Albany Bulb
Aerial photos show the gradual filling of this lagoon at the same time that dumping extended the peninsula west into the Bay and, later, north onto the Plateau.
The Bulb proper—the round hill at the tip of the peninsula—was created in 1963, after the City of Albany signed a contract with Santa Fe Railroad for the disposal of construction debris.
Sandy beaches are rare along the San Francisco Bay, but strong tidal currents to and from the Golden Gate tend to create them along the Berkeley and Albany shorelines.
Albany Bulb’s landscape consists of landfill materials such as rebar, rubble, and driftwood that has been repurposed by artists and has remained a part of the park’s local identity.
Under the regulatory protocol of CalRecycle and the Alameda County Local Enforcement Agency, The Bulb undergoes regular inspections for hazardous contaminants that may put the site’s waterfront at risk.
According to these studies, no significant threats have been detected, which has allowed the site to remain uncapped and has enabled exposed landfill items to persist as a feature of the topography.
[5] A transition study conducted by the City of Albany Council from 2015–2016 concluded that several non-native invasive species such as pampas grass, English ivy, French broom, and iceplant have been detrimental to The Bulb's wildlife.
The south shore's riprap is largely un-vegetated, but lagoons and some gentler shoreline on the north, facing the Albany Mudflats, have welcomed typical salt-marsh vegetation such as salt grass and gum plant.
[2] The Bulb provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including songbirds, rats, mice, and black-tailed hares, California ground squirrels as well as rattlesnakes, hawks and barn owls that feed on them.
[7] The Plateau area, once popular for flying model airplanes, has been partly fenced off to mitigate habitat losses incurred by the construction of sports fields to the south.
Many groups, including urban artists, otherwise homeless Albany residents, dog walkers and owners, teenagers, and environmentalists use The Bulb area and feel they have a stake in it.
Sculptor and activist lawyer Osha Neumann has created some of the largest works in the park, such as a sculpture of a female figure composed of scrap wood and metal known locally as the "Beseeching Woman" or "Water Lady" (not official names).
Informal concerts, punk parties, and even a 2006 production of Shakespeare's The Tempest presented by We Players, a Bay Area site-specific theatre company, have been hosted in an amphitheater on the site constructed using landfill materials.
In May 2013, the Albany City Council voted to evict the residents of The Bulb, offering them minimal assistance with relocation to other living arrangements.
[16] Further, the main trails were widened and leveled after the 2014 evictions to allow for greater motor vehicle access, police patrols were increased, and vegetation was cut back for several years to prevent further camping.
In 2006, Magna Corporation, the owner of the Golden Gate Fields race track, proposed a large commercial shopping area on the racetrack property southeast of The Bulb.
However, the study also found that half of participants wanted enough development on the waterfront to maintain the current tax revenue generated from Golden Gate Fields, which is about $1.7 million.
[17] A transition study funded by a grant was completed by the City of Albany in 2015 which worked to assess the state of the park and envision strategies for its enhancement.
[2] Subsequently, in 2018, voters in western Alameda and Contra Costa Counties passed Measure FF, which committed to allocating funds to general improvements such as habitat protection, visitor facility enhancement, and expansion of personnel.
[18] In 2016, a non-profit organization called “Love the Bulb” was established with the aim of celebrating and protecting the landfill's artistic culture, as well as advocating for environmental interests.
