McNears Pier Repair

On March 21, 2023, a severe storm with high winds blew into the Bay Area. During the storm, a concrete sailboat broke free from its mooring. It collided into the north end of the McNears Beach Park fishing pier and sank, causing severe damage.

Construction crews are scheduled to work long shifts on the McNears pier, Monday through Friday, from September 13 to 27. Some of this work will take place after dark. Construction flood lights may be visible from the shore at night. There will also be intermittent, sometimes loud, construction noise during this time.

Construction crews hauled up the shipwreck that sank to the bottom of McNears pier. The concrete boat had crashed into the pier's pilings.

Work has begun on repairing the end of McNears pier, which was damaged in a winter storm. A large crane floated in on a barge. A temporary steel beam was hoisted in place, to stabilize the damaged pier before the next phase of construction.

On March 21, 2023, a severe storm with high winds blew into the Bay Area. During the storm, a concrete sailboat broke free from its mooring. It collided into the north end of the McNears Beach Park fishing pier. The boat broke up, and sank into San Pablo Bay, landing at the bottom of the pier.

Parks staff immediately closed the pier and contacted a structural engineering firm. Liftech Consultants assessed the damage above and below the water. The consultants determined the boat's impact had compromised the structural integrity of that section of the pier, putting it at risk of collapse.

The damage included:

• Severely compromised structural pile
• Displaced steel expansion joint
• Broken railings and cracked concrete curbs
• Sunk boat

This major construction project will repair the damage to the end of McNears Beach Park pier, which extends out over San Pablo Bay, 500 feet from the shore. Most of the construction will take place in the water.

• Project Team PDF
• Report to Board of Supervisors 03.19.24 PDF
• Report to Board of Supervisors 06.20.23 PDF
• Pier Condition Report 05.25.23 PDF
• Site Visit Report 04.14.23 PDF
• Preliminary Repair Approach Summary 04.06.23 PDF
• Site Visit Report 03.28.23 PDF

In advance of this work, Parks secured regulatory permits and authorizations from the following agencies.  All in-water work must be completed before November 30, 2024.

• Army Corps of Engineers
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• National Marine Fisheries Service
• San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
• San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission

This repair project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to section 15369 of the State CEQA Guidelines, which allows for emergency projects and State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, which allows for repairs to existing facilities. Marin County Parks filed a Notice of Exemption for this project with the Marin County Clerk on September 1, 2023.

General Contractor: Manson Construction
Construction Manager: Bureau Veritas
Structural Engineer: Liftech Consultants Inc.

Insurance will be the primary funding source for the McNears pier repair.

• March 2023: Pier damaged
• March–February 2024 : Assessment, design, and permitting
• March 2024–February 2024 : Board of Supervisors authorizes repair
• March–April 2024: Construction bids
• May 2024: Award of construction contract and Notice to Proceed
• May–August 2024: Procurement of materials
• August–November 2024: Pier repair