Eastshore State Park General Plan i
Eastshore State Park
General Plan
EASTSHORE
Gray Davis
Governor
Ruth Coleman
Acting Director of Parks and Recreation
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
Mary D .Nichols
Secretary for Resources
Prepared for:
California Department of Parks and Recreation
East Bay Regional Park District
California State Coastal Conservancy
December 6, 2002
III-62 Eastshore State Park General Plan
1. Emeryville Crescent Management Zone
Statement of Management Intent
This zone includes some of the richest avian habitat in the East Bay and is therefore designated as a preservation area. The management intent is to protect and enhance the habitat value of this area, while also facilitating compatible public access. Access will be confined to the upland area along Powell Street. Facilities and improvements to the upland area will focus on providing day use opportunities such as bird watching and picnicking and enhancing the upland habitat and the public's ability to view and appreciate the vistas and the wildlife that use the Crescent.
Guidelines
a. Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve
EC-1: Preserve the tidal marsh, tidal mudflat, subtidal, and associated habitats. Minimize impacts from human
disturbance on adjacent uplands.
EC-2: Consistent with local ordinances and state and federal regulations, restrict use of motorized and non-motorized vessels (e.g., kayaks, sailboats, rowboats, dragon boats, and sailboards) in the Emeryville Crescent estuarine preserve area to protect waterfowl habitat.
EC-3: Consider the creation of high-tide roost-sites (e.g., structures, islands) for shorebirds in areas that are protected from disturbance by park visitors, dogs, and predators.
EC-4: Introduce signs and/or fencing as needed to restrict public access to the preserve area.
Emeryville Crescent Management Zone
LAND USE SUMMARY
Land Use Designation Upland Area Tideland Area Total Area Preservation Area 50 acres 355 acres 405 acres
Conservation Area 5 acres 150 acres 155 acres
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b. Open Water/Conservation Area
EC-5: Non-motorized boating is permitted in the open water portion of the Crescent that is identified as a conservation area.
c. Powell Street Frontage/Upland Area
EC-6: Enhance coastal scrub habitat in this area by removing noxious weeds and planting locally native species.
EC-7: Enhance public access to the shoreline along Powell Street in a way that provides opportunities for passive recreation and viewing the natural habitats. A non-paved trail should be provided along the bluff with appropriate connections back to Powell Street and a connection to the existing shoreline trail that runs behind the fire station and out to the end of the Emeryville Peninsula.
EC-8: Explore the feasibility of removing the concrete and construction debris/slag that currently lines the shoreline, and replace with engineered rock and/or tide pool revetments, and gravel beaches.
EC-9: Install a vista point/observation deck in the upland area overlooking the tidal marsh. The precise location should be determined with site specific planning. Views of the marsh View west from the Powell Street Frontage of the Bay Bridge and Yerba Buena Island with the San Francisco skyline in the distance
III-64 Eastshore State Park General Plan
and of more distant elements such as the Bay Bridge should be primary criteria in determining the location. Work with BCDC to revise Caltrans' permit requirement that calls for the location to be in the area just east of the fire station.
EC-10: Consider installing a bird blind on the remediation site overlooking the tidal marsh (i.e., near the Powell Street/ Frontage Road intersections). The blind should be designed to visually screen bird-watchers from the marsh, but not accommodate vagrants or illicit activities. The blind should be designed so that views into it are permitted from Powell Street. The blind can also be incorporated into a bermed landform so that it does not create a visual barrier/sheltered area on its south side.
EC-11: The vista point and bird blind should include interpretive exhibits that address appropriate site-specific topics such as bird species that frequent the Crescent, history of the Crescent including its restoration, the influence of transportation infrastructure such as the freeways and Bay Bridge, etc.
EC-12: Provide dedicated park project parking for up to 20 vehicles in order to accommodate public access to this area. Given the limited amount of upland area, parking strategies have been proposed by the local community that avoid using upland habitat for the development of parking lots. The city of Emeryville has suggested designating 12 on-street spaces along Powell Street near the fire station for State Park use, and securing parking in adjacent lots north of Powell Street. In the event that adequate off-site parking cannot be provided by the city of Emeryville or the local community, 15 to 20 parking spaces should be provided on site. In order to
minimize the land area used for on-site parking, parking bays with parallel or diagonal parking should be explored as preferred solutions. Parking improvements can be phased to monitor actual use and demand.
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