Bay Area Park Improvements

Background

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a system of beautiful parklands and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties to the east of San Francisco. The system comprises nearly 125,000 acres in 73 parks, including over 1,250 miles of trails and 55 miles of shoreline. In 2016, The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) selected us to provide engineering and permitting services to rehabilitate a failing shoreline along San Francisco Bay (Bay) and provide ADA and non-motorized watercraft access at one of the most frequented waterfront parks in the region. Since then we have also provided similar services at other waterfront parks and recently expanded our services to upland parks.

Approach

The Point Isabel Water Access and Shoreline Restoration Project is a multi-phase project consisting of engineering, permitting and extensive community/stakeholder outreach for repairs to a half-mile of failing shoreline. Repairs to date have included a new rip-rap revetment and groin, a non-motorized watercraft concrete launch ramp, revised ADA parking and pathways including access to San Francisco Bay, riprap repairs to the Hoffman Channel, expansion of the parking lot, and replacement of existing restrooms. Once additional construction funding is obtained, the remaining repairs to the shoreline and channel, new parking area, and restroom replacement are anticipated.

The Point Pinole Water Access Improvement Project consists of creating an accessible route from the existing ADA restrooms to the northern reaches of the Bay designed for use by kayakers with disabilities and the general public. Other improvements include shoreline repairs to support the new accessible pathway and shower facilities at the adjacent camping area. The work has been permitted and construction is anticipated in 2021.

At the Contra Loma Reservoir in Antioch, Foth is providing survey, engineering, permitting, and architectural services for the replacement of two floating fishing piers, three ADA vault restroom installations, and improved ADA parking and pathways. Within the same park, Foth provided a detailed inspection assessment report and recommendations for improvements at a 35,000+ SF man-made swim lagoon. The goal is to extend the useful life of the lagoon and its infrastructure, improve ADA access, and provide recommendations for other aquatic recreational assets such as a splash pad.

Due to past winter storm events, Foth and our partner firms provide geotechnical investigations and engineering, topographic surveys, hydraulic and hydrologic analyses, and engineering to design replacement water conveyance systems for various FEMA-funded repair projects. Projects include three separate culvert/bridge replacements like the recently completed Morgan Territory – Bridge/ Culvert Replacement. Other FEMA-funded projects include providing survey, geotechnical engineering, and civil engineering design services for land and/or debris slides throughout the EBRPD jurisdiction to repair the trail system to pre-storm conditions. At the Redwood Canyon Golf Course, extensive repairs are required to dredge the San Leandro Creek, replace 17 bridges, and rehabilitate various fairways, greens, and drainage structures damaged by creek flooding and debris deposits at many locations throughout this popular municipal golf facility. Construction for these repairs is anticipated in 2021 and 2022.

Results

EBRPD construction and management teams rely on Foth to plan, permit, engineer, and oversee the construction for each of our engagements, whether it is in a highly regulated and dynamic area such as San Francisco Bay, or in difficult to access trail systems miles from the nearest public street. Our role is to support their commitment to the public to manage and preserve the natural and cultural resources of their park system. We do this by acting as their agents with permitting and regulatory bodies, their advocate in monitoring and engaging with contractors throughout construction, and by supporting their ideals and passion through community and stakeholder engagement.