(D) 5. Shoreline Levee and Sea
Level Rise Status Report
Transportation & Environment Committee
April 7, 2025
Environmental Services
Jeff Provenzano
Director
OEDCA
Kevin Ice
Director of Real Estate
2 Background
• South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project
– Provides 100-year coastal flood risk management for Alviso, parts of North San José, and critical infrastructure.
– Restores ~2,900 acres of former salt pond to tidal mash habitat. – Provides connection for the Bay Trail.
• Project managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as Project Sponsor – Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) is local non-federal sponsor. – CA State Coastal Conservancy is a sponsor, managing the project’s habitat restoration aspects. • Regional Wastewater Facility owns land that the Project must acquire – Staff have been collaborating with the project sponsors and engaged in the process since inception. 3 Background
• USACE paused work on project in September 2021 due to projected cost escalations • The City lobbied with Valley Water and partners to secure $91M in additional federal funds in February 2023.
• USACE performing a value-engineering exercise to reduce the cost of the project. • If the project does not proceed, the RWF must construct its own levee, which wouldn’t protect Alviso or North San José.
2021
Project design efforts paused due to
cost escalations
2023
Additional federal funds were secured
and project coordination resumed
2024-25
Value engineering exercise in process
to seek cost efficiencies
4 Value Engineering Proposed Realignment
5 Project Status and Roadmap
• City and Valley Water executed a non-binding Letter of Intent outlining transaction. • City and Valley Water now preparing a binding MOU.
– Will be presented to the Treatment Plant Advisory Committee, the Santa Clara City Council, and the San José City Council for approval before execution.
– Final item to resolve before MOU is design related to operation of the RWF outfall channel. • Key terms of MOU to include:
– Land transactions must be for fair market value.
– Valley Water to pay for land interests with combination of cash or wetland mitigation credits. – Ensure the Project does not create liabilities for the RWF or disrupt operations. • Land transfer after USACE-VW Design & Construction Agreement, anticipated summer-2026.
Thank you!
Staff are available for questions.
Contact Information:
Kevin Ice – [email protected]
Jeff Provenzano – [email protected]