Note: I spoke to a City official last night on this subject after I had written the draft of this post, and he said that Railroad Avenue currently serves as the only emergency access route to Pinole. I am not sure if that is a critical pathway, however if that is the case, it would mean that the current dilapidated bridge over Pinole Creek would have to be replaced — and the road itself would have to improved — to provide proper access for emergency vehicles. Currently, a house rests on one end of Railroad Avenue — blocking potential traffic — which suggests that such an emergency access route is not an urgent issue.

I do like the rough plans for the restoration of the Chelsea Wetlands — but I think they should go one step further. I walk the Bay Trail path to Pinole Creek several times a week with my dog, and I think that — for the sake of the wetlands — the berm walkway should be removed, along with the remnants of Railroad Avenue west of the Bay Trail (from Santa Fe Avenue to the Pinole border). In doing so, this sizable area would be allowed to flood periodically and return to being directly influenced by the tide (just as on the western side of the railroad tracks). The Bay Trail, of course, could be replaced with an elevated boardwalk, limiting the direct impact on the wetlands.

Here is a rough sketch of what the plans call for, which includes removing upwards of 5 feet of soil in the wetlands to bring the bottom elevation down to below the mean high water level, ensuring that the basin will fill up twice a day…

It looks nice. I would love to sit atop that restored viewing mound (lower-left corner) and watch the sunset — even with my dog — but unfortunately I wouldn’t; not because of the view, but because of the nearly-permanent rancid smell emanating from the Pinole wastewater treatment plan across the creek (and directly up-wind).

This is a preliminary proposed cross-section of the restored wetlands (from the draft plans)…

But I think we are missing an opportunity to restore the wetlands as best we can if we do not inundate the remnants of Railroad Avenue. (Maybe there are emergency reasons to keep this road, albeit in beaten-up and nearly impassable shape, complete with a run-down boarded-up house at one end, but it is not as if there is an access road everywhere along the railroad tracks.) I think the area between the wetlands and the tracks should also be restored as wetlands, with an elevated boardwalk as the Bay Trail for pedestrians through this sensitive habitat…

Notes: I modified the proposed section in the draft plan to create the modified section above (showing the elevated boardwalk). The existing berm starts at an elevation of +16 feet at Railroad and Santa Fe, and trends downward to an elevation of +10 feet at Pinole Creek. The boardwalk would also have to mimic this change in grade (via intermittent steps or ramps, or a general downgrade), however the starting elevation does not need to be 16 (I show it at ~13.5), and in fact could be much lower (say, 10-12 feet) following an initial decline from the intersection grade at Railroad and Santa Fe. Additionally, the foundation piers would need to be much deeper than shown (since the underlying soil is soft, compressible clay).