Design water access into the new Golden Gate Fields park
Status: Open for comment
Open for comment. Write now: the decision-maker and how to reach them are below.
Deadline: Email now. Board vote reported for Tue., Oct 20; written comments due by 3 PM Mon., Oct 19.
What the report said (as of September 30, 2026): The report and the Berkeley Scanner (September 30, 2026) say the EBRPD board will vote on the purchase agreement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The board meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 1:00 PM. The October 20 agenda had not been posted as of October 11, so the date is not yet confirmed on the agenda.
The former racetrack is becoming a regional shoreline park, and the EBRPD board is expected to vote on buying it October 20. Ask the board to plan for launch areas, loading and parking, and to keep interim access open.
What we're asking for
- Map launch and landing zones, rigging and loading areas, and long-duration parking within a short carry of the water, and keep launch corridors clear of fences, posts and plantings.
- Keep interim access to the Golden Gate Fields lots at Racetrack and Fleming Point through the transition, with parking of at least three hours.
- Measure current recreational use at Racetrack, Point Isabel and Marina Bay before park planning starts in 2027.
- Don't use paid parking to replace the revenue Albany lost when the racetrack closed.
Who can act
- Decision-maker
- East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Board of Directors
- Also involved
- City of Albany (General Plan Waterfront Element; local parking policy)
- Decision
- Purchase agreement vote, then 2027–29 park planning
- How to submit
- clerkoftheboard@ebparks.org (subject must start with “Public Comment – Golden Gate Fields”). Send your comment now; you don't need to wait for the agenda. EBRPD asks for written comments by 3:00 PM the day before the meeting (Monday, October 19 for an October 20 vote). Once the agenda is posted, the subject line should be "Public Comment – " plus the exact agenda item title. Written comments go to board members and into the official record but aren't read aloud. You can also speak in person at 2950 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, or by Zoom (link on the posted agenda).
Make your voice heard
Answer a few optional questions. We turn your answers and this campaign's asks into a prompt you paste into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, which drafts a comment in your words. Nothing you enter is sent to this site or saved.
Write without AI
Talking points
Adapted from the SFBA report's recommendations. Choose the ones that match your own experience.
- Map launch and landing zones, rigging and loading areas, and long-duration parking within a short carry of the water, and keep launch corridors clear of fences, posts and plantings.
- Keep interim access to the Golden Gate Fields lots at Racetrack and Fleming Point through the transition, with parking of at least three hours.
- Measure current recreational use at Racetrack, Point Isabel and Marina Bay before park planning starts in 2027.
- Don't use paid parking to replace the revenue Albany lost when the racetrack closed.
Report findings by activity
- Kitesurfing: The property sits next to one of the Bay's best kite launches.
- Windsurfing, Kayaking, Stand-up paddling (SUP), Rowing, Wingfoiling, Kitesurfing: Albany's General Plan (Policy W-3.5) directs the city to designate water access areas for windsurfers, kayakers and other non-motorized watercraft.
- Beach visits / walking: EBRPD and the Trust for Public Land describe trails, habitat and an unbroken shoreline park from Richmond to Oakland. Neither has yet mentioned launches, rigging areas or parking.
Where to send it
Email clerkoftheboard@ebparks.org. Start the subject line with “Public Comment – Golden Gate Fields”. Send your comment now; you don't need to wait for the agenda. EBRPD asks for written comments by 3:00 PM the day before the meeting (Monday, October 19 for an October 20 vote). Once the agenda is posted, the subject line should be "Public Comment – " plus the exact agenda item title. Written comments go to board members and into the official record but aren't read aloud. You can also speak in person at 2950 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, or by Zoom (link on the posted agenda).
A simple outline
Who is affected?
- Kitesurfing: The property sits next to one of the Bay's best kite launches.
- Windsurfing, Kayaking, Stand-up paddling (SUP), Rowing, Wingfoiling, Kitesurfing: Albany's General Plan (Policy W-3.5) directs the city to designate water access areas for windsurfers, kayakers and other non-motorized watercraft.
- Beach visits / walking: EBRPD and the Trust for Public Land describe trails, habitat and an unbroken shoreline park from Richmond to Oakland. Neither has yet mentioned launches, rigging areas or parking.
The report doesn't cover every way people use Golden Gate Fields (for example, open-water swimming, rowing, sailing). If that's you, decision-makers need to hear your first-hand account. You can also send us evidence to add here.
Why it matters
Golden Gate Fields closed to racing in June 2024. In February 2026 the Trust for Public Land took an option to buy the 161-acre property for $175 million, about 31 acres of it open water along the shoreline. Funding includes $125 million from the state, $20 million from EBRPD’s Measure WW and about $30 million from private donors. (Report p. 10)
EBRPD expects to own and manage the park, take title in spring 2027, run a public planning process from 2027 to 2029, and build in phases as funding allows. (p. 10)
The report notes that more public shoreline doesn’t guarantee access to the water. Launch areas and parking have to be in the planning record before the landscape is designed. With paid parking proposed at Berkeley, Toll Plaza closed, Crown Beach losing sand and Racetrack already at capacity, the report argues that the new park should be planned around regional demand. The report also recommends a seat for SFBA in EBRPD’s planning process. (pp. 10–11)
Summary written by this site from the SFBA report. Positions are SFBA’s recommendations, not findings by an agency.
Read the evidence
- SFBA, The State of Recreational Access to the San Francisco Bay: 2026,pp. 10, 11, 31
- EBRPD agenda showing current public-comment procedure (Board committees, Oct 14, 2026)
- EBRPD public meetings and board agendas
- EBRPD, Future Golden Gate Fields Park
- Berkeley Scanner, Golden Gate Fields town hall (Sept 30, 2026), reports the Oct 20 vote
Share this campaign
Last checked
Action details last verified October 10, 2026.See something wrong or out of date? Fix it on GitHub (GitHub opens a pull request for you), or tell us what's wrong.