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Port staff outline proposed Special Area Plan amendments for Pier 27 and America's Cup
Summary
Port staff presented proposed amendments to the San Francisco Waterfront Special Area Plan tied to the Pier 27 cruise terminal and three America's Cup requests, including shifting open‑water basins, shed removals, and temporary spectator berths requiring dredging; staff said BCDC review is critical and further stakeholder engagement is planned before fall hearings.
Port staff on the Port Commission agenda described three proposed amendments to the San Francisco Waterfront Special Area Plan tied to the Port's Pier 27 cruise terminal and related America's Cup uses.
Brad Benson, Special Projects Manager for the Port of San Francisco, said the amendments respond to stakeholder interviews and reflect tradeoffs between maritime operations, public access and historic preservation. "The cruise terminal project envisions building the Northeast Wharf Plaza, but the birthing activity in the open water basin would significantly impact the character of the open water basin," Benson said, and staff proposed shifting the open water basin to the area between Piers 29 and 31 and an area off Pier 43½.
Benson outlined three categories of proposed changes: (1) a formal amendment to relocate or reassign the designated open water basin and the associated northeast plaza at Pier 27; (2) America's Cup–related temporary uses that would permit large spectator vessels to berth with temporary docks and require dredging to depths staff estimated at about 12–15 feet depending on location; and (3) shed removal tradeoffs, including removal at Pier 27 and a portion of Pier 29 in exchange for retaining the historic back half of Pier 23. "That shed removal would be a trade off for the Pier 23 shed removal, allowing us to keep that historic resource," Benson said.
Staff told commissioners they have completed about 40 stakeholder interviews and found broad preference for plan‑level public engagement rather than ad‑hoc project amendments. Some stakeholders view the Port as development‑driven and urged stronger emphasis on public dollars and historic rehabilitation. Benson said BCDC staff has been skeptical of some America's Cup proposals and that "we have a ways to go in terms of convincing BCDC staff and its commission about the merits of this proposal." He recommended additional outreach this summer before BCDC hearings scheduled for fall and potential action in early 2012.
Commissioners raised design, dredging and operational concerns, including structural limitations of the Pier 14 breakwater and the operational needs for large spectator vessels. Staff responded that some pier structures lack load capacity for direct docks and that floating dock configurations and offshore docking would be evaluated to reduce dredging needs while meeting operational and security requirements.
Benson said the cruise terminal amendment has entered BCDC's brief descriptive notice process and likely public hearing in October, while America's Cup amendments were expected to move through brief notice in June with fall hearings and commission action in early 2012. He emphasized the need for interagency negotiation and stakeholder workshops to reconcile public access, security and maritime uses.
The session was informational; no binding action on the amendments was taken by the Port Commission during the meeting. Staff committed to further stakeholder engagement and coordination with the Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
