After years of community meetings and surveys, the Tiburon Town Council has approved conceptual designs for four parks.
The action came during a joint meeting Wednesday of the council and the Tiburon Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission.
Last year, the town hired RHAA Landscape Architects of Mill Valley to create conceptual designs for the former Richardson Bay sanitation pond site and the Belveron Mini Park. It also hired Carlile Macy, a firm in Santa Rosa, to create designs for Cypress Hollow Park and the Bel Aire Play Area.
The parks commission received the preliminary designs on Feb. 23 and provided initial comments and modifications. Updated designs were presented during the joint meeting on Wednesday.
Richardson Bay Sanitary District’s former storage ponds, now filled in, at Tiburon Linear Park in Tiburon, Calif. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
The conceptual design for the Richardson Bay ponds site includes sand volleyball courts and a basketball court; a recreation wall; seating areas; a bioretention area; a habitat planting trail; a planting garden; and a bike path and pedestrian path. The project is estimated to cost about $2.3 million.
The town received numerous comments in support of the design.
“Basketball is not only for kids,” said Harrison Sapolsky, 9, who has been petitioning for the court for years. “My grandpa is almost 70 and he is still playing basketball with adults every week. … I’m really hoping for the basketball court as always.”
Some residents raised concerns over potential hazards from bicyclists in the park. Others expressed support for a paved path that would work for both bicyclists and pedestrians.
“Not everyone’s going to be happy,” said resident Evan Segal, who urged the council to move quickly with park plans. “We need to move forward for families for the kids.”
A project plan sign for Belveron Mini Park near the entrance of the park along Tiburon Boulevard in Tiburon, Calif., on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
The design for the Belveron Mini Park features bicycle parking, picnic areas, a small playground and lawn area, interpretive signs and habitats for birds and pollinators.
Some council members expressed concern over the nearly $2 million cost estimate for the project.
“My sense of this one is it probably needs a little bit more conceptual thought,” said Mayor Jon Welner.
Staff from RHAA said the estimated cost is likely to go down with final plans in place. The council voted 4-1 to move forward with the full design plan, with Welner in opposition.
A dog explores Cypress Hollow Park in Tiburon on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
The design for Cypress Hollow Park includes accessible swings and interactive play areas; a concrete mosaic wall and wood bench; an open play lawn and dog-friendly lawn; picnic areas and metal tables; and planting areas. The park renovation is roughly estimated to cost over $1 million.
The Bel Aire Play Area in Tiburon, Calif., on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
The Bel Aire Play Area design includes a bench, seating and a picnic area; a looped walking trail and bridge; planting areas; and trees. The project is estimated to cost around $470,000.
The combined cost for preparing final designs is $752,043.