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Albany's Waterfront and Golden Gate Fields

Albany's waterfront is dominated by Golden Gate Fields Racetrack, the Albany bulb and waterfront trail, and Eastshore State Park (see map). Though the track is a significant revenue source for the city, attendance has been dropping. Development or re-use of part of the Golden Gate Fields property on the Albany shoreline has been the subject of intense debate in the City of Albany. Albany's Measure C (1990) specifies that any development on the shoreline requires voter approval for implementation.

The most recent controversy came when Magna Entertainment Corporation, owner of Golden Gate Fields, hired Los Angeles developer Caruso Affiliates to develop, market, build, and maintain an upscale mixed-use outdoor mall in the northern (mostly unused) parking lot area of the Golden Gate Fields Racetrack. Although a formal proposal has never been submitted to the City, development plans shared with the community included about 450,000 square feet of retail space, 150-200 housing units, and at least 8 acres of parking including a multi-story parking structure. This plan would have required a change in zoning at the waterfront.

Due to the potential environmental impacts of the plan, Greenbelt Alliance joined a coalition including Citizens for East Shore Parks (CESP), the Sierra Club, Citizens for the Albany Shoreline (CAS), Golden Gate Audubon Society, Save the Bay, and Sustainable Albany in opposing the development plan. To block the mall development, environmental activists qualified signatures from more than 25% of Albany's voters to place the Albany Shoreline Protection Initiative on the November ballot. However, because of a technicality raised in a lawsuit by Magna, the court ruled that the initiative did not meet Election Code statutory notice requirements and cannot appear on the ballot. Nevertheless, the initiative had the effect of spurring the city to commit to a public planning process for the waterfront, and, for the time being at least, Caruso says he has pulled out.

What's at Stake

The Albany Shoreline is one of several highly visible and relatively undeveloped sites along the East Bay Shoreline where public access is possible and bay front habitat remains or could be restored. As development pressure continues to build in this area, these sites will be targeted. Due to the importance of these areas as environmental, recreational, and scenic resources, Greenbelt Alliance urges a careful planning process for them. Greenbelt Alliance is also developing a set of guidelines for waterfront development to ensure that these resources are protected while realizing the opportunities for modest, environmentally sensitive infill development. The City of Albany has the opportunity to lead the way in developing an accessible public planning process and promoting a truly sustainable waterfront plan.

What You Can Do

As the planning process moves forward, participate in the public meetings and ask for environmental protection and restoration, transit, pedestrian, and bicycle connections, and compact development.

Campaign Update

August 2006
After volunteers collected more than double the required signatures to qualify an initiative that would require a specific plan for the Albany Waterfront, the main owner successfully sued to keep the initiative off the ballot on a technicality. The suit revolved around the fact that the City of Albany told the initiative proponents that the newspaper of record was the West County Times, when in fact it was the Oakland Tribune. Meanwhile, the city has agreed to initiate a planning process for the waterfront.