Effort to fortify beach at Coyote Point rolls forward

Though the San Mateo County Parks Department crafted plans to build the promenade, remove dozens of eucalyptus trees and relocate a parking lot, the project was divided into western and eastern sections due to lack of available funds, explained county parks spokeswoman Carla Schoof. Officials in 2014 completed the western portion of the promenade, which features a sea wall, bicycle and pedestrian path and access for wind surfers, she said.

In recent years, county officials have been able to gather most of the $7.1 million needed to build the eastern section of the promenade, a project that will extend the promenade another 1,000 feet and move the parking lot and some beach areas away from the shoreline to protect them from sea level rise, said Schoof. Having applied for the required permits and begun removal of some 80 trees in October, county officials are working toward putting a bid out for construction in February with the goal of starting construction of the eastern promenade in the summer of 2020, she said.

Nicholas Calderon, director of the county’s Parks Department, noted the project is indicative of the multi-faceted planning his department does when considering park improvements, which includes how they can accommodate recreational needs, protect natural resources and adapt to climate change.

“It’s really unique in the sense that we’re creating a Bayside beach recreation opportunity, we’re expanding the Bay Trail and we’re really improving the climate resiliency for that park,” he said.

Calderon credited the county’s Board of Supervisors as well as County Manager Mike Callagy for understanding the importance of the project for the county’s second-most-visited park, which also provides a connection for the San Francisco Bay Trail.

Aimed at protecting the park from the effects of sea level rise, the project will relocate the parking lot so it is farther away from the shoreline, establish a sandy beach as a buffer and build a path and sea wall to fortify it from the rising water levels expected in the future, explained Schoof. According to the Coyote Point Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment prepared for the county in March in which the California Ocean Protection Council’s high risk aversion, high emissions scenario was used, the park has a chance of experiencing up to nearly 2 feet of sea level rise by 2050.

Schoof said the promenade is slated to protect beach and ADA access to that part of the park and the restroom building will also be relocated so it is out of the inundation zone. Among the funding sources for the eastern promenade are $6.6 million in excess Educational Revenue Augmentation Funds and $300,000 from private donors, said Schoof, who noted the county will also pursue other grants to fund the remaining costs.

Visit parks.smcgov.org/coyote-point-eastern-promenade-rejuvenation-project for more information on the Coyote Point Eastern Promenade Rejuvenation Project.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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