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Alameda County Altamont Landfill Open Space Fund Robertson Property Acquisition Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park East Bay Regional Park District PROJECT DESCRIPTION The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) proposes to acquire the 1,367.8± acre Robertson property, which is located adjacent to Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park north of Niles Canyon Road and east of Palomares Road in an unincorporated area of Alameda County. The subject property is located about 1.5 miles northwest of the community of Sunol; it occupies the western slope of Sunol Ridge from Palomares Road up to Sunol Peak. Acquisition and permanent protection of the Robertson property is essential to regional conservation goals. Rarely does the opportunity arise to preserve such an expansive, contiguous landscape with largely intact and diverse plant communities and wildlife. More than 7,500 acres has already been protected in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park; together with more than 6,000 acres at EBRPD's nearby Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer and Vargas Plateau, plus extensive San Francisco Water Department holdings, these protected lands create a significant preserve in Niles Canyon around Alameda Creek, the East Bay's largest watershed. Because of the site's important biological resources, as well as public access opportunities and connectivity, the Robertson property's acquisition is a high priority for the Park District. The L-shaped property is vacant and consists of four assessor's parcels ranging in size from 319 to 367 acres. The maximum north-south distance across this large property is approximately two miles; maximum east-west distance is about 1.7 miles. Two small in-holding parcels (0.47 acres and 0.49 acres), owned by Alameda County and American Tower respectively, are located on Sunol Peak and contain communication sites; these properties are excluded from the proposed acquisition. Located outside city limits and the urban growth boundary, all of the property has an Alameda County zoning designation of "A," Agricultural District, and is subject to Williamson Act contracts. The property consists of three legal parcels which could each be separately marketed and developed, pursuant to the County's 100-acre minimum size requirement and the Williamson Act constraints. Elevations are extremely varied across the surface of the Robertson property. Gradients of 45%to 60% are common, with scattered level plateaus throughout. The northeast portions include the upper elevations of Sunol Ridge, which is a major geologic: formation in the region. Views are exceptional and panoramic from numerous vantage points. A series of undulating hills and gullies contain seasonal creeks which drain to Palomares Creek, a tributary of Alameda Creek. The property contains important habitat for protected species such as the California tiger salamander, California red-legged frog and Alameda whipsnake. Plant communities include oak woodland, chaparral and coastal scrub and grassland, along with numerous stock ponds and ephemeral and intermittent drainages.