Protect access to Crown Beach, Alameda
Status: Open for comment
Open for comment. Write now: the decision-maker and how to reach them are below.
Deadline: Write now, before this winter's storm work. Email by 3 PM Mon., Oct 19 to reach the board before its Oct 20 meeting.
What the report said (as of September 30, 2026): The report says EBRPD and the City of Alameda are planning this winter's storm-surge response, and urges permanent ramps and sand "before April." No public decision date has been announced.
Crown Beach is running out of sand, and emergency rock is being stockpiled for winter. Ask that storm protection keep a usable beach and a way into the water.
What we're asking for
- Include beach and water users in EBRPD and the City of Alameda's winter storm planning for Crown Beach.
- If more emergency rock is placed, require a defined access route through it to the water.
- Commit to permanent access ramps and sand nourishment before the spring wind season, so emergency rock doesn't become the permanent solution.
- Make a usable beach an explicit design requirement in Alameda's South Shore and Shoreline Adaptation plans.
Who can act
- Decision-maker
- East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Board of Directors
- Also involved
- City of Alameda (joint winter storm planning; South Shore Adaptation Project; Shoreline Adaptation Plan due 2027)
- San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC): approved the December 2024 emergency riprap
- Decision
- Winter storm response and long-term shoreline planning
- How to submit
- clerkoftheboard@ebparks.org (subject must start with “Public Comment – Not on Agenda”). Crown Beach isn't on a board agenda, so EBRPD's rules call for the subject line "Public Comment – Not on Agenda". The board meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 1:00 PM, and written comments are due by 3:00 PM the day before. Written comments go to board members and into the official record but aren't read aloud.
Make your voice heard
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Talking points
Adapted from the SFBA report's recommendations. Choose the ones that match your own experience.
- Include beach and water users in EBRPD and the City of Alameda's winter storm planning for Crown Beach.
- If more emergency rock is placed, require a defined access route through it to the water.
- Commit to permanent access ramps and sand nourishment before the spring wind season, so emergency rock doesn't become the permanent solution.
- Make a usable beach an explicit design requirement in Alameda's South Shore and Shoreline Adaptation plans.
Report findings by activity
- Beach visits / walking: Crown Beach is a regional destination for beachgoers with diverse interests in shoreline access. It is an artificial beach that survives only when sand is put back.
- Beach visits / walking, Open-water swimming, Kayaking, Stand-up paddling (SUP), Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Wingfoiling: Emergency riprap placed after the December 2024 storm saved the concession building but left "very limited water access."
- Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, Wingfoiling: In 2021 the kite launch was nearly gone, with a three-to-four-foot drop to the water. In January 2022 a rock wall in front of the concession cut off windsports access.
Where to send it
Email clerkoftheboard@ebparks.org. Start the subject line with “Public Comment – Not on Agenda”. Crown Beach isn't on a board agenda, so EBRPD's rules call for the subject line "Public Comment – Not on Agenda". The board meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 1:00 PM, and written comments are due by 3:00 PM the day before. Written comments go to board members and into the official record but aren't read aloud.
A simple outline
Who is affected?
- Beach visits / walking: Crown Beach is a regional destination for beachgoers with diverse interests in shoreline access. It is an artificial beach that survives only when sand is put back.
- Beach visits / walking, Open-water swimming, Kayaking, Stand-up paddling (SUP), Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Wingfoiling: Emergency riprap placed after the December 2024 storm saved the concession building but left "very limited water access."
- Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, Wingfoiling: In 2021 the kite launch was nearly gone, with a three-to-four-foot drop to the water. In January 2022 a rock wall in front of the concession cut off windsports access.
The report doesn't cover every way people use Crown Beach (for example, rowing, sailing, fishing). If that's you, decision-makers need to hear your first-hand account. You can also send us evidence to add here.
Why it matters
On September 27, 2026, a local boardsports school reported to SFBA that there was “almost no beach left” near the concession. Park staff pushed the remaining sand into temporary ramps. (Report p. 11)
Crown Beach has no natural sand supply. The last major sand placement was in 2013: 82,600 cubic yards, paid for with about $2.5 million in public grants. Since then, maintenance has mostly meant moving the remaining sand around. Requests in 2022 for permanent ramps and new sand went largely unmet. Alameda’s 2025 application for 80,000 cubic yards of South Shore sand ($6.3 million) went unfunded. (pp. 11–12)
EBRPD and the City of Alameda are planning their storm-surge response, which again includes stockpiling rock. The report warns that unless access is designed in, more rock will mean less beach. It also notes that a severe storm surge could erase the beach entirely. (p. 12)
Alameda’s Shoreline Adaptation Plan is due in 2027. The report recommends that a usable beginner beach be an explicit design requirement. (pp. 12–13)
Summary written by this site from the SFBA report. Positions are SFBA’s recommendations, not findings by an agency.
Read the evidence
- SFBA, The State of Recreational Access to the San Francisco Bay: 2026,pp. 11, 12, 13, 31
- EBRPD agenda showing current public-comment procedure (Board committees, Oct 14, 2026)
- City of Alameda
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Last checked
Action details last verified October 10, 2026.See something wrong or out of date? Fix it on GitHub (GitHub opens a pull request for you), or tell us what's wrong.