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Residents urge city to clarify 1898 Belvedere deed as lane survey zeroes in on Beach Road strip
Summary
At a Parks and Open Space Committee meeting, residents warned that an 1898 deed tied to the Belvedere Land Company could bar structures on the Beach Road strip and urged the city to negotiate clarifications as the committee compiles revocable-license records and a fall survey.
The Parks and Open Space Committee heard sharp concerns from residents about an old deed that one speaker said could limit the city's ability to use the Beach Road "strip." Albert Richards, a resident at 266 Beach Road, told the committee there is a reference in an "1898 deed that says no structures are permitted on the strip," and warned that ambiguity over the historical meaning of "structure" could prompt litigation or transfer rights back to the Belvedere Land Company.
"The document itself is between the Belvedere Land Company and Belvedere," Richards said, urging the city to "engage with the land company to make that as flexible as possible" so future decisions do not hinge on competing interpretations of the deed. Chair Charlie Harrington said the lane subcommittee has already gathered recorded revocable licenses, staff reports, drawings and photos and will build a tracker to support a fall survey draft to share with staff and council.
Committee members and staff said the subcommittee’s work focuses on impacts to public access: whether a revocable license sits on a lane or in the navigable area of the strip. Council liaison Jane Cooper cautioned the group to distinguish private revocable licenses (which may not affect public access) from those that do. The chair said the subcommittee’s product is intended to be an asset for city staff and council as they review RL approvals and protocols.
The public comment exchange flagged a specific legal risk the committee said should be addressed before the survey is finalized. Members asked staff to consider negotiating clarifying language with the Belvedere Land Company and to document existing conditions (walkways, platforms, stairways) so the council can assess both legal constraints and practical public-access needs.
