stacy farr and corey schnobrich
from the top: library return window and library books scattered on the floor including The Crisis of Capitalism. A hoist connecting harbour and library and a child carrier and wagon used for metal scavenging,
Despite and because of the constant possibility of eviction, the residents of the Bulb constitute themselves as an informal democratic community. Though they do not hold regular meetings, the residents make communal decisions based on a word-of-mouth system, whether voting to evict troublesome residents, deciding to renovate communal structures, or ensuring they are represented at important city council meetings. As a semi-autonomous community, the residents make their livelihoods in various ways, including fishing in the bay and scavenging metal from the industrial rubble on site. The residents’ rural lifestyle, however, interfaces with the surrounding urban environment in important ways. Most residents must frequently walk or bike the two kilometres into Albany, Richmond or Berkeley to obtain food and sell their collected scrap. Inversely, social service and enforcement personnel from the surrounding communities frequent the Bulb to ensure public safety, check on the residents and their pets, and try to persuade them to move into permanent shelters.
The greatest threat to the community’s illegal residence on the Bulb, however, is not enforcement agencies per se. Despite previous evictions and the possibility of another purge, visitors and city officials treat the Bulb’s residents with a fair amount of tolerance. Instead, the residents face imminent expulsion when the state takes over the property and incorporates the Bulb into the larger Eastshore State Park System. The state will not take the property, however, until the city cleans up the site, including the industrial debris, large assemblage art, and resident encampments. If the city does not complete these actions by 2053, the property will automatically be transferred to state ownership. Citing the “important scenic and natural character with significant recreational values” of the Albany shoreline, the state plan means the end of the informal residential community on the Bulb. So, in the name of scenery and nature, this man- made landfill, once too hazardous to occupy, will provide a new home to native plants, animals, and human visitors. And while the Bulb may become more “natural”, the artists, off-leash dog walkers, and especially the residents that must leave to make room for these new occupants will leave the Bulb a lot less wild. –
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