The town has finished a three-year process to acquire a tract from the Richardson Bay Sanitary District.
Tiburon has closed the deal on a waterfront property purchase from the Richardson Bay Sanitary District.
Escrow on the property at 510 Tiburon Blvd. went through on April 19. The district sold it to the town for $573,704.05. While final plans for the retired water retention ponds are unknown, the purchase expands the town’s open space by 32,820 square feet.
“Tiburon has always been interested in acquiring that property because it is surrounded by our parks,” Town Manager Greg Chanis said. “It’s a very significant purchase for the town and we’re very excited about it.”
Chanis said the purchase has taken around three years. Now the town has to complete a state-approved closure plan, which includes draining the ponds and grading the area so it is flat. It also includes removing the pipes, concrete, fence and retaining wall.
Rough estimates for the work needed close the ponds are around $200,000, according to Chanis. The Town Council budgeted $800,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project.
The ponds and the surrounding site were previously used as a wastewater treatment plant, which was decommissioned by the Richardson Bay Sanitary District in 1983, according to the sale agreement. The plant is not part of the sale.
Chanis said part of getting state approval of the sale was doing groundwater and soil testing for potential contaminants. The results raised no concerns.
Mayor Alice Fredericks said the town has received a lot of public comments on potential uses of the space, but no final decision has been made. At a recent meeting, the Town Council reviewed draft plans for the future of its open spaces and parks, which gave some insight on what residents had in mind. However, more information is needed before any plans are finalized.
“Some considerations discussed to determine priorities would be impacts on the neighbors, access and parking, future costs of maintenance, need, including consideration of which recreation activities were offered nearby,” Fredericks said.
Vice Mayor Holli Thier said the idea to acquire the ponds emerged around 10 years ago, when she, then a member of the Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission, and former mayor Jeff Slavitz were walking along and stumbled upon the site. They thought it would be a great spot for a community pool — something many residents have voiced a desire for.
“I kept bringing it up and bringing it up and eventually, we started taking a look at acquiring the ponds,” Thier said. “When I started this idea of acquiring the ponds, nobody thought it was possible.”
Thier said she believes a pool is possible, but that there needs to be a community process before the Town Council makes any decision on the fate of the space.
“I personally am so excited to see our dream become a reality,” Thier said. “It’s been a long process, a good process with a lot of Town Council and community input. The community will decide what we do with it. The possibilities are limitless.”
