Title
Study Session on Alameda Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SAP) and Overview of Related Adaptation Projects. This item is for discussion purposes only, and no approval or other action is being taken at this time, and therefore it is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The SAP and future adaptation projects described are subject to CEQA, and environmental review will be considered at a later time prior to any final action being taken.
Body
To: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
From: Abigail Thorne-Lyman, Interim Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Date: November 9, 2026
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides an update on the City of Alameda’s Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SAP), required under Senate Bill 272 (Laird), and summarizes progress on related shoreline resilience initiatives. The SAP is now entering a critical development phase supported by state grant funding, extensive community engagement, and technical studies. This report offers an overview of accomplishments to date, recently held workshops, upcoming milestones, and the Planning Board’s role in shaping the land use, policy, and long-term adaptation strategies.
BACKGROUND
Alameda faces significant and increasing risks of coastal flooding from sea level rise and storm surge, groundwater rise, and pluvial flooding (heavy rainfall that overwhelms the storm drain system). The City’s 2026 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP), and 2040 General Plan all identify shoreline adaptation as a top priority for the City.
To comply with SB 272, Alameda must submit a comprehensive shoreline adaptation plan for approval by the City Council and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) by 2034. The City completed the first planning phase, including extensive community engagement, in 2025. In September 2025, the Alameda Sea Level Rise Planning Fair at the REAP Climate Center introduced adaptation concepts and gathered community input to guide the SAP’s next phase.
The City submitted a Notice of Intent to prepare an SAP in September 2026 and received a $1.14 million SB1 grant from the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) to complete the next phase of SAP development, which includes vulnerability analysis, land-use and policy review, community engagement, and adaptation pathway development. Staff anticipate releasing a draft SAP in Spring/Summer 2027 for BCDC and public input and preparing a final SAP for Council adoption in Fall 2027. BCDC requires the plan to be updated every five years.
Alameda is also leading the Oakland Alameda Adaptation Committee (OAAC), a multi-jurisdictional partnership that includes Oakland, the Port, Caltrans, and East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD). This collaborative structure strengthens regional alignment, supports grant success, and enables coordinated shoreline adaptation. OAAC’s work was recognized with statewide awards for cross-agency collaboration. The SAP is being developed in conjunction and in coordination with City of Oakland and other key agency stakeholders through the OAAC.
DISCUSSION
SAP Purpose and Overview
The purpose of the SAP is to protect Alameda’s infrastructure, homes, and habitats from sea level rise, coastal storms, and rising groundwater through a combination of levees, seawalls, habitat enhancements, stormwater upgrades, and elevating roadways and properties.
The SAP includes the following key components:
• Adaptation Strategies & Pathways: Phased, flexible strategies to be implemented over time to address evolving risks and shoreline impacts.
• Land Use & Policy: Recommending land use changes and new policies to adapt the shoreline over time.
• Funding & Implementation: Priority projects & funding strategies to implement the plan.
• Community Engagement: Inclusive public workshops and surveys to capture resident priorities.
Development of the SAP is currently underway. The existing conditions and vulnerability assessment is nearing completion, and adaptation strategies and pathways, and a land use and policy plan are in development. Draft evaluation criteria to guide the evaluation of different adaptation alternatives has also been developed.
This semester, the City of Alameda and its consultants are partnering with the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design on an Urban Design Studio exploring long-term sea level rise adaptation pathways for the City of Alameda. Teams of city planning, urban design, and landscape architecture students are working on six different sites around Alameda and exploring how property and land governance strategies can enable new possibilities for equitable, efficient, effective, and ecologically sound climate-adaptive urbanization.
Community Engagement Highlights
Recent and upcoming engagement for the SAP includes:
• October 24, 2026 East End Neighborhood Workshop - Covered localized tidal flooding, adaptation pathways, property-scale options, and community priorities. Attended by about 60 community members.
