1. Case Studies
  2. ICARP Case Studies
  3. City of Hayward Regional Shoreline Master Plan
ICARP Case Studies Back to Challenge

City of Hayward Regional Shoreline Master Plan

SB1 Adaptation Planning Grant: Final Case Study

 

Summary

The Hayward Regional Shoreline (“Shoreline”) is vulnerable to inundation by sea level rise (SLR) that could impact critical infrastructure such as wastewater facilities, the eastern side of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge (State Route 92 [SR 92]), landfills, the San Francisco Bay Trail, the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center, business parks, residential neighborhoods, marshes and managed ponds.

The Hayward Regional Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan builds upon existing planning efforts to coalesce around a shared vision to plan for, mitigate against, and adapt to sea level rise. The project began in October 2018 and concluded in February 2021. The project resulted in a 25-year vision for the Hayward Regional Shoreline consisting of a design, phasing plan, potential funding mechanisms and policy recommendations. The project outlines the following goals:

  • Create a Resilient Shoreline Environment for People and Ecology
  • Enhance the Shoreline Environment to Reduce Risk to Critical Infrastructure and Built Assets
  • Build Social Resilience in the Community
  • Build Capacity for Future Generations to Adapt to climate change

The use of natural infrastructure and co-beneficial projects was a project priority for developing the Plan. The Plan provides protection to residential communities through a planned FEMA-certified levee that is paired with nature-based solutions, including an ecotone levee, marsh and wetland restoration, and gravel beaches. The Plan also identifies policy and programs to educate, coordinate and support community members. The Plan also helps to ensure that recreational opportunities continue to be available for the community members living in the census tract (a disadvantaged community) that covers most of the project area.

Lead Agency and Partnerships

Various entities maintain ownership and oversee the use of the Shoreline and its lands. A joint powers authority was created in 1970 between the City of Hayward, Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD), and the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD). Known as the Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency (HASPA), the primary objective of the agency is to coordinate agency planning activities and adopt and carry out policies for the improvement of the Shoreline for future generations.

HASPA was the lead agency on this project and managed the development of the Plan. Re: Focus and SCAPE Studio, Arcadis, Convey are the consultant team that advised and provided technical support for the Plan. HASPA collaborated with state, regional and local agencies to coordinate adaptation efforts through a series of workshops and meetings. Additionally, HASPA relied on feedback from these agencies, nonprofits and community members to create a future vision for the shoreline.

Drivers    

The Plan supports numerous State initiatives, including: implementing a SLR Adaptation Plan (E.O. S-13-08), prioritizing natural infrastructure within the Plan (E.O. B-30-15), aligning with the California Transportation Plan 2040, and various local and regional initiatives.

Engagement Process

This disadvantaged community along the Hayward Shoreline is in the 86th percentile of pollution burden according to CalEnviroscreen 3.0 and indicated as a SB 535 disadvantaged community by CalEPA.The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) Adapting to Rising Tides Program created an indicator list for disadvantaged communities at risk for flooding (language, vehicle access, housing cost, race/ethnicity, education, housing tenure, transportation cost, elderly and youth population, and income), and nearly all residential communities near the Shoreline exemplified multiple indicators.

To address the concerns of stakeholders, the project involved a Community Outreach Plan (COP).The engagement process resulted in a Plan that managed and reflected all stakeholder needs. Additionally, it created partnerships and relationships with HASPA to support the implementation of this Plan in the future. The project began with an online survey and a public shore tour to assess the needs of the community as they relate to sea level rise. The survey was completed by approximately 900 community members. Throughout the project, there were 7 interviews, 6 meetings and three workshops with stakeholders to gather insight on elements within the plan. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project team also created an online public forum for members of the community to engage and provide input virtually. The public forum had over 900 unique users and garnered approximately 60 comment letters.

The project stakeholders served as advisors throughout development of the plan, guiding and shaping the final product. HASPA also collaborated with the following agencies: East Bay Dischargers Authority, BCDC, Bay Trail, Alameda County Flood Control District, Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District, Oro Loma Sanitary District, South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, California Department of Transportation, San Francisco Estuary Institute, Russel City Energy Center, Hayward Public Works, San Francisco Estuary Partnership and US Department of Fish and Wildlife. Additional stakeholders include the City of Hayward Community Members, San Lorenzo Community Members, Save the Bay, Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge, SF Bay Bird Observatory, Sierra Club, Ohlone Audubon Society, and Mission Peak Conservancy.

