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Building connection among Berkeley blue-space users
The Green Flash, Image courtesy of Paul Kamen
Mission
Mission
There are many communities of waterfront users at the Berkeley waterfront - dog walkers, sailors, boatowners, kayakers, swimmers, families coming to picnic, school kids on field trips to Adventure Playground and Shorebird Park, fishers along the shoreline, and sunset seekers to view one of the most iconic images in California. BWCC’s goal is to develop projects that raise awareness of these groups - including historical perspectives - and enhance the sense of community at the Berkeley waterfront.
Recreational Activities
Recreational Activities
Kayaking (see UC Aquatics Center for rentals)
Bay Area Sea Kayakers and sea kayaking classes
Dog walking
Fishing
Action Item: WETA Ferry Plan EIR
Action Item: WETA Ferry Plan EIR
The WETA-Ferry plan would replace the existing 3000' pier (how it was before closure) with a 580' pier and ferry terminal (see Jack London terminal for general idea) and a breakwater, with the city possibly extending it another 500'. In May, BWCC submitted this scoping document. We are now discussing the preparation of a public comment to the Draft EIR posted on this page. Issues:
Will the city use the reduced use of waterfront caused by pier closure and parking lot closures as baseline for calculating impacts? (YES)
Will alternative plans be entertained? (NO)
What evidence is there of "secondary benefits" of this plan? (LITTLE)
How will fish, bird and harbor porpoise habitat be affected by required ongoing major dredging along the existing pier? (??)
Will the city charge parking to all non-ferry waterfront users to support WETA's ferry plan? (YES)
Is this only about wanting free parking? NO. See another example where city managers didn't get it right for cherished public spaces: https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/san-diego-parking-21336558.php
The city is also eliminating the popular Seawall Drive recreational parking spaces and planning a "waterfront benefit district" which cordons off areas the waterfront and charges fees for usage. This serves two purposes: reduce existing recreational activity that conflicts with ferry patrons, most of whom come by car, and fund the city's financial obligations to maintain WETA infrastructure. It's all about making life easy for WETA.
Call to action! Tell City Council what you think on March 16 at the Pier-Ferry Draft Environmental Impact Report Public Comment Meeting. Scan QR code for Zoom link to meeting:
Monday, March 16, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Or email: Liza McNulty, PE, Project Manager
lmcnulty@berkeleyca.gov
Tell them that protecting low-cost peace-of-mind is in the SF Bay Plan* and should just be common sense. Don’t get rid of this!
*A set of policies put out by BCDC, a group that governs the Bay.
Please contact us if you have any comments or would like to participate in giving written or oral public comments to the Environmental Impact Report, scheduled to come out at sometime in Spring 2026. Public comment periods are time-limited, so any preparation we can do beforehand is very useful.
Events
Events
Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission, March 11: please attend/contribute public comment on the ferry draft environmental impact report.
Past:
First BWCC meeting, Feb 15, 3:30 pm, Meeting minutes.
Second BWCC, March 8: Berkeley Yacht Club, 10 am
Other News
Other News
Public Access Issues
Public Access Issues
12/11/2025 BWCC has sent this communication to the Bay Conservation and Development Commission asking for their review of parking fee plan for the South Cove and J/K dock lots which provide access to the baitshop, Adventure Playground, bay viewing and watersport recreation in the south basin. After review of related planning documents, BWCC expressed concerns that:
The City of Berkeley is installing parking meter infrastructure without proper BCDC review and in violation of the grant guidelines for the Berkeley waterfront marina and parks.
This effort, undertaken without meaningful community input, disproportionately burdens low-income visitors and substantially reduces low-cost shoreline access for recreation, community-building and personal well-being.
The plan is an example of piecemealing a larger project to facilitate approval of the ferry and development proposals which have been neither reviewed nor approved, with potentially major impacts on public access.
The impact affects not only Berkeley residents but also many regional visitors who would visit but for the parking fees in key recreational areas, so that the policy discriminates against non-Berkeley residents, contrary to public trust requirements.
Plans to alienate revenue from the parking fees, even if minimal, from the waterfront violates the public trust mandate for this shoreline.
Read the letter for details and stay tuned to find out about BCDC's response.
Photo collections
Photo collections
Courtesy of Paul Kamen
https://people.well.com/user/pk/waterfront/photo-of-the-week/PhotoIndex.html
https://people.well.com/user/pk/waterfront/photo-of-the-week/Sorted-List.htm
Courtesy of Camille Antinori
Links to City Meetings and Offices
Links to City Meetings and Offices
Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission
Berkeley City Council: council@berkeleyca.gov
City Manager: CManager@berkeleyca.gov
Marina office: Marina@berkeleyca.gov or 510-981-6742 (after hours maintenance: 510-649-5892)
Contacts/Staff
Contacts/Staff
Director: Camille Antinori, camilleantinori at duck dot com
Treasurer: Gary Casterline, garycasterline at duck dot com
Visual Design Navigator: Edward Schlesinger
Intern for Research and Community Outreach: Zora Kitwana Whitfield
A Berkeley Partners for Parks affiliate
Donations to BWCC can be sent to Berkeley Partners for Parks, PO Box 12521, Berkeley, CA 94712. Please make check payable to Berkeley Partners for Parks and be sure to put "Berkeley Waterfront Community Coalition" in the memo field of the check.
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