The City of Berkeley has already voted on the Marina's next chapter. Over the past eighteen months, the City Council adopted an entry fee for Adventure Playground, hourly charges for the three busiest waterfront parking lots, and higher marina and recreation fees, all to help pay for running the waterfront. As of a September 2026 City report, the visitor-facing fees were still on their way in. The playground's fee collection equipment was scheduled for installation in October, and the parking charges were still waiting on a state permit.
So the owl season starting this fall falls right where one set of rules gives way to the next. Meanwhile the Berkeley Pier, closed for years, is moving toward replacement faster than it has before.
The Owls Keep a Schedule No Council Sets
Western burrowing owls are the one part of the waterfront whose calendar the City does not control. According to Bay Nature's November 2025 account, the earliest birds reach César Chávez Park at the end of September or in early October. More may arrive through October, November, or even December. Owls that settle in usually stay until February or March before flying back to summer ranges that can stretch from Oregon and Nevada to the Dakotas and Kansas.
The same account shows how much one winter can differ from the next. In two seasons, 2017–2018 and 2023–2024, no owls were seen at all. In 2024–2025, there were possibly seven or more owls that stayed for a while. Last fall, two early arrivals left before a third was spotted on November 4.
The City keeps a burrowing owl area in the park's northeast corner, marked by the Opening Circle, an art installation by Reed Madden Designs that was dedicated in 2011. It serves as a boundary during the months the owls are in residence, typically October to April. The owls do not always stay inside it. Bay Nature describes birds tucked into the riprap along the north and northeast shores and others in the north-side meadow. Its reporting also notes an informal network of spotters who post sightings to the Chavez Park Conservancy website, the volunteer group that advocates for the park.
That matters for anyone who brings a dog. The park's large off-leash area runs on voice-and-sight control. Dogs go on leash when entering and leaving, the limit is four per person, and they are not allowed to dig. A wildlife area at the north end gives burrowing owls space in winter, and signs along the path ask visitors to keep their distance.
A Dollar Fee That Was Never Collected
Adventure Playground shows the shift most clearly. The City's 2025 fee proposal says a $1 entry fee was set back in 2015, but the equipment to collect it was never installed. Under the adopted plan, entry becomes $5 per child, with no charge for supervising adults older than 14. The City also said it would set up a schedule of free days and offer scholarships to eligible families.
The City's playground page still says entry is free for individuals and families during regular hours. Those hours are Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the playground closes when rain continues through the day. Groups of five or more children need a reservation, and every child under 18 needs a registered supervising adult. Collection equipment was scheduled for October 2026, and the City has since cut its projected first-year playground revenue to $40,000, down from a $75,000 budget figure. Families planning a visit this season can check the playground page before they go.
The playground fee is one of four changes the Council approved for the same fund:
| Change | Adopted | Where it stood in September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure Playground entry, $5 per child | June 2025 | Collection equipment scheduled for October 2026 |
| Hourly parking in three waterfront lots | June 2025 | Waiting on a BCDC permit |
| Marina slip, liveaboard, and launch ramp increases | January 2026 | Adopted |
| Recreation program increases for camps, after-school, and birthdays | January 2026 | Adopted |
The Parking Lots Come Next
Parking matters most to weekend visitors, and the City's own reasoning explains why it chose these lots. South Cove East, South Cove West, and the J/K lot are the three busiest public lots on the waterfront, and the City says they typically fill early in the morning in summer and on weekends. The adopted charge is $1 an hour or $6 a day, which the City set below every City-owned lot and most City parking meters. Visitors who are not tenants or slipholders can also buy a $500 annual Waterfront Parking Pass.
According to the City, the money would cover the cost of operating and maintaining those lots, along with related staffing. City documents from this summer describe the rollout differently. A July 2026 commission packet listed the parking implementation plan as a draft, with submission to the Bay Conservation and Development Commission and Council approval of parking-fee changes still ahead. A July 7 Council item on the Waterfront Specific Plan, however, refers to the City already charging $1 an hour and $6 a day for waterfront parking, without naming lots. The September report still listed the BCDC permit for fee-based parking as unapproved. Posted signage at each lot is the surest guide on any given Saturday.
The Pier Is Moving Faster on Paper
Charging visitors is one half of the waterfront's future. The other half is rebuilding it. On September 16, 2026, Governor Newsom certified the Berkeley Water Transportation Pier-Ferry Project for judicial streamlining under Senate Bill 149. The City says it is only the second transportation project in California to receive that certification. If the project is challenged under CEQA, the target for resolving the case is 270 days where feasible, compared with the three to five years such litigation can otherwise take.
The project would replace the closed pier with a new pier and breakwater for recreation and fishing, plus a zero-emission electric ferry terminal serving San Francisco. Plans also include new Bay Trail segments, a Class IV bikeway on University Avenue, a plaza with a public restroom and secure bicycle parking, and a reconfigured Seawall Parking Lot with EV charging. The Berkeley Scanner reported that the full project is now estimated at $106 million. Construction could start by 2028 if the City secures funding and no lawsuit is filed, and the work is expected to take two full summers. The Scanner also reported that Council votes on the environmental impact report and use permit are expected this winter.
Some of the upgrades are already finished. The D and E docks reopened on August 29 with new concrete docks, utilities, accessibility improvements, and upgraded infrastructure. Others are still at the paperwork stage. At 199 Seawall Drive, a January 2026 option agreement lets TSA Holding Group complete environmental review on a proposed renovation. TSA can exercise the option only after the City's CEQA review, and the City keeps the right to approve, deny, or attach conditions to the project.
A Saturday at the Waterfront This Season
The first Saturday of November lines up well for a full morning at the waterfront.
- 10 a.m., Shorebird Nature Center. The open house on November 7 is at 160 University Avenue, and there is another on December 5. The center is the first municipal strawbale building in the country and runs on solar power. Inside are a 200-gallon saltwater aquarium with Bay marine life, a freshwater tank of native lake fish, and a touch table for kids. On other days it is open to walk-in visitors Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- 11 a.m., Adventure Playground. It opens at 11 on weekends. Plan around the rain rule.
- Midday, the north shore of César Chávez Park. Walk the path past the owl area, check the riprap from a respectful distance, and see whether spotters have posted a sighting on the Conservancy's site.
- Lunch on the water. Skates on the Bay is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and serves brunch and happy hour. Berkeley Boathouse is open seven days, with breakfast, weekend brunch, and dinner. The City's waterfront roster also lists Hana Japan, Marina Seafood Dockside Patio, and Roaming Bean Coffee.
If the owls arrive on time and stay their usual season, they will be at the park until February or March, the same winter the Scanner reports the pier's environmental votes are expected to come before the Council.
Anian Tunney has followed the East Bay waterfront for more than four decades, and changes like these give context for how places shift around the homes nearby. If you would like to talk through what the Marina's next few years could mean for North and West Berkeley, Anian Tunney and Adrienne Krumins are glad to sit down with you. Contact Us.