Public access and design approved, harbor seals ignored

Updated posting - June 11, 2014

A public hearing took place on January 6, 2014 in San Francisco to take comments on the proposed facility for Bay ferries at Alameda Point.  It was the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) Design Review Board’s first hearing to determine if the project complies with guidelines for ensuring maximum public shoreline access, preserving scenic views, and enhancing the shoreline visual experience through appropriate design appearance.

Located on Hornet Avenue at Ferry Point Road near the U.S.S. Hornet on a four-acre site to be leased from the City of Alameda, the facility will service and maintain ferries owned by the Water Emergency Transit Authority (WETA) operating in the Central Bay.  The project will include a 70-foot-tall four story building for maintenance, dispatch, and administrative tasks, a service yard, and floating berthing facilities for 12 vessels.  Demolition of the old recreational dock and retaining wall, and dredging of the berthing area is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2014.

SF Bay Ferry Maintenance Facility Proposed for Alameda Point

The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) was established in 2007 by the state of California to replace the Water Transit Authority.  WETA operates and maintains passenger ferries on San Francisco Bay.

At its November 2009 meeting, the WETA board approved a $200,000 contract for design and engineering of a new facility at Alameda Point. It will be called the Central Bay Operations and Maintenance Facility, and will service ferries operated by WETA.  It will not be a passenger terminal.  

In 2010, WETA began the environmental review process for the new facility.  On June 2, 2011, WETA completed the state environmental review for the project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  It adopted a mitigated negative declaration.

In October of 2012, the Federal Transit Authority issued its environmental report regarding impacts on endangered fish species.  Other reviews will take place before the commencement of construction, which is slated for mid-2014.

WETA will lease the land at Alameda Point from the city, with lease revenue going to the city's general fund.