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Cooley Landing Project
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2415 University Ave
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-853-3166

What's New? US EPA gives $200,000 cleanup grant to Cooley Landing

On June 6, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) announced a new $200,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to the Cooley Landing Project. Many thanks to the USEPA for this grant and several others to make this project possible. US EPA already contributed several rounds of soil and groundwater testing, a 2005 $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant (for planning, community involvement, and technical studies), and a 2010 $600,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant through the California State Department of Toxic Substances Control's Brownfields Revolving Loan program using funds from the Obama Administration's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Click here for the press release:

Click here for the fact sheet about this grant:

What is Cooley Landing?

Cooley Landing is a 9-acre peninsula at the end of Bay Road. For a long time, East Palo Alto leaders and residents have wanted to open Cooley Landing to the public. The City has hosted community meetings and stakeholder working groups to understand what community residents want at the site. Residents, Council members, and stakeholders have agreed to low intensity recreation, education, and conservation uses of Cooley Landing while respecting the natural and historic integrity of the site. The City has done technical studies to understand what it would take to open a public park there. The City is also continuing community workshops to get input about the refined site design. We held community workshops on 2/6/2010 and 4/8/2010 to refine the site design.

For more photos of Cooley Landing Click here, courtesy of Jitze Couperus (photographer) and Saul Chaiken (pilot)

East Palo Alto youth at EPA.net have created this video to introduce the Cooley Landing project: Click here

Thank you to the hundreds of people who participated in the Cooley Landing community planning meetings! To those of you who didn't make it, here is the final concept plan. You can see a paved loop trail that leads from the existing hiking/biking trail on Bay Road, past the parking lot and into Cooley Landing toward the water and back around again. Smaller granite trails let you get closer to the water. A roundabout in the middle lets buses and fire trucks turn around. Parking near the building helps seniors, children, and others get close to the water and the building more easily. An open meadow to the south can be a place to picnic, kick a soccer ball, or throw a frisbee. At the waterfront, the two jetties stick out into the water and lead to overlook areas that can have benches.

Click here for a full-size view of the Concept Plan

Below are two side views:

A) Side view of the area going from the parking lot, to the bathrooms, to the picnic tables, to the overlook. As you can see, people of all ages and mobility can easily move on a wheel-chair accessible trail among these parts of the site.

B) Side view as if you were in the water and looking back at the building and the area the dredge used to be. At the bottom right is a potential new structure where the former dredging boat was that gives a feel for that historic structure. This former boat, possibly from the 1930's, unfortunately burned down in March, 2008. But salvaged parts could be put back on display. The transparent wall will protect a visitor from the wind. Information about what you are seeing to the north can be etched into the glass.

Click here for a full-size view of the Conceptional Sections

Please see the Cooley Landing Vision Plan, which summarizes community input, design concepts, implementation plan, and other information already on this website or discussed at public meetings.

Tax Deductible Donations

The Philanthropic Ventures Foundation has set up a Cooley Landing Fund. Tax-deductible donations can be made through Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity acting as the depository for the Cooley Landing project.

Donate Online

Make an online donation via Philanthropic Ventures Foundation's secure online donation form. Next to "Support one of PVF's Designated Funds," make sure to select "Cooley Landing"
Make a donation

Donate by Mail

Send your donation by mail. Please make your check payable to Philanthropic Ventures Foundation. Be sure to specify "Cooley Landing" on your check memo line.
Send your check to:

Philanthropic Ventures Foundation
1222 Preservation Park Way
Oakland, CA 94612-1201

Recent updates about Cooley Landing

September 2011 Newsletter
August 2011 Newsletter
July 2011 Newsletter
June 2011 Newsletter
May 2011 Newsletter
April 2011 Newsletter
March 2011 Newsletter
February 2011 Newsletter
January 2011 Newsletter
December 2010 Newsletter
November 2010 Newsletter
October 2010 Newsletter
September 2010 Newsletter
June 2010 Newsletter
May 2010 Newsletter
April 2010 Newsletter
March 2010 Newsletter
February 2010 Newsletter
January 2010 Newsletter
December 2009 Newsletter
November 2009 Newsletter
October 2009 Newsletter
September 2009 Newsletter
August 2009 Newsletter
Other Parks and Survey

See articles about Cooley Landing in EPA.net, in EPA Today Newspaper, and in Palo Alto Town Square Forum.

