Neptune Pointe Development Pitting State Against Feds

The State of California has launched itself into the controversy over the sale of surplus federal government property along McKay Avenue, known as Neptune Pointe, to a private developer. The property is opposite the Crab Cove Visitor Center.

'Ultimately, the excess federal land ought to be owned and controlled by the State of California or East Bay Regional Park District because that indisputably would be the best and highest use of it," says a letter sent Thursday by John P. Devine, supervising deputy attorney general for the state, to the U.S. Department of Justice's land acquisition section.

A copy of the letter was provided to news media Thursday evening by Carol Johnson, assistant general manager of the East Bay Regional Park District.

Devine's letter focuses on two issues: best use of the land and the federal government's intent to condemn street and sidewalk property owned by the state.

You may see a complete copy of Devine's letter on the Friends of Crown Beach website here.

Tim Lewis Communities, a development company, purchased the land for $1.8 million at an auction held by the federal government and later raised that amount to $3 million, according to an article on The Alamedan website.

The company outbid the EBRPD, which also wanted the land.

The park district has filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Alameda's rezoning of the property to allow housing development.

More recently, Friends of Crown Beach and the Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club, have formed an exploratory committee to stop the housing development. 

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