San Jose Mercury News: Sixteen new park sites considered by East Bay Regional Parks, July 15, 2013

Excerpt:

OAKLAND -- The East Bay Regional Park District is considering 16 potential park sites in a blueprint for expansion into new areas along the hills, valleys and shorelines of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

The park board will vote Tuesday afternoon on its master plan, a set of long-term goals and policies.

The plan positions EBRPD to continue an aggressive land buying program fueled by voter-approved bond measures of $225 million in 1988 and $500 million in 2008.

Before the district can acquire or lease any land for a new park, it must be listed in the master plan.

"We are trying to stay ahead of development to preserve these open spaces for public recreation and for protection of habitats so park system expansion there are wildlife corridors for wild animals," said Mike Anderson, a park district assistant general manager.

The largest regional park system in America, EBRPD has 113,000 acres in 65 regional parks for hiking, swimming, fishing, mountain biking and camping.

Among possible park sites are the Alvarado Wetlands, one-time salt ponds restored by the state into wetlands near Fremont; the Dumbarton quarry site that would become a park and campground near Fremont; and the Concord Hills on a closed part of the Naval Weapons station.

The district also is looking at sites at Alameda Point on the old Alameda Naval Air Station and a Pleasanton chain of lakes park to be developed -- like Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area -- when
they close.