Climate Impact Area

Historically, HASPA primarily focused on preserving shoreline land for recreation; however, over time HASPA has realized that the shoreline serves as the first line of defense against the impacts of SLR. The areas adjacent to the Shoreline include Hayward’s Industrial Technology and Innovation Corridor and various residential neighborhoods. In addition, the Shoreline is home to the eastern approach of SR 92, which is used by over 90,000 individuals daily. Without combating the anticipated impacts of SLR, these areas will be inundated and cause hundreds of millions of dollars of damage. Presently, aging levees are overtopping, causing parts of the Shoreline, including the Bay Trail, to flood two to three times a year. Furthermore, flooding could result in the loss of natural habitat, as well as major damage to adjacent industrial areas, essential facilities, and infrastructure related to transportation corridors, utilities, and waste processing. According to GIS modeling from the Adapting to Rising Tides Project, these impacts will become worse without mitigation efforts.

The Hayward Regional Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan as a whole is a forward-looking tool to prepare for and adapt to climate change induced sea level rise. The design for the Hayward Regional Shoreline utilizes a hybrid system with perimeter protection for inland assets and ecological enhancement for areas closer to the Bay. Perimeter protection includes a FEMA-certified levee to reduce risk to inland communities by buffering the shoreline from sea level rise and storm surge. Ecological enhancements include marsh restoration, gravel beaches and ecotone levees. Marshes will be restored and carefully managed over time to provide critical habitat, reduce erosion and control floods. Gravel beaches help to attenuate waves, provide shorebird nesting habitat, and provide a more conservative approach for edge stabilization. Ecotone levees also provide flood protection to inland assets while enhancing ecological functions through the creation of marsh migration space. Beyond the design, the plan outlines six policy and program recommendations aimed at building resiliency in the community through regional coordination, education and updating building standards.

Funding Source    

The project was funded by a $509,000 Caltrans Adaptation Planning Grant, and a local cash match of $175,000. The total funding for the project was $684,000.

Research and Data

Many different resources were used to gather preliminary data regarding the Plan. Some of these resources include: Adapting to Rising Tides (ART), Safeguarding California, The California Adaptation Planning Guide (2012), UC Davis Governance Gap: Climate Adaptation and Sea-Level Rise in the Bay Area, Rising Seas in California, Climate Change and Extreme Weather Options, and many more. Two Hayward specific studies were utilized: Preliminary Study of the Effects of Sea Level Rise on the Resources of the Hayward Shoreline and the Hayward Resilience Study, which is an extension of the Adapting to Rising Tides Project.

Additionally, the Plan utilizes sea level rise projections that are consistent with those in the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) report, “Rising Seas in California: An Update on Sea-Level Rise”. Other resources included the California Coastal Commission Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance; Interpretive Guidelines for Addressing Sea Level Rise In Local Coastal Programs And Coastal Development Permits; and the California Department of Water Resources California Water Plan: 2018 Update.

Challenges

Challenges encountered during the project included soliciting feedback from the Alameda County Flood Control District. Also, developing cost estimates for a complex and long-range Plan highlighted the scope of the issue and was cause for concern among elected officials. HASPA has no full-time dedicated staff, which made managing the project difficult.

In order to solicit feedback from the Alameda County Flood District, the staff and the consulting team were persistent when requesting information and accommodated the District’s needs by setting up additional meetings. To develop cost estimates, the project team relied heavily on precedent and applied a healthy contingency to accommodate for the lack of information regarding estimating costs for sea level rise adaptation strategies. In terms of staff capacity, agency staff yielded time to this project and hired a Climate Corps Fellow to assist with the project management.

Outcomes

The project resulted in a thorough background report on existing conditions, sea level rise modeling and mapping, a collection of adaptation strategies and a final design for the Hayward Regional Shoreline. The final design included a phasing, funding and permitting plan. Additionally, the project developed an assemblage of stewardship and educational programming, policy and programmatic recommendations, and non-structural adaptation strategies. Next steps include  pursuing grant funding to implement projects identified in the Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan.

Replicability  

The Shoreline mimics the conditions of many communities surrounding the San Francisco Bay; therefore, replication is feasible. SLR will affect coastal communities everywhere, and climate adaptation planning efforts will become the norm throughout the nation and especially the San Francisco Bay. Appropriate preparation and research are necessary to facilitate effective measures to minimize the effects of SLR. Different cities and agencies could utilize the research conducted as part of the Plan to better understand the impacts of SLR. Furthermore, these cities and agencies could also utilize some of the modeling methods and proposed adaptation strategies and adjust these strategies to address their specific desires, needs, and situation. Overall, the Plan serves as a good example of how to comprehensively and collectively adapt to sea level rise.

Additional Resources

General:

Hayward-Specific:

Further Information

Taylor Richard taylor.richard@hayward-ca.gov

Erik Pearson erik.pearson@hayward-ca.gov