May 27, 2026 Engineering Criteria Review Board Meeting

1. Call to Order and Meeting Procedure Review (5 minutes)
2. Staff Updates (20 minutes)
3. Berkeley Water Transportation Pier Ferry Project, City of Berkeley (Anticipated BCDC Major Permit in Pre-Application Phase) (90 minutes) The City of Berkeley proposes to construct a new ferry terminal on the Berkeley Waterfront, in the general location of an existing pier that was used in the past for ferry service to San Francisco. The pier and ferry terminal are proposed for a 50-year design life, and the key design aspects of the proposed project are the new pier, ferry terminal and breakwater, new and restored shoreline stabilization, and some of the earth preparation immediately adjacent to the shoreline. Several elements of this project are not related to the Safety of Fills and will not be covered in the ECRB meeting. These include the landside improvements, other than the shoreline retention; parking; dredging for the ferry service; and demolition of the current pier facilities. The Berkeley Water Transportation Pier Ferry Project was first presented to the ECRB on February 25, 2026. At the conclusion of that meeting, the City of Berkeley was asked to return to the ECRB to address specific geotechnical, coastal and structural concerns. These included, among other concerns: an examination of the pier stability based on the loadings that are likely to be required under ASCE 61-26 and the new California Building Code; the range of stabilities analyzed for the rock dike-pile interactions; re-examination of the wave heights and runup that are likely to occur at the Pier site based on newer references provided during the ECRB meeting; examination of wave loadings on the pier structure; examination of the project design for the intermediate-high sea level rise scenario through the end of the century; and design conditions and cumulative seismic loading for pile sleeves. These follow-up issues will be the focus of the May 27, 2026, ECRB meeting. The Board will advise BCDC staff and the Applicant as to the completeness of materials or additional studies, analyses, or actions to be undertaken, if recommended, to minimize the risk and consequences to pier and ferry terminal due to a seismic event, overtopping, erosion, or sea level rise. The public may comment on the presentation at its conclusion.
   Staff Report // COWI Responses // Attachment No. 1a // Attachment No. 1b // Attachment No. 2 // Attachment No. 3 // Attachment No. 4
4. Training by Legal Staff on topics such as Conflict of Interest, Ex Parte Communications, and meeting formats (optional, based on available time)
5. Adjournment

Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act

As a state agency, the Commission is governed by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act which requires the Commission to: (1) publish an agenda at least ten days in advance of any meeting; and (2) describe specifically in that agenda the items to be transacted or discussed. Public notices of Commission meetings and staff reports (as applicable) dealing with matters on the meeting agendas can be found on BCDC’s website. Simply access Commission Meetings under the “Public Meetings” tab on the website and select the date of the meeting.

How to Provide Comments and Comment Time Limits

Pursuant to state law, the Commission is currently conducting its public meetings in a “hybrid” fashion. Each meeting notice will specify (1) where the meeting is being primarily held physically, (2) all teleconference locations, which will be publicly-accessible, and (3) the ZOOM virtual meeting link. If you would like to comment at the beginning of the meeting or on an item scheduled for public discussion, you may do so in one of three ways: (1) being present at the primary physical or a teleconference meeting location; (2) emailing comments in advance to public comment until 10 a.m. on the day of the meeting; and (3) participating via ZOOM during the meeting.

If you plan to participate through ZOOM, please use your ZOOM-enabled device and click on the “raise your hand” button, and then wait to speak until called upon. If you are using a telephone to call into the meeting, select *6 to unmute your phone and you will then be able to speak. We ask that everyone use the mute button when not speaking. It is also important that you not put your phone on hold. Each speaker may be limited to a maximum of three minutes or less at the discretion of the Chair during the public comment period depending on the volume of persons intending to provide public comment. Any speakers who exceed the time limits or interfere with the meeting may be muted by the Chair. It is strongly recommended that public comments be submitted in writing so they can be distributed to all Commission members in advance of the meeting for review. You are encouraged to submit written comments of any length and detailed information to the staff prior to the meeting at the email address above, which will be distributed to the Commission members.

Questions and Staff Reports

If you have any questions concerning an item on the agenda, would like to receive notice of future hearings, or access staff reports related to the item, please contact the staff member whose name, email address and direct phone number are indicated in parenthesis at the end of the agenda item.

Campaign Contributions

State law requires Commissioners to disqualify themselves from voting on any matter if they have received a campaign contribution from an interested party within the past 12 months. If you intend to speak on any hearing item, please indicate in your testimony if you have made campaign contributions in excess of $250 to any Commissioner within the last year, and if so, to which Commissioner(s) you have contributed. Other legal requirements govern contributions by applicants and other interested parties and establish criteria for Commissioner conflicts of interest. Please consult with the staff counsel if you have any questions about the rules that pertain to campaign contributions or conflicts of interest.

Access to Meetings

Meetings are physically held in venues that are accessible to persons with disabilities. If you require special assistance or have technical questions, please contact staff at least three days prior to the meeting via email. We will attempt to make the virtual meeting accessible via ZOOM accessibility capabilities, as well.