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SFPUC seeks contract amendments as Ocean Beach coastal project adapts to Coastal Commission mandates
Summary
The SFPUC asked the commission to amend consultant services and increase construction contingencies for the Ocean Beach climate adaptation project after the California Coastal Commission required substantial design changes; short‑term erosion mitigation work is ongoing.
Anna Roche, project manager for the Ocean Beach Climate Change Adaptation Project, described why the PUC is seeking an amendment to design contract PRO‑0092 and an increase in cost and duration contingencies for construction contract WW714.
Roche said the project is a cross‑agency effort — led by the SFPUC with Recreation and Parks, SFMTA and Public Works as partners — to protect critical wastewater infrastructure at the western edge of the city while also addressing the Coastal Act requirement to remove prior armoring and plan for sea level rise. The project includes short‑term and long‑term phases; short‑term work (sandbags and imported dune sand) is already on site to protect at‑risk infrastructure while long‑term design work continues.
Roche recounted the permitting timeline: the project reached about 95% design for a June 2024 Coastal Commission hearing but Coastal Commission staff released special conditions days before the hearing requiring substantial modifications. The PUC sought a six‑month delay to study feasibility, negotiated with partners and returned to the Coastal Commission in November 2024, where staff reported unanimous approval of the permit application. Roche said Coastal Commission conditions still require extensive redesign work and final approval by the commission’s executive director.
The mandated changes include removing the PUC service road between the Oceanside Treatment Plant and the Westside area, pushing the coastal trail further west, moving a beach access stair to reduce elevation change, adding four coastal outlooks and redesigning low‑profile wall components to allow dune restoration on flatter slopes. Roche said the changes amount to a significant redesign of the previously 95%‑complete plans and will require added design, environmental analysis and partner coordination.
Roche asked the commission to approve amendment number 3 to the design contract to address the Coastal Commission‑mandated changes and to approve an increase to the WW714 contingency so the PUC can continue annual short‑term monitoring and protection measures. Commissioners asked whether Rec and Park would contribute to costs and whether recent litigation around the Great Highway/Prop K area affects the project; Roche said a term sheet with Rec and Park establishes basic responsibilities and that staff are coordinating with partners on intersection and access issues.
The commission voted to approve the two contract actions (separate votes were taken for the design amendment and the construction contingency increase) and thanked staff for advancing a complex cross‑agency project.
