DATE: June 26, 2023
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
Director of Development Services
SUBJECT Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency (HASPA) – Overview and Update – Information and Discussion
RECOMMENDATION
That the Committee reviews and comments on this informational report.
SUMMARY
This report provides background information about the Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency (HASPA), an overview of the Hayward Regional Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan, and updates on projects that are underway to implement the Master Plan.
BACKGROUND
The Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency (HASPA) is a joint powers authority including City of Hayward, the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD), and the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD). Established in 1970, HASPA’s original mission was to protect the shoreline from development. Over the years the agency’s work evolved and in 2015, HASPA’s mission was changed to focus on the coordination of agency planning activities and plan for sea level rise to ensure the shoreline’s natural resources and infrastructure are protected for future generations. HASPA’s member agencies each have one Board member serving on the Board of Trustees and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is made up of staff from the three member agencies.
In 2010, HASPA completed its first vulnerability assessment for the shoreline, which identified vulnerable assets and potential adaptation strategies. The Preliminary Study of the Effect of Sea Level Rise on the Resources of the Hayward Shoreline outlined four long-term adaptation strategies to protect critical assets. The 2010 study garnered attention from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), and in 2011, HASPA and neighboring jurisdictions in Alameda County were selected to participate in the Adapting to Rising Tides Project (aka the ART Project) to study sea level rise on a regional scale. The Hayward Resilience Study, which was an extension of the ART Project led by BCDC, was completed in 2014.
On February 16, 2021, Council approved the Hayward Regional Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan, which was funded by a grant from Caltrans. The Plan builds upon the earlier studies to identify specific adaptation strategies, policies, and design alternatives to protect vulnerable assets. The Master Plan and the earlier studies are available on the project webpage. The presentation provided to Council on February 16, 2021, is a good summary of the Plan.
The Master Plan provides a roadmap of policies, programs, and projects that may be implemented over the next thirty years creating a long-term vision for the shoreline. The Plan considered potential inundation ranging from 2 feet to 7 feet of sea level rise, which will occur over an uncertain timeframe. The Plan recommends 26 adaptation projects that are divided into three phases: short term (14 projects for the first 10 years); medium term (6 projects for 2030 through 2045); and long term (6 projects for 2045 and beyond).
The Plan balances risk reduction and ecological enhancement along the Shoreline and features a FEMA certified flood protection levee, from San Lorenzo Creek in the north to Breakwater Avenue in the south. The levee would provide protection from approximately four feet of sea level rise. The Plan also maintains recreation elements along the Shoreline by adapting the Bay Trail over time. The Bay Trail’s current alignment would be maintained until no longer possible, at which point it would run atop the FEMA certified flood protection levee.
In addition to the built design, the Plan identifies non-structural strategies including Polices and Programs to increase resiliency along the shoreline. The recommended Policies and Programs are as follows:
Advance regional dialogue into mechanisms for balancing the protection of at-risk communities and infrastructure and restoring ecosystems.
Increase flood protection standards for new construction and renovations.
Remove regulatory impediments to higher standards of flood protections.
Provide support for property owners to protect assets through loans, grants, and tax incentives.
Develop technical support and education to help industrial businesses understand risks from sea level rise and develop mitigation actions.
Plan for long-term growth management and potential strategic relocation of the Industrial District.
DISCUSSION
JPA Expansion - Since adoption of the Master Plan in 2021, staff has been working with HASPA partners to implement the Plan. A key aspect of the implementation involves strengthening relationships with key stakeholders and expanding the JPA. During the adoption of the Master Plan, the HASPA Board of Trustees recognized that extensive the list of projects identified in the Plan cannot be implemented by HASPA alone. In the summer and fall of 2021, staff and Board members began reaching out and making presentations to agencies including the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District, the Oro Loma Sanitary District, the Alameda County Flood Control District, Caltrans, and the East Bay Dischargers Authority.
In July 2021, letters were sent the following agencies with an invitation to join or participate in HASPA:
Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District
SF Bay Trail
CalTrans
East Bay Dischargers Authority
Oro Loma Sanitary District
Alameda County Flood Control District
Union Pacific Railroad
Castro Valley Sanitary District
South Bay Salt Ponds
Calpine
SF Bay Restoration Authority
Capitol Corridor
As a result of letters, conversations and presentations to agency boards, the following agencies have expressed interest in participating in HASPA. Some are interested in participating as a full member with a representative on the Board of Trustees and some are interested in participating only on HASPA’s staff level Technical Advisory Committee (TAC):
Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District (Trustee)
Oro Loma Sanitary District (Trustee)
SF Bay Trail (TAC)
Caltrans (TAC)
Capitol Corridor (TAC)
East Bay Dischargers Authority (TAC)
Alameda County Flood Control District (TAC)
The HASPA TAC is currently working with an outside law firm to draft the new JPA that will updated with a new dues and management structure and will incorporate the new members. The goal is to complete the new JPA by the end of 2023. In the meantime, the current JPA is being extended to June 30, 2024. Council approved the extension on June 20, 2023.
