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Marina Green restaurant lease for Woodhouse advances after long neighborhood debate
Summary
Rec & Park proposed leasing the Marina degaussing station to Woodhouse; the negotiated 10‑year lease would fund $655,000 in capital work, add a public restroom and move the building off the Bay Trail, but many nearby residents urged a continuance citing notice, CEQA and park‑use concerns. The committee advanced the item with conditions and monitoring language in the lease.
Supervisor Mark Farrell presented a Rec & Park proposal to lease the long‑vacant Marina degaussing station to Woodhouse Marina Green for operation as a counter‑service seafood restaurant. Cassandra Costello of Rec & Park described the negotiated lease: a 10‑year initial term with two 5‑year extension options, minimum annual rent of $110,000 (with CPI adjustments), percentage rent formulas (10% of revenues under $2 million; 12% over $2 million), and rent credits and waivers tied to capital improvement costs. The lessee proposed more than $655,000 in capital upgrades, relocation of the building about 13 feet inland to create a contiguous Bay Trail, and the installation of bike racks and a public restroom.
Rec & Park staff said the lease includes neighborhood protections developed with the Marina Community Association: noise limits tied to Department of Public Health standards, a six‑month review of closing hours, prohibitions on amplified sound, blackout curtains for south‑facing windows and a neighborhood‑sensitive lighting plan. Section 7.3(c) of the draft lease sets an initial monitoring period and allows Rec & Park to adjust hours or conditions if community impacts occur.
Public comment produced sharp division. Supporters — including the Marina Community Association and park visitors — said the building is an eyesore, the operator is a local family‑owned restaurateur with a track record of neighborhood outreach, and that the project would activate the waterfront and provide a public restroom. Opponents — many living directly across Marina Green — argued they received no timely written notice, raised CEQA and land‑use concerns, objected to potential alcohol sales and late hours near fields where children play, and requested a continuance for fuller neighborhood review.
Budget and Legislative Analyst staff advised that projected rent revenue to the Marina Harbor Fund would be about $1.7 million over the first ten years, after rent credits. Rec & Park said the project helped coordinate Bay Trail improvements and that BCDC staff supported moving the building off the trail.
After testimony the committee advanced the lease to the full Board with a committee recommendation. Supervisors and Rec & Park emphasized that monitoring provisions will be enforced and that the Board will review any unresolved notice or outreach concerns before final approval.
