SCH Number 2020090171

Project Info

Title

Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Project

Description

The proposed Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Project would address shoreline erosion, severe coastal storm and wave hazards, and sea level rise which threaten city infrastructure, coastal access and recreational facilities, and public safety. The project area generally encompasses the portion of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach extending south from Sloat Boulevard to the northern edge of the Fort Funston bluffs, and the Great Highway from Sloat Boulevard to Skyline Boulevard, along with portions of Ocean Beach to the north and portions of Fort Funston to the south. Major project components include: (1) permanently closing the Great Highway between Sloat and Skyline boulevards, and reconfiguring affected intersections and San Francisco Zoo parking access; (2) removing rock and sandbag revetments, and rubble and debris from the beach, and reshaping the bluff to provide a more gradual transition between beach and upland areas, and planting native vegetation; (3) constructing a multi-use trail and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements to existing trail segments, beach access stairway, coastal access parking, and restrooms, and enhancing habitat; (4) constructing a buried wall to protect existing wastewater infrastructure from shoreline erosion; and (5) long-term beach nourishment (sand replenishment). The project is a collaborative, multi-agency initiative involving the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), San Francisco Recreation and Parks, San Francisco Public Works, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service. For long-term beach nourishment the City and County of San Francisco (the city) would excavate and truck excess sand from North Ocean Beach (i.e., north of Lincoln Boulevard) and place it at South Ocean Beach, called a “small placement” and place coarse sand from other sources as a top layer (also referred to as sand backpass). The small placement would involve trucks dumping up to 85,000 cubic yards of sand onto the beach and bluff. The city could also obtain a smaller volume of sand from a commercial vendor if necessary. The type and frequency of sand placements would depend upon sand availability (i.e., North Ocean Beach) and shoreline conditions (e.g., sea level rise and related erosion rates). Sand placements would occur about once every four years, generally in summer or fall. The city has requested and NPS is considering issuance of an easement and Special Use Permit (federal action) which would allow the city to implement the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Project. The purpose of the federal action is for the NPS to consider whether to issue an easement and Special Use Permit for work within NPS land to the city to implement the city’s Ocean Beach Project. The NPS easement and Special Use Permit would be discretionary and revocable and would not convey or imply any interest in NPS land.

6 documents in project