San Francisco Bay grant brings $1.4 million for Greenwood Beach restoration; construction targeted for fall 2025

Roger Leventhal, a consultant presenting at the Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission meeting on Dec. 16, 2024, said the Greenwood Beach (also referred to as Greenwood/Bernini Beach) living‑shoreline restoration has secured construction funding from the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority and other partners and is being readied for bidding and construction in 2025.

Leventhal said earlier, grant‑funded phases dating to 2017 and 2019 produced conceptual and design work, and a 2023–24 grant covers the remaining work to finish plans and pay for construction. He told commissioners the award he received in mid‑2024 covers the work needed to complete 100% plans and specifications, bid the work and build the project; in his presentation he described the award as approximately $1.4 million.

The project uses a “design‑with‑nature” approach: beach rebuilding with sand and gravel, native plant replanting (notably Sueda californica, described in the presentation as having rebounded since earlier restoration steps), and drift sills to retain applied sand. Leventhal said the project team has submitted permit applications and was responding to comments primarily from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).

Permitting and a time‑sensitive archaeological step remain on the critical path. Leventhal said the new grant includes a hand‑augering scope along the slope where excavation will occur to check for cultural resources; staff expect that investigation to cost on the order of $25,000 and to be procured early in 2025 so the Army Corps and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviews can proceed. If significant archaeological resources were found, the design would have to be modified and construction could be delayed.

Timeline described by Leventhal: finish responses to permits and finalize plans in early 2025, advertise bids in May–June, and — assuming permits and bid awards fall on schedule — begin construction in September 2025 with a 4–6 week on‑site construction window. He said grant timelines extend through 2028 and could accommodate schedule slips.

The project team credited earlier funders and partners in the presentation: the local community foundation grants that funded early study work, the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) collaborations, the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (construction grant), Richardson Bay Sanitary District for site‑adjacent coordination, and Town of Tiburon staff assistance.

Commissioners asked about construction impacts and public access. Leventhal said that during work the beach and immediate staging areas would be closed for safety; the public parking and the adjacent trail would remain open in most phases. He described reuse of locally available concrete and asphalt pieces where feasible and hauling off material that cannot be reused. He also discussed comparable living‑shoreline projects in the Bay (Aramburu/Harrods Head and Pillar Point examples) to set expectations for post‑construction behavior of the rebuilt beach.

The commission received no public speakers on the presentation. Staff and commissioners asked for follow‑up on permit comment responses and outreach to nearby homeowners regarding staging and truck access.

If permits, archaeological review and bidding proceed on schedule, construction could begin in fall 2025; if not, the team said construction could shift into 2026 without losing grant coverage.

Leventhal closed by thanking funders and Town staff and said the project team would return with updates as permits and bidding advance.