Urban Waterfront Enhancement Master Plan
The City of Benicia, with support from the Coastal Conservancy, has developed the Benicia Urban Waterfront Enhancement and Master Plan, which includes designs for improvements to the waterfront between First Street and the Marina. The Plan is intended to improve and enhance the existing First Street Green, expand trail access, and incorporate park amenities such as observation platforms, plazas, seating areas, public art, and interpretive signage. The Plan includes the following elements, to be implemented over four phases:
- an entry plaza with seat walls and public art
- an expanded and raised green
- a secondary plaza adjacent to the marina channel
- a Depot plaza
- a Class I Bay Trail segment parallel to B Street
- a perimeter trail around the green
- a boardwalk following the historic railroad alignment
- viewing platforms overlooking the coastal salt marsh
- improved beach access
- widened First Street sidewalk to mirror the existing First Street Promenade
- parking enhancements
- stormwater rain gardens
- interpretive signage
At its October 21, 2014 meeting, City Council certified the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and adopted the Master Plan. The rest of the documents below provide additional project background, including history and analysis of current conditions of the project site, the scope of work for this project, the text of the 2004 Waterfront Park Initiative (also known as Measure C), and summaries of past project workshops and meetings.