Shoreline Park – Burlingame Project / Bay Rise Park Project
$500,000 in June 2021 for design, outreach, CEQA, and permitting work. $991,499 in April 2022 to conduct site studies and community engagement, prepare detailed plans and detailed designs, prepare regulatory permit applications and environmental review documents, and prepare a longterm lease application for the project.
Burlingame, San Mateo County, SFBRA West Bay Region
Advance plans and designs, community engagement, environmental documentation, permit applications and longterm lease application
Fish, Bird and Wildlife Habitat Program; Shoreline Public Access Program
San Mateo Resource Conservation District
In April 2022, the Governing Board authorized disbursement of up to $991,499 to the SPHERE Institute to augment the grant of $500,000 previously authorized by the Board to conduct site studies and community engagement, prepare detailed plans and detailed designs, prepare regulatory permit applications and environmental review documents, and prepare a longterm lease application for the project.
The project will transform a 9.4-acre vacant parcel of State-owned bayfront land into a public nature and recreation park and will include restoration of approximately 3-3.5 acres of tidal marsh and transition zone habitats in one of the few remaining suitable locations along the City of Burlingame’s heavily developed shoreline.
The project will create much-needed nature and park amenities for the public. SPHERE has completed the conceptual design work for the project and has begun work on the detailed design stage. With the Authority grant, SPHERE will conduct studies, advance the plans and designs, conduct community engagement, prepare required environmental documentation, negotiate a lease with State Lands Commission (SLC), and prepare permit applications necessary for regulatory review.
The site and surrounding land were created around 1960 by illegal placement of approximately 150 acres of fill in San Francisco Bay by the Anza Corporation. Following a lawsuit, this land was divided between the Anza Corporation and the SLC. The project site is land owned by the SLC, which is a 9.4 acre parcel. In 2017, the SLC received proposals from developers to turn the parcel into a hotel. Following a multi-year Public Trust Needs Assessment, SLC agreed to a proposal from SPHERE and the San Mateo Resource Conservation District (SMRCD) to develop a public nature-based park instead. SLC currently has a lease with SPHERE through October 2023 and has agreed to enter into negotiations on a 49-year lease for the project.
Outcomes of the project include restored tidal marsh, a marsh-upland transition zone to provide space for landward transgression as sea level rises, and key park amenities including an education center, boardwalks and trails for nature viewing, an upgraded Bay Trail segment, two Water Trail access sites and a safe fishing access area.