Cooley Landing in the News

Palo Alto Daily News, September 3, 2011
Paly Voice, April 7, 2011
Peninsula Press, April 4, 2011
Palo Alto Weekly, April 1, 2011
Bay Citizen, March 24, 2011
East Palo Alto Today, March 23, 2011
Peninsula Press, March 1, 2011
Palo Alto Daily News, February 17, 2011
Palo Alto Weekly, February 17, 2011
Peninsula Press, February 9, 2011

Presentations

Regulatory Approvals

Before construction can begin at Cooley Landing, approval is needed from many regulatory agencies. Below are materials related to this process:

CEQA Initial Study

Notice of Intent
Mitigated Negative Declaration
Initial Study

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that before construction any development project must study the environmental and other impacts of a proposed project. Staff and consultants have drafted an "Initial Study" to describe those impacts and propose mitigation measures. The City Council voted February 15, 2011, to approve a CEQA determination of "Mitigated Negative Declaration." This means the project environmental impacts will not be significant as long as it promises to implement mitigation measures described in the document.

Notice of CEQA Determination
Regional Board approval of cleanup plan
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Lease Agreement

Technical Appendices

Appendix A Biological Assessment USFWS Plant Palette
Appendix B Cultural Reports
Appendix C-1 Supplemental Geotechnical Investigation
Appendix C-2 Geotechnical Feasibility Study
Appendix D-1 Remedial Action Plan
Appendix D-2 Health Risk Assessment
Appendix D-3 Phase I ESA
Appendix E Access Circulation Memo

Below are technical studies of Cooley Landing completed by the City's consultants:

Cooley Landing BA 12-20-10
Figure 1 Project Area Location Map
Figure 2 USGS Topographic Map Showing Project Site
Figure 3 Aerial Photograph of Project Site
Figure 4 Cooley Landing Concept Plan
Cleanup Plan comments and responses (24KB PDF)
Full Document of Cleanup Plan (15MB PDF)
English Summary of Cleanup Plan (971KB PDF)
English fact sheet about the cleanup plan(70KB PDF)
Spanish fact sheet about the cleanup plan(42KB PDF)
Summary of technical studies done thus far (5.68MB PDF)
Historical Assessment Report (391KB PDF)
Structural Assessment Report (912KB PDF)
Summarizes biological resources onsite (3.98MB PDF)
Report on 7 borings into the ground (6.71MB PDF)
Describes lead, asbestos, and other hazardous materials found onsite (1.0MB PDF)
Assessment of the current boat launch and the potential for extension (2.64MB PDF)
Summarizes the soil and groundwater contamination background information (26.83MB PDF)
Locations referenced in the above report (1.88MB PDF)
Plate showing the likely exposure pathways (29KB PDF)
Health Risk Assessment of cancer and noncancer risk from former dump use (4.64MB PDF)
History of Cooley Landing and documents the former dredge (1.14MB PDF)
Proposed wetland delineation (4.65MB PDF)
Well Water Testing Results (791KB PDF)
Draft Planting Plan (98KB PDF)

Become a part of the Cooley Landing community by beginning your training as a park docent/volunteer at other local parks. Attached here is a list of opportunities to get trained and volunteer at nearby parks, so that once Cooley Landing opens and needs volunteers you are prepared to help immediately!

Alternative Parking Plans

East Palo Alto City Council reduces parking and supports Vision Plan - On July 20, 2010, the City Council received a presentation about the Cooley Landing Vision Plan. Council Members heard from many community residents who testified that they preferred less parking at Cooley Landing. The City Council voted to reduce the amount of onsite parking from the original plan in an earlier construction phase of the project (Phase 3). The City Council gave direction to staff to aggressively promote alternative transportation for residents to Cooley Landing (e.g. walking, bicycling, shuttle service, offsite parking). After at least two years of operation, then staff will evaluate if any more parking is needed at the final construction phase (Phase 6). Then the City Council would only allow more parking at that later phase if - and only if - the original parking plan is determined to be insufficient to meet community demand and all other means have been exhausted. The Council approved the rest of the Cooley Landing Vision Plan as a project description for further environmental study as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Click Here to see the Parking alternatives presentation.

For more information, please contact:
Shannon Alford
Cooley Landing Project Manager
(650) 853-3166
salford@cityofepa.org