Dotson Family Marsh facts for kids
The Dotson Family Marsh is a special natural area in Richmond, California. It's a 238-acre (about 96 football fields) regional park right on San Pablo Bay. This park used to be called Breuner Marsh.
In 2009, the East Bay Regional Park District bought the land. They added it to the nearby Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. After buying it, they made plans to bring back the natural habitat. This included restoring 60 acres of wetlands and 90 acres of California coastal prairie.
On April 22, 2017, the park district changed the name from Breuner Marsh to Dotson Family Marsh. This was to honor a local family, the Dotsons. They had worked for many years to keep this area wild and open for everyone to enjoy.
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Where is Dotson Family Marsh?
The Dotson Family Marsh is surrounded by these areas:
- San Pablo Bay is to its west.
- Giant Marsh and Point Pinole Regional Shoreline Park are to the north.
- A Southern Pacific Railroad track and the Parchester Village neighborhood are to the east.
- Rheem Creek is to the south.
History of the Marsh
The land that is now Dotson Family Marsh has an interesting past.
Early Owners and Promises
In the mid-1900s, a man named Fred Parr owned the land. It was located between the bay and Parchester Village. Parchester Village was a new community built after World War II. It was special because it was the first community in California to sell homes to African Americans. Fred Parr had promised to keep the marsh wild and free from buildings. However, he later sold the land, leaving the community's open space uncertain.
Gerald Breuner's Plans
The new owner was Gerald Breuner. He owned a furniture store chain called Breuners. In the 1970s, he illegally damaged much of the wetlands. He wanted to build a private airport called Breuner Field. But people in the community and local politicians strongly opposed his plans. Because of their efforts, he could not build a large airport. The biggest thing he could build was a small field for model airplanes. Some of the mixed wetlands and grasslands still remained. In the 1980s, Mr. Breuner even tested experimental aircraft, like a gyrocopter, at the site. He also lived there.
Breuner Field was a 5-acre private field for radio controlled aircraft (model planes). It was built in the 1970s on the damaged wetlands. It had a sports club, some small cottages, and a fishing pier. The runway was about 300 feet long. It was marked with X's to show that it was not safe for real planes to land. The Bay Area Radio Control Society ran the field.
Saving the Marsh from Development
In 2000, a company called Bay Area Wetlands LLC bought Breuner Marsh. This company planned to sell the land to the highest bidder for development. Many ideas for building on the marsh came up. These included fancy houses, an industrial area, or a mixed-use village with homes and businesses.
However, many people wanted to protect the marsh. The Parchester Village Neighborhood Council, which had fought development before, wanted the marsh to become part of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. They wanted it restored to its natural state. Groups like the Sierra Club and the North Richmond Shoreline Open Space Alliance also fought against building on the marsh. Gayle McLaughlin and the East Bay Regional Park District also joined the effort.
The East Bay Regional Park District considered using a process called eminent domain to stop development. Eminent domain is when the government can buy private land for public use, even if the owner doesn't want to sell. This was to protect the rare undeveloped San Francisco Bay shoreline and save endangered animals. Bay Area Wetlands LLC once wanted to build something called "Edgewater Technology Park," but the Parchester residents said no.
A company that builds homes, Signature Homes, also tried to buy the land. But the city council did not want to change the land's zoning from industrial to residential. The city wanted businesses that would bring in tax money, not just houses that would need more city services.
A lawsuit was filed against the property owners to protect the open space. In March 2008, a court decided the land was worth $6.85 million. This was more than the park district's estimate of $1.5 million. The owners appealed this decision. But two months later, a sale was finally agreed upon for the undeveloped property.
A Park for Wildlife and People
The Dotson Family Marsh is home to important wildlife. Some of these are threatened or endangered species. These include the white-tailed kite, the salt marsh harvest mouse, and the California clapper rail.
The East Bay Regional Park District bought a large part of the historic Breuner Marsh in May 2008 for over $8.8 million. The park district has approved plans to restore the marsh's natural tidal wetlands and coastal prairie habitats. They also plan to add a part of the San Francisco Bay Trail for people to enjoy.
In 2011, the park district officially acquired Breuner Marsh. They used their own funds and also received grants from the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy and the state Fish & Wildlife Agency.
On April 22, 2017, the district renamed the park Dotson Family Marsh. This honored the Dotson family, who worked for many years to keep the marsh wild and open to the public. They also strongly opposed several attempts to build on the land.
