Bay Area

County Eyes Open Space Opportunity in Ross Valley

Published

3 years ago

October 14, 2022

Oakland Post

The summit of Bald Hill (photo credit: Jonathan Braun)

Board to discuss purchase of Bald Hill

Courtesy of Marin County

Bald Hill in Marin County’s Ross Valley is not part of Bald Hill Open Space Preserve. Since the preserve was formed in 1994, adjacent lands gradually have been added as public open space, but the hill’s summit has remained privately owned.

The protection and preservation of Bald Hill has been identified as a high priority by local governments, grassroots environmental groups, and residents since 1976. Now, the naming quirk could be fixed. After decades of attempts to make a public purchase, there is a proposed agreement between the County of Marin and the nonprofit Marin Open Space Trust (MOST) to make Bald Hill a proper part of the preserve.

On Oct. 11, Marin County Parks will ask the Marin County Open Space District Board of Directors to authorize a purchase and sale agreement with MOST and other requirements. Parks would use $850,000 from the County Open Space District acquisition set-aside budget for the purchase, a move that would not affect the County’s General Fund.

The land, in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais, would increase the preserve’s acreage from 46 to 106 (130%) if the deal is approved.

“I think most Ross Valley residents assumed it was already protected public land,” said Board of Supervisors President Katie Rice, who represents nearby residents in District 2. “In fact, this ingrained part of Ross Valley’s identity has been vulnerable to development this whole time. If this is approved, the acquisition would fulfill a decades-old goal of the community and the County to protect this invaluable landscape and prevent development on its pristine hillsides. And we would be getting the property at a significantly discounted price thanks to the generous support of the donors.”

The privately held Bald Hill parcels, just south of the existing preserve boundary, include the 1,141-foot treeless summit, which provides an iconic backdrop for the towns of Ross, San Anselmo, and Fairfax. The parcels are within the Town of Ross and adjacent to the San Anselmo town limits and Marin Water lands to the west. The Worn Springs and Upper Road West fire roads run through the parcels. If the sale is executed, the two parcels — approximately 60 acres in all — would be added to the existing preserve that features hiking and equestrian recreational opportunities.

Jonathan Braun, MOST’s board member leading the effort to acquire the parcels, said MOST has received strong support from Ross Town Councilmember Elizabeth Robbins, Ross resident Dan Kalafatas, the Tamalpais Conservation Club, and a host of conservation-minded individuals.

“Bald Hill is a beloved place,” Braun said. “This is made possible by a lot of generosity and hard work by community members and MOST, and we’re grateful to reach this point and bring it forward for Open Space District consideration. MOST is thrilled to have the opportunity to protect it.”

The last time Bald Hill Preserve was enlarged was in 2015 when the County bought the 16.2-acre Sky Ranch. That purchase also featured MOST as a liaison between the County and private owners. It connected the preserve to more than 100,000 acres of additional public lands and hundreds of miles of public trails stretching west to Point Reyes and south to the Marin Headlands.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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5 days ago

March 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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2 weeks ago

March 1, 2026

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.