Special Notice / Hearing: None
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Jonathan Gervais, Parks Director
Subject: California Ocean Protection Council Grant Application for the Coyote Point Eastern Promenade Project
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the submittal of a grant application for $650,000 to the California Ocean Protection Council’s Proposition 1 Grant Program under the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 to construct the Coyote Point Eastern Promenade.
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BACKGROUND:
In the 1920s, the Coyote Point Promenade was built as part of the Pacific City amusement park as a pathway alongside the San Francisco Bay. Since the County acquired the Coyote Point Recreation Area in the 1940s, use of the site has always included a shoreline trail and access to the Bay for non-motorized recreational users.
For over seventy years, the trail and adjacent beach have been heavily used by park visitors. Families have picnicked and played along the shoreline. Others have walked, jogged or bicycled along the trail and watched wildlife in the Bay or airplanes flying overhead to and from the San Francisco International Airport. Windsurfers, kiteboarders, and kayakers have also accessed the open waters of the Bay from the Promenade.
The Promenade is recognized in two regional trail plans. It is a spur to the San Francisco Bay Trail as it connects to the Coyote Point Bay Trail and allows pedestrians and cyclists to travel through the Coyote Point Recreation Area to City of San Mateo neighborhoods and businesses. It is also listed as a high-opportunity site in the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail Plan and could be included as a permanent site once improvements have been completed.
Strong winds and tides have deteriorated the shoreline pathway and beach to the extent that an engineered solution is essential to prevent permanent closure of the site. Managed retreat solves coastal erosion and flooding problems and renews recreational opportunities. Private funding was secured to develop a full set of construction plans, permits, and specifications. BKF Engineers, an experienced Bay Area consulting firm, has completed the project plans, specifications, permits, and engineer’s estimate.
DISCUSSION:
The Coyote Point Eastern Promenade Project is the second phase of a two-phase project along the northern shoreline of Coyote Point Recreation Area. This project includes creation of a curved bay with a perched flat sandy beach ranging in width from 50 to 125 feet and raised to 12-foot long North American Vertical Datum (NAVD) to accommodate anticipated sea level rise in 2050; an improved 1,000-foot-long Promenade trail raised to 13-feet NAVD with several accessible ramps and beach mats for beach goers, open water swimmers, and kayakers; 188 parking spaces in lower, middle, and upper parking areas; and a new restroom building. One thousand feet of shoreline will be improved in this phase. The planting plan includes shoreline, bluff, and bioswale plantings that include drought tolerant and native grasses, shrubs, and trees.
The California Ocean Protection Council was established to ensure that California maintains healthy, resilient, and productive ocean and coastal ecosystems for the benefit of current and future generations. The Ocean Protection Council is committed to basing its decisions and actions on the best available science, and to promoting the use of science among all entities involved in the management of ocean resources.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution as to form.
Approval of this Resolution contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of an Environmentally Conscious Community as the project will increase the number and quality of natural experiences and recreational opportunities for County Park visitors.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE(S):
|
Measure |
FY 2016-17 Actual |
FY 2017-18 Projected |
|
Linear Feet of Shoreline Trail and Beach Restored |
N/A |
1,000 feet |
FISCAL IMPACT:
Grant funds of $800,000 have been secured from the California State Coastal Conservancy and California Natural Resources Agency. When project expenditures are made, reimbursements from the grant can be submitted. A family foundation has contributed $300,000. Additional grant applications for $1,595,000 have been submitted to the California Division of Boating and Waterways and San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority. The engineer’s estimate and project management for construction of the project is estimated to be $5,500,000. There is no impact to the General Fund.