Strategy to Advance Flood Protection, Ecosystems and Recreation along San Francisco (SAFER) Bay Project, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, San Mateo County

The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority is advancing the Strategy to Advance Flood Protection, Ecosystems, and Recreation along San Francisco Bay (SAFER Bay) Project in San Mateo County, focusing on East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Redwood City. The initiative will secure all necessary permits for a seven-mile corridor to restore 568 acres of tidal marsh, enhance 436 acres of managed ponds, and construct protective levees and infrastructure to address tidal flooding and sea level rise. The project aligns with FEMA’s 100-year flood protection standards and incorporates projections of 3.5 feet of sea level rise by 2100, using engineering specifications from USACE manuals and California regulatory codes. Technical studies and final designs will be informed by the Habitat Restoration Basis of Design, fish screening criteria, and soil management protocols, with performance thresholds requiring at least 70% native wetland cover within five years and invasive species coverage below 10%. Environmental compliance is governed by CEQA, with mitigation measures addressing hazards, air quality, noise, cultural resources, and biological impacts, all evaluated as less than significant with mitigation or potentially significant subject to controls. The project is funded through a grant approved by the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority and is not structured as a traditional procurement contract; no standard FAR clauses, contract types, pricing data, or federal acquisition systems such as WAWF or AAC codes are present. Instead, it operates as a grant-funded environmental restoration effort under state and local authority, with administrative oversight by the SFCJPA. Payment and invoicing are managed through direct coordination with the agency and California Department of Fish and Wildlife for environmental fees, and no formal COR, COTR, or PCO roles are designated. Inspection and acceptance occur on-site at project locations, governed by soil quality standards, including an arsenic limit of 15.3 µg/kg for imported fill and compliance with Title 22 CCR for hazardous material handling. The period of performance is projected to begin in 2029, though no end date is specified, and all deliverables—including design drawings, environmental reports, and public comments—are documented through appendices and technical attachments without formal packaging, marking, or barcoding requirements. The project’s evaluation framework prioritizes environmental resilience and public benefit over cost, indicating a best-value approach rooted in CEQA findings rather than competitive bidding metrics.