Albany Hill

Cerrito Street, which runs up the eastern side of Albany Hill.

View of Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay, from the western side of Albany Hill.

Albany Hill is a prominent hill along the east shore of San Francisco Bay in the city of Albany, California. Its indigenous Ohlone name is unknown. It was named Cerrito de San Antonio^[1] by the Peraltas after the name of their ranch, Rancho San Antonio, a Spanish land grant which encompassed much of the East Bay. The name was changed to Albany Hill upon the establishment of the city of Albany.^[2] The adjacent city of El Cerrito was named after the hill's original Spanish name.

Early history

Beginning in the late 19th century, the hill was used by the Judson Powder Works for the manufacture of dynamite. The company had been forced to move from San Francisco after several accidental explosions there. In 1905, a massive accidental explosion of nitroglycerin occurred, killing 23 workers. The explosion carved a massive crater in the north flank of the hill, and a large dip in the tree-line is extremely evident. After this incident, no more manufacturing of explosives was allowed on Albany Hill.

Modern history

From the 1970s, there were numerous schemes proposed for development of Albany Hill. The city of Albany, having jurisdiction over this land, attempted to balance interests of economic development and housing demand with conservation interests to protect the native habitat. Eventually the city retained an environmental consultant to prepare an Environmental Impact Report on alternative development schemes and development densities. After a series of public hearings the consultant's recommendation design was chosen leading to the present development pattern of clustered high-rise residential use and preservation of the majority of the hill.

Today, Albany Hill is mostly residential, with a public park on its northern side, extending up from Cerrito Creek. Albany Hill is covered partially by eucalyptus trees and partly by native oak. The hill provides a view of Albany, Berkeley — notably, UC Berkeley's Sather Tower — and the Berkeley Hills from one side. From the other, it looks out onto the Bay, with San Francisco in the distance. Looking south from the Hill, the high-rises in downtown Oakland and Emeryville are visible.

References

1. ^ Lower Codornices and Cerrito Creeks - History and Restoration Possibilities, Friends of Five Creeks, Accessed August 2 2007.
2. ^ A Brief History of Early Albany, Albany City Chamber of Commerce, Accessed August 2 2007.