Millbrae Debates Raising Bayfront Park to Combat Sea Level Rise

Funding sources and SFO's involvement in the flood mitigation plan remain unclear.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:41pm

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A sweeping, atmospheric landscape painting in muted tones of grey and blue, depicting the Millbrae Bayfront area shrouded in heavy fog, with the silhouettes of San Francisco International Airport's terminals barely visible in the distance, conveying a sense of the overwhelming scale of the natural environment and the vulnerability of the low-lying coastal region.The Millbrae Bayfront, a vulnerable coastal area, faces an uncertain future as sea levels rise and plans to protect the community remain in flux.Burlingame Today

Plans proposed by the sea rise resilience agency OneShoreline to protect the Millbrae and Burlingame Bayfront from flooding due to rising sea levels have generated questions around how the project will be funded and what role San Francisco International Airport (SFO) will play, as the airport owns much of the affected land.

Why it matters

The Millbrae Bayfront is a low-lying area that is increasingly vulnerable to flooding as sea levels continue to rise. Protecting this community asset is crucial, but the funding sources and logistics of the project remain uncertain, raising concerns about the feasibility and timeline of the flood mitigation efforts.

The details

OneShoreline, a regional agency focused on sea level rise resilience, has proposed raising the elevation of Bayfront Park in Millbrae to protect the area from flooding. However, details around how the project will be financed and the extent of SFO's involvement as the owner of much of the affected land are still being worked out.

  • OneShoreline first proposed the Bayfront Park elevation project in early 2026.

The players

OneShoreline

A regional agency focused on developing solutions to address sea level rise and coastal flooding in the San Francisco Bay Area.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

The major international airport that owns much of the land in the Millbrae Bayfront area that would be affected by the proposed flood mitigation project.

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What’s next

City officials in Millbrae and Burlingame are expected to continue discussions with OneShoreline and SFO representatives in the coming months to determine the feasibility and funding sources for the Bayfront Park elevation project.

The takeaway

The proposed Bayfront Park elevation project highlights the growing need for coastal communities in the Bay Area to invest in flood resilience infrastructure, but the complex ownership and funding arrangements involved present challenges that must be carefully navigated.