PICTURES AND MAPS,
page one | page two | page three |
page four
(location and assorted maps)
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California Newt
State species of special concern, they
migrate through the Gateway Valley, and their survival is
being completely ignored by both the
applicant and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Northeast towards Orinda
Gateway Valley provides a buffer between the increasingly urban sprawl of Contra Costa and the concentrated urban expanse of Oakland. It brings quality of life to people in both Alameda & Contra Costa counties.
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Ranching history
For more than a hundred years, the land (like much of the open space in
the Bay Area) has been used for cattle grazing. Two historic
ranches were located in the Valley: the Boeger ranch in the lower part of
Brookside Creek, and the Domingo Ranch higher up. A few cattle and
horses still roam the site today, sharing the land with hundreds of species of wild creatures and plants.
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Horses, cattle and wildlife ford the creek and drink here year round
Fresh summer water is lifeline for the astonishing variety of animals and birds who visit this valley.
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Why did they level Boeger Ranch?
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A corral remains at the site of the Boeger Ranch complex
What happened to the
historic ranch buildings, which were still there last year but have now vanished
? Could this be the result of a
preemptive strike by a prospective developer with no respect for local tradition, who
cares only about cutting costs? "If impacts on the Boeger Ranch
complex are unavoidable, an agreement shall be made between the
developer, the City of Orinda, the State Office of Historic Preservation
and an architectural historian with regard to preservation and/or
mitigation measures. . . . Such mitigation may entail detailed
photography and description, planar and profile drawing of each structure
in the complex and additional archival research . . . if structures are
to remain, . . . a preservation plan shall specify custodial and
renovative work plans necessary to preserve the structures."
(Montanera Final Development Plan, Supplemental Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan, Mar. 1999, p. 265)
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Young hiker finds ranching artifacts amid tread marks
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Exit to nowhere
In the 1950s, a highway branch was proposed to run from Highway 24 east
of the Caldecott tunnel through Gateway Valley to Moraga and on to
Lafayette. Although vigorously opposed by Moraga and Orinda
residents, this project was still being debated in the mid-1970s, when
the existing Gateway Blvd overpass, which connects to nothing, was
designed. Lately the applicant seems to hint that Gateway Valley needs to
be developed in order to fulfill the purpose of the overpass!
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PICTURES AND MAPS, page one | page two | page three | page four
(location and assorted maps)
The Greenbelt Guardians are an information network and coalition of
groups and individuals dedicated to effectively preserving
open space in the hills
east of Berkeley and Oakland and west of Orinda and Moraga.
Join us in spreading the word.
Greenbelt Guardians | P.O. Box 14, Canyon CA 94516
| info@savegateway.org
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