Master Plan Implementation – Following are brief updates about the projects currently underway that are implementing the Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan:
Policies & Programs – Staff are in the process of implementing several policies and programs called for in the Master Plan:
Hazards Element – The draft amendments to the Hazards Element of the General Plan, presented to the Committee on March 13, 2023, is anticipated to be presented to Council later this year. The draft document includes policies calling for:
A zoning overlay with development standards addressing potential hazards that include flooding and sea level rise.
An update of the City’s Flood Plain Management Ordinance.
Retrofitting and adapting critical facilities and infrastructure.
Adding resilience features to existing parks and open space.
Evacuation management tools, including road improvements and new equipment to facilitate emergency evacuations.
Resiliency Plan – Staff is currently updating the Resiliency Plan (previously called the Local Hazards Mitigation Plan) Technical Support – The Planning Division prepared a handout with sea level rise guidance for developers.
Hayward Marsh Restoration Project – The Hayward Marsh is owned by the East Bay Regional Park District and has been used by the Union Sanitary District (USD) since 1985 as additional treatment for its secondary treated wastewater. The marsh consists of five managed ponds controlled by a series of tide gates and channels and includes islands for federally listed nesting birds, including endangered California least terns and Western snowy plovers. Over the years the ponds have silted in reducing the original design capacity to support favorable conditions for wastewater treatment and wildlife habitat. USD is no longer using the marsh for discharge of its wastewater, which presents the Park District the opportunity to implement restoration including wildlife habitat enhancements, public access improvements, and greater resilience to sea level rise. Project improvements will include widening of the Bay-side levee which currently supports the San Francisco Bay Trail to protect the trail from erosion and flooding and enhance the trail’s longevity; the Marsh’s existing central levee will be raised to protect tidal marsh habitat, salt pannes, and new nesting bird islands from sea level rise; and new upland habitat will be created behind this raised levee to allow the marsh to migrate as sea level increases. The project will require importing hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of fill and is currently in the design and permitting phase.
First Mile Horizontal Levee Project – The horizontal levee concept was identified in HASPA’s 2010 report titled Preliminary Study of the Effect of Sea Level Rise on the Resources of the Hayward Shoreline and was first demonstrated by the Oro Loma Sanitary District. A horizontal levee incorporates a gentle slope with vegetation to provide flood protection. The ecosystems that live on horizontal levees can thrive while helping to further process wastewater from treatment plants. The First Mile project, led by the East Bay Dischargers Authority (EBDA) in partnership with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) and HASPA, is to design and seek permits for a full-scale Horizontal Levee in the EBDA service area just south of Oro Loma.
EBDA’s consultant team is also working with the Alameda Flood Control and Water Conservation District and the Bay Restoration Regulatory Integration Team (BRRIT). The BRRIT consists of staff from the state and federal regulatory agencies that may have jurisdiction over habitat restoration projects in San Francisco Bay and includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service; San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The team is currently working to complete the 30% design set of plans.
Nature-Based Solutions for WPCF – In July 2022, a feasibility study was completed for the City’s Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) evaluating the potential for a nature-based treatment system to reduce nitrogen in wastewater effluent. The study, completed in partnership with the East Bay Dischargers Authority (EBDA) and the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP) and funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, considered possible changes to the WPCF’s former oxidation ponds. The ponds, currently used for wet weather storage of treated effluent, may be converted to wetlands and a horizontal ecotone levee to improve resiliency to sea level rise while reducing nutrient levels in the wastewater effluent. Earlier this month, the next phase of the project was initiated to prepare more detailed design plans, which could lead to construction within the next few years.
Highway 92 Bridge Approach – Caltrans District 4 (Bay Area office) recently received funding from Caltrans Headquarters to undertake a two-year planning study of the State Route 92 Hayward/San Mateo Bridge east approach. The study will evaluate the low-lying portion of State Route 92 from the toll plaza to the Clawiter Road interchange. The total length of this vulnerable roadway is 1.7 miles and currently sees flooding associated with sea level rise, high tide, and storm surges. The study will seek to implement flood protection strategies to keep the Eastern Approach of the San Mateo/Hayward Bridge accessible for all users in the face of rising sea levels and storm surge. The study will evaluate concepts identified in HASPA’s Regional Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan including a possible causeway or viaduct. The two-year project will begin in mid-2024 and the results of the study may help prioritize projects for future funding. Caltrans staff participate on the HASPA TAC and HASPA will be involved throughout the study.
Additional Projects
US Army Corps of Engineers Sediment Placement Pilot Project – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently received approval from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission to place up to 100,000 cubic yards of dredged sediment in subtidal zones to test the ability of tides and currents to move the sediment upshore on marshes and mudflats. For this pilot project, the sediment will be dredged from the main channel in the Port of Redwood City and deposited near the shore of Eden Landing. The location was chosen to allow for wind and wave action to help deposit the sediment can carry it into the marsh. USACE expects to award a contract in July and commence sediment placement in September. The BCDC permit requires the sediment placement to be completed by November 30, 2023, and results of the study should be available in 2024.
