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.