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Parks director outlines master plan and shoreline restoration timeline for Cars Altonia beach
Summary
The Parks Department said a master plan and shoreline restoration work for Cars Altonia (site name in transcript) will advance with community focus groups this winter, shoreline options and permitting ahead of construction; the existing on‑site building will be removed and the master plan will guide future capital requests.
Parks staff told the Environmental Matters Committee on Jan. 9 that two parallel consultant efforts are under way to develop a long‑range master plan and to design shoreline/coastal restoration for Cars Altonia beach.
“We engaged the 2 consultants in October,” Director Johnson said, describing a separate shoreline restoration study and a parallel long‑range master‑planning process. “We promised that [adjacent residents] would be in on the very beginning,” she said, adding that focus groups and community input meetings are being scheduled.
Why it matters: The site has been the subject of community concern and previous informal planning. The city said consultants will provide draft options for both the landscape/master plan and shoreline restoration; staff will present drafts to the community before recommending adoption.
Key timeline and actions: Johnson said consultants conducted site due‑diligence and will hold community meetings starting in late January/early February (staff cited Jan. 30–Feb. 1 as possible dates, including evening and Saturday sessions). Staff expect a draft master plan by late spring, further community review in June tied to Juneteenth events, a completed report in September and a target adoption in October, subject to permits and scheduling.
Shoreline work and permits: The shoreline restoration consultant will present two technical options internally before the city picks one for community review. Johnson said permitting for the preferred shoreline option will take about four months once designs are complete; construction is expected after permits are received. City staff emphasized they will avoid construction during Juneteenth programming and intend to time work accordingly.
Education center and parcels: Johnson told the committee “the building that’s there will not be the educational center. That building is going to be torn down.” She said the site includes a 5‑acre parcel subject to a covenant limiting impervious surface to 2% and a 0.8‑acre parcel without that same restriction but subject to critical‑area rules. Those constraints will shape where an education facility could be sited and whether it can be built on land or over the water.
Funding and next steps: The master plan will not itself fund construction; it will provide a road map for capital and grant requests. Johnson said the Parks Department will consider submitting a capital‑project request for design work in FY26 so the project’s planning progress is not lost between council terms.
Ending: Parks staff said community meetings will be scheduled in late January/early February and will coordinate outreach with Juneteenth and other events; staff will return to the committee with firm dates and draft materials.