South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project – The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project is the largest tidal wetland restoration project on the West Coast. When complete, the Project will restore 15,100 acres of industrial salt ponds to a rich mosaic of tidal wetlands and other habitats. The ponds are clustered in three distinct areas: the Eden Landing ponds, south of Highway 92 (within Hayward city limits); Alviso, the largest pond complex stretching from Fremont to Mountain View; and Ravenswood, the smallest group of ponds at the west end of the Dumbarton Bridge.
For the restoration at the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Phase 1 was in the northern half and no additional work is planned in that area for the foreseeable future. Phase 2 is in the southern half of Eden Landing, is currently awaiting design approval from the Alameda County Flood Control District. Then other permits must be secured and construction may begin in spring of 2024. Phase 2 will inlcude:
A new 4-mile section of the San Francisco Bay Trail
New access for wildlife viewing, fishing, walking and biking Tidal salt marsh restoration on 3,000 acres
Habitat for endangered species and other wildlife
Wetlands and levees to protect from sea level rise
Enhancements for shorebirds and waterfowl on 800 acres of ponds The Bay Trail extension will be from the Eden Shores neighborhood south to the Hayward/Fremont border at the Alameda Creek Flood Control Channel. The project webpage has more details and a survey to provide input on potential viewing sites along the trail.
BCDC’s Bay Adapt Project – In 2019, the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), convened working groups made up of a diverse group of Bay Area stakeholders from public agencies (including HASPA staff), community-based organizations, and academia. In 2021, the group completed a consensus-based strategy comprised of 9 actions and 21 tasks intended protect people and the natural and built environment from rising sea levels. In October 2021, the BCDC Board of Directors adopted the strategy, known as the Joint Platform. One of the actions identified in the Joint Platform is to “Figure out how to fund adaptation”, which includes the following tasks:
Task 6.1: Expand understanding of the financial costs and revenues associated with regional adaptation.
Task 6.2: Establish a framework for funding plans and projects.
Task 6.3: Help cities and counties expand ways to fund adaptation planning projects.
BCDC staff compiled an inventory of more than 200 adaptation projects throughout the San Francisco Bay in various stages of development. The inventory was incorporated into the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Funding and Investment Framework, which was presented during a work session of the BCDC Commissioners on April 6, 2023. It estimates that the total need to fund adaptation projects through 2050 is $110 billion. Considering the cost of inaction, the report also estimates that the value of the assets at risk is approximately $230 billion. The report identifies three potential funding measure types: parcel taxes, ad valorem property taxes, and assessment districts.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
While this report will not have any direct economic impacts, the purpose of HASPA is to build the resiliency of the natural systems that will help protect the City’s Industrial Technology and Innovation Corridor, ensuring this critical part of Hayward’s economy is resilient to climate change. The Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan will help to protect utility infrastructure, recreational assets and transportation systems that support the local economy.
FISCAL IMPACT
Implementation of the Master Plan over the next thirty to forty years could cost approximately $1 billion and will be subject to regional coordination and the receipt of grant funds. The City of Hayward will be responsible for some of the projects identified in the Plan, but most are to be carried out by other public agencies. The continuation and expansion of HASPA will help ensure that the partnerships are in place to pursue outside funding and support collaborative implementation.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item relates to the Strategic Priority of Confront Climate Crisis and Champion Environmental Justice. Specifically, this agenda item relates to the implementation of the following projects:
Project C13 Work with HASPA partners to seek grant funding to implement the Shoreline Master Plan and provide an update to Council.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
Implementation of the Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan will help to ensure that the shoreline, its recreational benefits, and the infrastructure it protects, will remain for future generations to enjoy.
PUBLIC CONTACT
No public contact was made for this agenda item.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to work with HASPA partner agencies to complete the new JPA and implement the Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan.
Prepared by: Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager Taylor Richard, Associate Planner
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Sara Buizer, Acting Director of Development Services
Approved by:
__________________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager
https://www.hayward-ca.gov/shoreline-master-plan
Summary presentation of Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan: https://www.hayward-ca.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02-16%20Shoreline%20Plan%20Adoption.pdf https://hayward.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6058177&GUID=643784E3-48A0-4692-86AB-E3031EBBE08F&Options=&Search= https://www.hayward-ca.gov/sites/default/files/Sea%20Level%20Rise%20Memo%20%281%29.pdf https://www.ebparks.org/projects/restore-hayward-marsh-project https://oroloma.org/horizontal-levee-project/
https://www.sfestuary.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/ESA-Report_Hayward-NBS-Feasibility-Report_Final.pdf https://www.southbayrestoration.org/
https://www.southbayrestoration.org/page/eden-landing-recreation-and-wildlife-habitat-plans https://www.bayadapt.org/jointplatform/
https://www.bcdc.ca.gov/fwg/2023/04-06-Funding-and-Investment-Framework-Funding-the-Future-Rising-Sea-Level-presentation.pdf