PRESS RELEASE. Date 1/7/2021.
Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project Preferred Design Option
San Mateo County Parks is partnering with Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and the Coastal Conservancy to protect environmental resources and promote public safety at Tunitas Creek Beach. With participation from the public, we will be developing this stunning and rugged section of coastline with proper public facilities and amenities. Get to know Tunitas Creek Beach and this project with the video below.
Sign up for Tunitas Creek Project Emails
UPDATED THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021
San Mateo County Parks, POST and Coastal Conservancy are excited to share the preferred
option design for Tunitas Creek Beach. This design reflects input gathered from many community members during virtual community meetings in October and more than 1,300 survey responses received since May.
- Tunitas Creek Beach Preferred Option Design (English) 12.7 MB
- Tunitas Creek Beach Preferred Option Design (Spanish) 12.6 MB
The preferred option design will be presented to the San Mateo County Parks Commission and the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in February. Additional opportunities for community feedback will be scheduled in 2021.
If you have questions regarding the Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project review our project FAQs.
If you don’t see your question answered there already, please submit it to us.
The FAQ will be updated periodically.
Background
San Mateo County Parks and Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) are partnering to improve Tunitas Creek Beach over a three-year period in order to provide safe public access to the beach as a County Park. Protection and management of the property are expected to cost the County an additional $10 million dollars over ten years. Learn More
Timeline
Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project Preferred Design Option
UPDATED THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021
San Mateo County Parks, POST and Coastal Conservancy are excited to share the preferred option design for Tunitas Creek Beach. This design reflects input gathered from many community members during virtual community meetings in October and more than 1,300 survey responses received since May.
- Tunitas Creek Beach Preferred Option Design (English) 12.7 MB
- Tunitas Creek Beach Preferred Option Design (Spanish) 12.6 MB
The preferred option design will be presented to the San Mateo County Parks Commission and the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in February. Additional opportunities for community feedback will be scheduled in 2021.
If you have questions regarding the Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project review our project FAQs. If you don’t see your question answered there already, please submit it to us. The FAQ will be updated periodically.
Previous Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Updates
Phase II: An Updated Design & Community Preferences for Additional Features & Programming Opportunities
In Phase II we presented the project design informed Phase I feedback. As part of the update we presented potential additional design features and programming opportunities. See the presentation documents:
- Updated Project Design (English) 19.4 MB
- Updated Project Design (Spanish) 11.4 MB
To determine community preferences for additional design features and programs another survey was given, which closed on November 13, 2020.
Virtual Community Meetings
On October 21 and 22 we held virtual community meetings, one in English, the other in Spanish. Members of the community learned more about Tunitas Creek Beach, asked questions, told us what’s important to them, and viewed conceptual designs that reflect results from the Phase 1 Development Survey.
Phase 1 Development Survey Closes
The Phase 1 Development Survey has closed. Additional opportunities to provide input will be posted to this page soon. To be notified about these opportunities sign up on the project email list.
Phase 1 Instructional Materials & Survey Posted
The initial installment of instructional materials has been posted to the project page along with the Phase 1 Project Development Survey, designed to capture design priorities and preferences from the public. View the Phase 1 materials.
General Survey
Efforts to transform Tunitas Creek Beach into county park continue online despite the COVID-19 shutdown. The project General Survey has been posted, asking beach-goers about how they might want to use this new county park. Take the General Survey »
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Tunitas Creek Beach Kick-off Meeting scheduled for March 14, 2020 was canceled. Next steps for the project are currently being planned. An online survey designed to capture park user preferences will be posted soon. Stay informed on project progress and opportunities to participate by signing up for our email notification list—just enter your email address into the form on the lefthand side of this page.
San Mateo County has contracted with CSW/Stuber-Stroeh Engineering Group to provide civil design, surveying and project management. They will work closely with the project Technical Advisory Committee; with representatives from San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Parks and Public Works; and Peninsula Open Space Trust, California State Coastal Conservancy, and the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District. The design phase is expected to conclude summer 2021.
Join us for the kickoff meeting for this project, Saturday, March 14, at Tunitas Creek Beach. Learn more »
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has accepted the Vision Document provided by the Tunitas Creek Beach Community Advisory Committee. Project consultants have been selected. View »
There are a number of activities that have taken place in the five months since Peninsula Open Space Trust and San Mateo County Parks announced its partnership to protect and preserve Tunitas Creek Beach, and eventually establish it as a public park.
Most of the work thus far has focused on protecting natural resources and facilitating safe access for staff and emergency responders. In addition, a request to fund positions that support operations and planning activities was approved at the April 10 meeting of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
On May 9, the San Mateo County Planning Commission approved a Coastal Development Permit submitted by San Mateo County Parks to establish reliable access to the beach by local and state first responders, including San Mateo County Parks, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, San Mateo County fire agencies, California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Approval will allow San Mateo County Parks to:
- Create a stable path from the property down to the beach that will support light emergency vehicles and staff. A gate will be installed to prevent unauthorized use.
- Install fencing around the unoccupied structure on the bluff and additional signage posting the San Mateo County ordinances language at several locations.
In the months to come, we will start the planning process for long-term public access and will seek the community’s input. We ask the public to bear with us as we work to complete our vision for a public park and safe access for all over the next few years.