Consultant says Greenwood Beach, Blackie's Pasture restoration has construction funding; permits and cultural review remain on the critical path

Consultant Roger Leventhal told the Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission on Dec. 16 that a multi-year effort to restore Greenwood Beach and Blackie's Pasture has reached a funding milestone and is moving toward construction, but key permits and an archaeologic clearance remain on the project’s critical path.

Leventhal said the project has advanced from conceptual studies to final design and that construction funding was offered and awarded at a November meeting of the regional conservancy that administers San Francisco Bay restoration grants. “I got a surprise call where they offered us the construction funding,” Leventhal said during the presentation.

The project described by Leventhal would rebuild beach substrate with sand and gravel, add drift-sill features to retain material, and replant the dune/upper-beach vegetation, including the local salt‑marsh species Leventhal identified as Suaeda californica (California sea‑blite). Leventhal and staff said the design aims to restore a shifting “living shoreline” rather than a static riprap armoring so the beach can better absorb wave energy and retain habitat.

Why it matters: the work is intended to restore beach habitat lost to erosion and exposed concrete/asphalt fragments currently visible on the scarp. Leventhal said the design also seeks to protect an area where the state‑listed native plant was previously present.

Permits and timeline: Leventhal said the team has submitted permit applications and finished the environmental review (the consultant used the term “SEQUEL”/CEQA work finished in September 2024). He reported that the project team is responding to comments from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) and expects to complete 100% plans and specifications in April 2025, go to bid in May–June, and begin construction in September 2025 if permits and bids proceed on schedule. Leventhal noted “if for some reason significant resources are discovered” during archaeological testing, the design would need to be modified and construction could be delayed into 2026; he also said current grant deadlines extend to 2028.

Cultural-resources step and costs: Leventhal said a time‑critical part of the permitting process is a hand‑auger archaeological survey on the slope in the western area. He estimated that survey at roughly $25,000 and said it is required to obtain final Army Corps and State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) clearances.

Construction impacts: Leventhal said construction is expected to be a relatively short, intensive period (he estimated the in‑field construction window at about 4–6 weeks). He told commissioners staging would likely use the flat area above the beach and that the parking lot would remain open while immediate work zones would be closed for public safety. Commissioners echoed the need to coordinate parking, staging and neighbor notifications; Leventhal said staff will notify nearby Greenwood Beach Road residents as the project nears construction.

Materials and reuse: Asked what would happen to existing concrete and asphalt eroding from the scarp, Leventhal said the team would break up and reuse what is suitable but haul off and dispose of the rest; unsuitable pieces would be removed to an appropriate facility.

Uncertainties and next steps: Leventhal identified BCDC’s trail-related comments as the most extensive permit discussion point; the permit response is in preparation. He said the most likely near‑term delay would be discovery of significant archaeological resources during the auger testing, which would require redesign and additional reviews. Otherwise, he said, the project could proceed under the current grant timeline.

Commissioners asked about the shoreline extent (Leventhal said the rebuilt beach would not eliminate the wide mudflats offshore and would not extend to low‑tide mudflats), about comparable projects (Leventhal cited Aramburu and Hunters Point/Heron's Head as regional references) and about how long construction closures would remain in place.

Leventhal thanked funders and Town staff and confirmed the project team will continue to work on permit responses and finish plans for bidding.

Ending: Commissioners did not take formal action on the presentation. Leventhal and staff said they will return with permit responses, final plans and a construction‑notification plan as milestones are reached.