Pinole Creek Restoration Underway
— by Jeffrey Wisniewski — 5 August 2010 — 5 comments below »
Residents have likely noticed the construction work underway along the lower reach of Pinole Creek…
It is the first phase of the Pinole Creek restoration (a City of Pinole project called the “Demonstration Project”), paid for through grant funding, and should be completed this January.
The project runs from the Railroad Avenue bridge to Orleans Drive, and includes the following:
- Excavate channel to provide an increased level of flood protection;
- Construct approximately 2,400 linear feet of floodwalls on both sides of the creek;
- Construct a new pedestrian entry from Orleans Drive;
- Construct 1,200 linear feet of mixed use trail;
- Restore 2.55 acres of marsh plain and adjacent upland habitat;
- Install new native landscape improvements and remove non-native trees (including palms apparently);
- Construct a pathway lighting system along the Pinole side of the creek;
- Construct two creek accesses on the Pinole side; and
- Install interpretive signs and benches.
Although much of the work is being done on property within the City of Hercules (in fact, the majority of the creek in this area is within the Hercules boundary), the City is not involved, and no mention of the project is mentioned on the City’s website. (The two cities are apparently not talking to one another at this point in the relationship.)
Both sides of the creek are jointly used by residents of both cities, so any improvement to the Pinole side is more than welcome, however improvements along the Hercules side are necessary as well (although what’s completed on one side does not necessarily need to be repeated on the other). The walking path could be paved and lit, and direct access to the trail could also be provided from Woodfield and Rosti (a hole in the chain-link fence is the only means of access).
One thing of note. A future phase of the restoration project includes the removal of the Railroad Avenue bridge (currently a constricting element for conveying flood waters), but the City’s plans for the adjacent Chelsea Wetlands restoration include the bridge remaining (another miscommunication). The Pinole plan includes replacing the existing pedestrian bridge with a larger one capable of accommodating emergency vehicle access, but is not part of this first phase of work. (I have advocated for the removal of both the Railroad Avenue Bridge and the lower, abandoned portion of Railroad Avenue as part of the Chelsea Wetlands restoration.)
I live a few houses from the Creek, Hercules side, and since the beginning of the week have been watching the construction with senile fascination. I’ll be very disappointed if we don’t eventually get the once-proposed pedestrian bridge at the foot of Williams, which I understand has been shot down by NIMBYs on my side of the Pinole Creek Curtain (who seem to have a vision of the Forces of Evil swarming into the Dynamic City over even the rudest bridge.) At minimum, I’d like to see several official access points to the trail on the Hercules side, and the replacement of that ugly and faintly unsettling chain-link fence with something more aesthetic.
@ Alan Follett — I walk the trail daily and agree completely. The two entrances could be mini-parks — with benches, picnic tables, and a redwood & wire mesh fence.
It is my understanding the line of demarcation is actually at the eend of the bridge on the Hercules side. Since the Chelsea wetlands are controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers I suspect the wetlands restoration is at the end in the area of Bayfront Park and not on the Hercules side at all.
@ Susan Keeffe — The line of demarcation is shown on the plans. The work closest to the bridge is in Pinole (even on the Hercules side of Pinole Creek), but the work toward the eastern end of the project is in Hercules.
Alan Follett you have hit the nail on the head. Invading Pinole riff raff on one side and on the other side of town invading Rodeo riff raff. i am personally more concerned with the lack of the Hercules leaders of providing equal and easy access to their “nose in the air” community. The Council should sit outside of Victoria by the Bay and see how many “Hercules Residents” walk in the street to get to a supermarket in Rodeo. There are even obstacles planted to prevent the happy Herculeess from escaping from their town.
I doubt that easy access from Pinole or Rodeo will not be provided to access the over designed Transit Station when completed in 2020.
Hercules …… you have dropped the ball in providing ease of pedestrian access to stores and PUBLIC CCC Offices.