A 9.4-acre nature park and education center on Burlingame's bayfront will go before the Planning Commission for a vote Monday, Aug. 10, according to the meeting agenda published Wednesday.

The project, called Bay Rise Park, would transform a vacant stretch of shoreline at 410 Airport Blvd. into a public park with restored tidal-marsh habitat, trails, water access for kayaking, boardsailing and paddleboarding, and an 8,564-square-foot education center that can host events for up to 200 people. The site sits on state-owned land adjacent to the SPHERE Institute's headquarters at 500 Airport Blvd.

SPHERE Institute, a Burlingame-based nonprofit policy research firm established in 1996, and the San Mateo Resource Conservation District filed the application jointly. The California State Lands Commission owns the property.

City staff recommends approval.

The environmental review, a Mitigated Negative Declaration circulated for public comment from Dec. 10, 2025, through Jan. 9, 2026, found no significant impacts with mitigation measures in place. Senior Planner Erika Lewit is the staff lead on the project.

The park's planned amenities include 3.5 acres of restored native tidal-marsh habitat, an improved section of the Bay Trail, viewing decks and patios, a small take-out café, multi-purpose lawn areas, secondary trails and interpretive elements focused on sea-level-rise resilience. A small accessory building would store rescue equipment for the Central County Fire Department. The site would have 29 parking spaces accessed by a one-way driveway and drop-off loop.

According to the Bay Rise Park project website, the park sits on a stretch of shoreline with the lowest percentage of open space along the Bay. The SPHERE Institute has described the project as addressing limited public access to nature in Burlingame, noting that open space is constrained by extensive bayfront development.

The application was first filed in 2021, and the commission reviewed public comments on the proposal in February 2022. The project website lists a 2027 opening target, though it previously listed a 2024 construction start and the project remains in the approvals stage.

The commission will also vote on a Conditional Use Permit Amendment for Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula Medical Center at 1501 Trousdale Drive. That proposal, filed by Matthew Brausch of Ameresco and Vahram Massehian of Sutter Health, would add solar carports with energy storage and amend conditions for helipad usage. Staff recommends approval.

Commission Chair Walker Shores will preside. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Council Chambers, City Hall, 501 Primrose Road.

Residents can attend in person or watch via Zoom (Meeting ID: 850 9814 2272, Passcode: 107043). Written public comments must be emailed to [email protected] by 4 p.m. Aug. 10 and should specify the agenda item. In-person speakers get three minutes each. Public comments cannot be made via Zoom.

Any commission action is appealable to the City Council within 10 days. If not appealed by 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, the decision becomes final.