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Building levies, restoring wetlands and elevating some areas of land at Alameda Point can help offset the threat from the projected rise in San Francisco Bay because of climate change over the coming decades, city officials say.

But officials are also recommending that city leaders adopt a flexible approach as they look to mitigate sea level rise, which some predict could be more than 18 inches over the next 50 years.

"This is a significant matter for the future that we all have to deal with now," Randy Rentschler of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission told the City Council Tuesday, when it was briefed on the draft infrastructure plan for Alameda Point and strategies for dealing with rising water levels.

While the council took no formal action, it is expect to endorse recommendations in February.

State officials predict sea levels will rise up to 12 inches by 2030, said Jennifer Ott, the city's chief executive officer for Alameda Point.