“San Francisco Bay is acclaimed as a prized recreation and tourist destination due to its scenic waterfronts and marinas providing public access for a myriad of activities. Yet if you travel around the shoreline, some of these harbor areas, representing a huge economic investment during the 20th century, are in disrepair and on the brink of sinking into the depths of history. Why?”

This intriguing question provided the framework for A Case Study on Marinas and Waterfronts – Perspectives on Revitalizing these Prime Local Economic and Environmental Assets, part of the Bay Planning Coalition’s Annual Decisionmakers Conference program held on April 18, 2008.

Peter Callander, ASLA, was part of the four-person panel of experts consisting of:
Leonard Hoops, Executive VP of Sales – S.F. Convention and Visitors Bureau
Harold Flood, Supervisor, Planning Finance, and Contract Administration, Boating Facilities Division – California Department of Boating and Waterways
Steve Hollister, Assistant City Manager – City of San Leandro

The panel discussed what it will take to keep these unique resources vital and what the BPC offers in achieving this goal. Citing such Callander Associates projects as Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco, The Preserves at Redwood Shores, and the Bair Island Restoration in Redwood City, Peter focused the group on the thin, but strategic, public access shoreline and the role of wetlands and marinas along the South Bay shoreline. Click here for a copy of Peter’s presentation.

For more information on the Bay Planning Coalition and its programs, please visit www.bayplanningcoalition.org.