There has been informal access to East Bay Regional Parks (EBRPD) “Ten Hills Trails” at the end of Grovenor Drive for several decades. After a series of complaints, some local voices began questioning if this loose chain that effectively granted access to the park was appropriate for the neighborhood.

Due to their efforts, the chain was locked by Alameda County. When this happened, a different group of neighbors complained to EBRPD, who installed a modern gate at the site and opened it.

There was an immediate struggle to determine who actually had jurisdiction over the site, and whether or not traffic and crime were associated with the park access. In October of 2013, there was a CV MAC meeting which discussed whether changes were necessary at the site. EBRPD, Alameda County Public Works, and many local citizens spoke at this meeting about the complicated situation. At this meeting, the MAC made a series of recommendations, including a six month trial period to determine if the site is a community nuisance.

Below is a table showing the motion and the status of these actions.

The MAC meeting on July 21 was the follow up meeting where the Alameda County Public Works shared their findings. Public Works determined that the recommended changes have been working, the site does not have a parking problem, and that no further action is required at this time. Five community members spoke during the public comment time and all of them mentioned that the access is an asset to the community. The Sheriff Department has stated that the gate does not seem to contribute significantly to local crime, and that this is one of the safest areas in Castro Valley. Based on these statements, the MAC decided to take no further action at this time.

This is a chart that shows the results of the parking analysis during the busy Summer period: