What was the surprising offer by one owner not to develop, but to sell?
In the Winter of 2001, a representative for the Fox/Wright parcel announced in the April 22, 2002 Planning Board meeting that he would not develop his property. The minutes of the meeting (on the web at http://www.ci.alameda.ca.us/archive/pdf/planning_minutes020422.pdf) record that Mr. Wright, the executor of the Fox estate, indicated, “If the City had the money to purchase the 2.5 acres, they would be very happy to sell.”
While the Fox/Wright plot is not big, it extends from Clement Avenue to the Estuary. It could include parking space. This makes its use as an active park feasible, if not ideal. (See Maps of the Estuary Park Site.)
Access could be created from Clement Avenue all the way to the Estuary and to the 100 foot wide strip there controlled by the BCDC. This ‘T’ shaped park is a practical possibility. (See the answer to the question, What current shape and location of the park are possible?)