• November 9, 2026 Planning Board Meeting (this meeting) - Study Session on Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SAP) and Overview of Related Adaptation Projects
• December 14, 2026 Planning Board Meeting - Presentation of final student projects from UC Berkeley Urban Design Studio
• Winter 2027 South Shore Neighborhood Workshop - Discuss local flooding risk, adaptation pathways, property-scale options, and community priorities.
Related Shoreline Adaptation Projects
Recognizing the critical and timely need for adaptation, the City is advancing efforts to adapt the physical shoreline and develop policies alongside development of the SAP. The City has identified five priority planning areas that represent the areas of the City most vulnerable to near-term flooding from sea level rise. As the SAP advances, each of the project areas both informs and is informed by RSAP analysis, community input, and funding strategies. Additional priority areas may also be added over time.
Bay Farm Island (BFI) Northern Shoreline
The BFI project uses a $2.64 million Proposition 68 grant to advance the design and permit levee, marsh, access, and roadway improvements that reduce current flood risks along the northern shoreline. The Council approved the concept in January 2025, with stakeholder and accessibility reviews continuing through February 2027. Staff are seeking funds for final design and construction of the project.
Estuary Adaptation Project (shoreline near Posey/Webster Tubes)
The Estuary project would protect the Posey and Webster Tubes and nearby areas through shoreline elevation, seawalls, levees, detention basins, and stormwater upgrades. The Council endorsed the Caltrans-funded concept in January 2025, and staff is seeking design funding.
South Shore
Erosion at South Shore Beach threatens the Bay Trail, Shoreline Drive, and nearby property because the beach lacks a natural sand source. Sand added in 2013 has eroded faster than expected during major storms. The SAP proposes nature-based shoreline improvements, raising portions of the shoreline, sediment replenishment, and flood retrofits for vulnerable properties. A Geomorphology and Ecology Study to be completed in January 2027 will guide these measures and related work along Bay Farm Island’s northern shoreline.
West End & Alameda Point Northern Shoreline
As redevelopment proceeds at Alameda Point, perimeter protection outlined in the Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP) will address long-term flooding, groundwater rise, and shoreline change. Federal funds through a Water Resource Development Act Authorization (WRDA) could potentially support strengthening and protecting the northern shoreline, which is critical to the redevelopment of Main Street Neighborhood North. Inland development must be raised and shallow groundwater addressed, with further long-term adaptation planning needed for the West End.
East End & Tidal Canal
Low shoreline points and rising groundwater threaten the East End, so the SAP proposes raising low spots, supporting voluntary home flood retrofits, requiring adaptation in major redevelopment, and upgrading stormwater systems. An October 24, 2026 workshop reviewed these risks and discussed coordinated City and homeowner responses.
Funding Landscape
Funding needs far exceed the City’s current capacity. To date, staff have pursued an aggressive strategy of obtaining grants to support project development and has been very successful. However, the changing federal landscape has made obtaining federal dollars to support adaptation projects more challenging. In 2027, the City will begin to develop a funding roadmap for priority project areas, that includes exploration of potential bond funds, state and federal grants and equitable public-private cost sharing approaches such as local assessment. The current planning and design efforts will position the City to take advantage of federal and other grant dollars if and when they become available.
Role of the Planning Board
The Planning Board plays a key role in supporting development and implementation of the SAP by:
• Reviewing how adaptation strategies interact with zoning, redevelopment, design guidelines, and shoreline public access.
• Ensuring that adaptation pathways align with long-term land-use planning.
• Identifying opportunities for integrating nature-based solutions and accessibility.
• Providing early input on draft SAP materials and project designs.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This item is for discussion purposes only, and no approval or other action is being taken at this time, and therefore it is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The SAP and future adaptation projects described are subject to CEQA, and environmental review will be considered at a later time prior to any final action being taken.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a study session to provide staff with feedback regarding Alameda Shoreline Adaptation Plan (SAP) and Overview of Related Adaptation Projects
Respectfully submitted,
Brian McGuire, Acting Planning Services Manager
By,
Danielle Mieler, Sustainability Manager