In December 2022, MOST acquired a 2.6-acre open-space property on San Rafael’s Gold Hill in the Dominican Black Canyon neighborhood. Upon receiving the land as a donation from Dyanne Bailey and Susan McQuaid, MOST transferred it to the City of San Rafael for an addition to Harry A. Barbier Memorial Park. The knoll-top property is surrounded by the city park, and recreational users always assumed it was public land prior to city ownership. A recreational trail passes through the property, and the Gold Hill Grade fire road touches the land’s northwest corner.
The property is highly visible from many locations in San Rafael due to its knoll-top location; the ridgeline and northwest sloping property is mostly wooded, with madrone, coast live oak, bays, and manzanita. At its southern boundary, a clearing offers spectacular views over San Rafael, and to the bay and Mt. Tamalpais. The property is now part of a 2,300-acre protected area on San Pedro Mountain comprised of Barbier Park, San Pedro Mountain Preserve, and China Camp State Park.