The vacant lot between the Ford Building and Marina Way South is designated “High Intensity Mixed Use (Major Activity Center” in the Richmond General Plan 2030, because of its proximity to the Richmond Ferry Terminal, the Bay Trail, the Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center, the waterfront and the Craneway as well as freeway access. It was designated as a “Change Area” envisioning “High Intensity Mixed Use (Major Activity Center) to promote a mix of high-density residential, commercial, retail, office and entertainment uses.

Figure 1 - Excerpt from Richmond General Pan 2030

The previous owner, Richard Poe, didn’t get the message. When the Richmond Planning Department discouraged him from pursuing a 59-unit single-family suburban style development, Poe took it to the voters with ballot issue. See “Vote No on Measures N and O, May 23, 2016”  and “Media Coverage of Measures N and O, May 2, 2016.” The voters didn’t like the project either.

For reasons that were never clear, the Quixotic Richard Poe, whose family was the master developer of Marina Bay, wanted to build a low-density waterfront residential development on a parcel the General Plan designated for high density mixed-use. When the Planning Department and several City Council members, including me, tried to discourage him, he doubled down on his plan by withdrawing it from the normal entitlement process, paying for a successful petition drive and placing it on the ballot as an initiative. To punish the City Council for not supporting Richmond Riviera, Poe added a second initiative that would effectively limit the city manager’s compensation to a level that would make it difficult, if not impossible, to recruit a qualified city manager in the future. Richmond, CA, 2016 Year End Review and Predictions/Wishes for 2017 Page 8 of 21 In the June 7, 2016, election, voters rejected both Measures N and O. Richard Poe moved to Florida and put the Richmond Riviera site up for sale. Even the Richmond Progressive Alliance opposed it.

Figure 2 - the proposed Richmond Riviera Project of 2016

Now, we have Richmond Riviera 2.0, except ten times as ugly,  working its way through the entitlement process with a new southern california deveoper Guardian Commercial Real Estate, L.P. Instead of 59 homes, it has 70 single-family units and 30 accessory dwelling units. Like the proposed Terminal One project by Laconia, it has single family homes jammed-packed onto the site with almost no open space or amenties, and despite a world-class waterfront location, most homes only have a view of the house across the street.

Figure 3 - Proposed Marina Point Project


Figure 4 - Site Plan of proposed marina Point Project

It is truly discouraging that the worst developers in the country continue to bottom feed on Richmond and propose poorly designed ugly projects that fly in the face of good urban planning. I hope someone is paying attention.