Features

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal court cleared the way for the National Park Service to develop a conference center and retreat at Fort Baker, a former military post near the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Federal magistrate Elizabeth Laporte rejected the nearby city of Sausalito’s challenge to the development of the Civil War-era fort. 

Sausalito took the matter to U.S. District Court in San Francisco saying the plan for the facility violated the intent of the legislation that created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. That legislation includes maintaining “unique and spectacular sites,” and not building on the land, the city says. 

But Laporte noted that the development would be modest, in keeping with the town’s desires. 

The park service has selected a team of developers from San Francisco to negotiate a lease for the center, which is to be a self-supporting project. The land is being transferred from the U.S. Department of Defense to the park service. 

The Retreat at Fort Baker would have 156 guest rooms using existing buildings and 11 new ones. The original plan called for a 350-room maximum.