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The East Bay Regional Park District last week announced its purchase of a property in Doolan Canyon, signaling a step toward possibly opening the area’s preserve for public access and recreational opportunities.
Known as the Olsen property, the newly acquired site of approximately 4.5-acres is located about half a mile south of the Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve along Doolan Road.
In addition to serving as a staging area, the property could become the first segment of a public trail to the preserve. But prior to the preserve’s potential opening, EBRPD must develop a land use plan for the area.
“As we begin the land use planning process, the Park District will carefully consider how to protect natural habitat while exploring opportunities for future public access,” EBRPD Acting General Manager Max Korten said in a statement announcing the acquisition.
According to EBRPD officials, developing a staging area at the preserve would not be cost-effective, due to its hilly terrain.
The EBRPD Board of Directors pursued a potential solution last February when it approved the purchase of the Olsen property for $434,000 from the city of Livermore.
The Olsen property is currently inhabited by nonnative grasses and ornamental bushes and trees, according to the April 7 staff report prepared by Brian Holt, EBRPD acting assistant general manager of acquisition stewardship and planning. The flat property also hosts a renovated barn with an unpermitted residence and a storage building.
At the time of board approval, the acquisition was also considered an opportunity to potentially create a picnic site or interpretive hub, according to Holt.
Additional planning is required to ensure a “safe access corridor” between the Olsen property and Doolan Canyon, Holt said.
During the same meeting in April, the board directed staff to begin developing a land use plan for the preserve while beginning to offer occasional, guided tours of the area.
The land use plan is set to include studies of the preserve’s natural and cultural resources, site improvements, public access opportunities and natural hazards, according to EBRPD officials.
Tours will begin in October, park district officials said.
Prior to the park district’s acquisition of the Olsen property, the city of Livermore purchased the land in 2018 as part of an approximately 138-acre property located at 5658 Doolan Road for the sake of securing Doolan Canyon as a permanent greenbelt, according to a resolution before the Livermore City Council on Dec. 10, 2018.
