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San Leandro Shoreline Park
About
An exciting development is in the works along the San Leandro Shoreline – coming down the pipeline in the near future is a new 9-acre public park!
The current park design embraces a natural feel with multiple green spaces – including a reflection lookout, natural habitat enhancements designed to encourage wildlife inhabitation and the planting of native trees and flora. The existing Bay Trail would extend into the park with separate bike and pedestrian paths. Another envisioned feature is a boat launch, allowing water access via motorboat, kayak, or canoe. Importantly, this park is intended to help fulfill an overall mission to create a self-supporting shoreline and the design will be resistant to climate change and rising sea levels.
Whether you plan to power through your personal workout routine on a crisp bayside morning, enjoy an afternoon picnic on a grassy hill or simply take in the Bay Area’s natural beauty while on a leisurely evening walk, the new park will offer something for the entire San Leandro community.
If you’d like to learn more about the larger development project in the Monarch Bay Shoreline area please visit sanleandro.org/655/Shoreline-Development.
2022 Community Outreach
In 2022, the City hosted multiple pop-ups and three in-depth community meetings over the course of a six-week period in June and July. Social media, email blasts, postcard mailers, and in-person flyers were utilized to spread the word about the community meetings and online comment form. Outreach event locations were chosen with a variety of communities in mind - including seniors, families with young children, Spanish-speakers, Chinese-speakers, and equity priority communities. Mailers were sent to households in the vicinity of the park.
At the community meetings, the public was shown the latest design concept and invited to provide input on potential interpretive signage, the placement of existing installations and design details in the park. If you weren't able to make it to any of the meetings, you are welcome to review the PowerPoint presentation.
Read the Community Input Summary to learn what your fellow community members had to say about the new park! Also, you can still submit your comments in the Contact section below.
Past Community Meetings
| Date | Facility | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, July 6, 2022 - 2:00PM-3:30PM | San Leandro Senior Community Center | 13909 E. 14th Street |
| Saturday, July 9, 2022 - 2:00PM-3:30PM | San Leandro Main Library - Karp Room | 300 Estudillo Avenue |
| Wednesday, July 13, 2022 - 7:00PM-8:30PM | Marina Community Center | 15301 Wicks Boulevard |
In addition to these community meetings, members of the project team will be hosting small pop-up events in June and July across the city, including at the San Leandro Farmers’ Market on Wednesday afternoons. These pop-ups are another way for you to provide input and review, so watch for one in your neighborhood!
Community Benefits & Park Features
Community Benefits
The current park design offers a host of potential community benefits, including:
• Enhanced recreational amenities with approachable and equitable access to the Bay
• A new 9-acre public park and Bay Trail extension
• Small-scale creative features and educational opportunities through interpretive signage
• Facilities and access for watercraft
• Responds to sea level rise, adding coastal resiliency
• Protects natural habitats, including the Monarch butterflies
Envisioned Park Features
Based on early community feedback, the following features are currently proposed as part of the latest design draft:
• Scenic viewing areas
• Paths for walking and cycling
• Plenty of space for passive enjoyment, reflection and meditation
• A community space for gatherings, performances, group exercise and other activities
• Interpretive signage providing education about the area’s natural habitat and indigenous history
• Boat launch ramp
• Native plants, bushes, and trees to provide windbreaks
• Sufficient lighting and clear, open sightlines to promote safety
Project Status
We’re currently in the design phase, so now is the perfect time to tell us your thoughts on the park by attending a public meeting or submitting your comments via the form in the Contact section.
Background
San Leandro’s shoreline is the aboriginal homeland of the Lisjan (Ohlone) peoples, in the territory of Huchuin. Historically, the area was well-known for the oysters it produced, until the 1906 earthquake released natural oil deposits and polluted the oyster beds. The shoreline was subsequently used as a dump in the 1920s and '30s. In the early 1960s, the city constructed the original small boat harbor, dredging the channels to provide access. The harbor was expanded in 1970-1972, with further improvements in 1984 and 1991.
Using the area as a small boat harbor has posed costly challenges over the years. Natural currents cause siltation, meaning the channel from the harbor to the Bay is constantly filling up with soil or sand. This necessitates frequent, expensive dredging efforts. Keeping the Marina operational has become a costly uphill battle against the forces of nature, with only a small number of boaters able to benefit.
The city began exploring other options for the harbor in 2005 and released a Harbor Basin Alternative Study in 2011. In 2012, the Shoreline Advisory Group was formed. From 2015-2017 the Environmental Impact Review was certified and rezoning was completed. Planning continued for the next few years as the city negotiated terms and lease agreements, held community meetings, and enacted Zoning and General Plan Amendments. You can learn more about the project’s background from this presentation to City Council (PDF).
Community-Based Process
Community outreach first began in 2007, and the Shoreline Citizens Advisory Committee was formed in 2008. Two town hall meetings took place between 2009 and 2011 to develop options and study alternatives for the harbor. Once the park became the preferred option, the City held two more community meetings in 2017 to learn what park features were most important to the public and address any questions or concerns.
The park design has evolved considerably in response to requests from the community, with emphasis on habitat enhancement for local species, spaces for passive activities like meditation and reflection, multi-purpose spaces for community gatherings, and easy access to the water for kayaks and canoes. The City is now redoubling its efforts to ensure all local residents and stakeholders have a chance to weigh in on what they’d like to see in their newest park. The best way to get involved is to attend one of the upcoming outreach events listed above. We also invite you to submit your comments using the contact form below.