The East Bay Regional Park District, now reaching its 65th anniversary, has been a presence in the region for most of this century. In spite of the dismal economic climate, a thousand East Bay residents met in Oakland on January 29, 1931, to discuss a report recommending formation of a park district which would provide recreation on surplus water district lands.
State legislation, passed two years later, authorized establishment of the district. A petition drive collected 14,000 signatures to place the park district measure on the November 1934 ballot. Voters in the fledgling district, which included the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont and San Leandro, approved its formation 2 to 1.
In June 1936, district residents had their first parks: Wildcat Canyon, now Tilden; Roundtop, now Sibley; and Lake Temescal. Three years later, Redwood Regional Park opened to the public. For the next ten years, highlights included new features, rather than new parks. Tilden Park acquired the Brazilian Room building, originally part of the Brazilian pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair, and the 1911 Hershell Spillman merry-go-round, installed in 1948.
The 1950s saw growth in the region, and in the district as well. Grass Valley Regional Park, now Anthony Chabot, and Roberts Regional Recreation Area were opened before the district's 20th anniversary in 1954. At that time, the district had 5,400 acres of parkland and an estimated 2.7 million visitors annually. A budget of $652,000 included a payroll of 47 full-time and 43 seasonal/part-time employees.
When William Penn Mott, Jr. became the District's superintendent in 1962, an era of expansion and innovation began. The Pleasanton area and most of Contra Costa County were annexed to the District. Sunol Regional Wilderness, Las Trampas, Little Hills, Coyote Hills, and Briones became parks, aided by the 1964 passage of a state bond issue, and Crown Memorial State Beach was turned over to EBRPD to operate.
The 1970s brought new and different funding mechanisms. The Regional Parks Foundation was established in 1969 to support District needs, serving as a vehicle for corporate and private philanthropy. A 1971 state-authorized sales tax created funding for parkland acquisition, development and operation. Point Pinole Regional Shoreline was acquired by combining Land and Water Conservation funds, private grants, and a loan from Bank of America. In 1978, Proposition 13 reduced property tax funding for the District and led to innovative programs such as Adopt-A-Park and urban parkland legislation. Martin Luther King Jr., Regional Shoreline opened in 1979 on San Leandro Bay land leased from PG&E, EBMUD, the Port of Oakland, the City of Oakland, and the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.
The Master Plan process was first established in 1974, the District's 40th anniversary year, aided by the Park Advisory Committee, which is still active.
By its 50th anniversary, the district included East Contra Costa County, annexed in 1981, and by its 60th anniversary, following the annexation of the Livermore area in 1992, the district included all of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Funding sources now included the 1988 Measure AA bond measure, which provided $225 million for open space acquisition, recreational programs and grants to cities and local agencies for recreation and parks. A trails assessment district created in 1993 provided a local source of revenue for operation and maintenance of the extensive trail system.
As it reaches its 65th anniversary, EBRPD operates 55 public parklands and 15 inter-park trails on more than 90,000 acres in two counties. In 1998, the District was given the responsibility of operating the new state Eastshore State Park along the east edge of San Francisco Bay. Plans are under way for a new Delta Science Center in eastern Contra Costa County.
The district serves an increasingly diverse and urbanized population, reflected in the variety of experiences available, from programs for beginning campers and backpackers to wheelchair-accessible tidepool walks. Cultural and historical programs at nine interpretive and educational centers draw visitors from the Bay Area and beyond.
Park district founders might be surprised by what has happened to their vision in 65 years. They would probably find great satisfaction in seeing that it has resulted in one of the largest regional park districts in the country, well suited and well-equipped to move with the region into the next century.
Leslie Stewart
For more information:
EBRPD, 510-635-0135; http://www.ebparks.org