                                 Earth Day 2012 Cleanup of Point Molate - Photo by Mike Parker

Natural Environment

Bay Nature magazine featured the natural world of Point Molate in the article "Betting on Point Molate" by Chiori Santiago. In particular, Native Plants are real survivors at Point Molate. The uplands of Point Molate are distinguished by coastal terrace prairie and northern coastal bluff scrub plant communities where the major conservation issue is unmanaged invasive alien plants. The inter tidal zone is distinguished by abundant eelgrass beds and a variety of kelp. It is mostly rocky with the exception of sand/mud flats offshore Point Molate beach.

The September, 1998 Special-Status Plant Survey And Habitat Assessment report  for Point Molate NFD, which was prepared by Michael Wood of Sycamore Associates and Tetra Tech, states:
• “numerous plant taxa of botanical significance do occur on site;”
• “Coastal terrace prairie and northern coastal bluff scrub habitats are exceedingly rare in the East Bay and represent diminishing habitats throughout their range;”
• “the native perennial grasses .... exhibit very high levels of density and diversity. Native grasslands of comparable quality are extremely uncommon in the East Bay, as well as in more coastal areas in Marin County;”
• “the diversity of wildflowers in the grasslands is also unusual in the region.”

Reuse Plan for Former Naval Fuel Depot

A 45-member Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee developed the Point Molate Reuse Plan, which was approved by the Richmond City Council acting as the Local Reuse Authority (LRA), in 1997.  This Plan serves as the guide for the reuse and development of the site.  It calls for a mixed use development concept with 191 acres reserved for shoreline park and hillside open space lands as shown on the Conceptual Land Use Plan and Open Space Plan.

Uses proposed for buildings in the Winehaven Historic District include:

1. Winehaven Building - winery, restaurant, museum, retail, meeting rooms,  performing arts and a recording studio
2. Historic winery cottages - conference center, retreat, B&B, classrooms.

Existing buildings on a 20-acre site immediately south of Winehaven are proposed for a winery, live/work, warehousing, job training and light industrial uses.  Single and multifamily residential development is recommended on about 38 acres of relatively flat land south of the above development areas.

                 Land Disposition Agreement With Upstream Point Molate, LLC

Amidst great controversy, on Nov. 24, 2004 the City of Richmond entered into a Land Disposition Agreement (LDA) with Upstream Point Molate LLC to sell former Naval Fuel Depot Point Molate for $50 million.  The LDA requires construction and maintenance of the Bay Trail along the entire 1.4 miles of shoreline with about 33 acres of shoreline park and 150 acres of Hillside Open Space with its public trail system as part of any future development of the property. The Bay Trail must be completed during the first construction phase.

The LDA was amended March 7, 2006 to allow a first phase purchase ($16.7 million) of 30 acres for residential development inland of Western Drive at the southern approach to the property plus 60 acres for shoreline parks and open space. If Upstream exercises this first phase purchase, they would be required to fund construction of the Bay Trail plus shoreline park lands averaging 50 feet wide along the entire 1.4 miles of shoreline. The LDA and amendment are available from the City of Richmond.

In order to expedite cleanup of the remaining lands still in Navy ownership, the City and Upstream have reached agreement with the Navy on an early transfer to the City of remaining contaminated lands with the Navy placing $28,5 million in escrow for the City's use to complete the cleanup. The funds have been placed in escrow, and the City will be able to access the money as soon as the remaining parcels are transferred to the City.

Upstream proposed to create new tribal lands for the Guidiville Band of the Pomo Indians in order to develop the Winehaven Historic District as a resort hotel/casino complex.  in a November 2010 election, Richmond’s voters rejected the casino proposal with a 57.5% to 42.5% advisory vote. After certification of a Final Environmental Impact Report on March 8, 2011, the Richmond City Council rejected the hotel/casino project on April 5, 2011. 

Under the LDA with Upstream Point Molate, LLC, the Richmond City Council’s April 5, 2011decision to discontinue consideration of a gambling casino at Point Molate triggered a 120-day period for Upstream Point Molate, LLC to negotiate exclusively an alternative proposal in good faith.  Upstream did not do so and, instead, contended that the City had breached the LDA and that the closing date for acquisition of the property was extended to March 14, 2013 due to litigation filed previously by others.  The City of Richmond responded by filing a Complaint for Declaratory Relief  in Contra Costa County Superior Court on August 16, 2011 seeking affirmation that the City no longer has any outstanding obligations under the LDA with Upstream and is free to pursue other options with respect to the sale, lease or development of former Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot.

Point Molate Community Advisory Committee Mayor McLaughlin and Councilmember Butt with members of PMCAC   On January 18, 2011, the City Council adopted Resolution  8-11 establishing the Point Molate Community Advisory Committee (PMCAC) to work with the City Council, staff and other citizen advisory boards and commissions as appropriate, to provide advice and input on all Point Molate matters; review proposed Point Molate development budgets with City staff; and make Point Molate development expenditure recommendations to the City Council in conjunction with staff.   PMCAC meets on the third Monday of the month from 6:30 to 9 PM.  Click here for meeting agendas and minutes with a list of appointed committee members .