Ocean Beach Gets a Failing Grade for Coastal Access

Click on image for a larger version. All images and photos by Kevin Hastings unless otherwise indicated.

Originally posted Feb. 1, 2018

By Kevin Hastings

If you haven’t explored our coast south of the OB pier, I recommend you try before they are gone completely.

These cliffs and pocket beaches south of the OB pier have historically served locals and surfers as a refuge from the more touristy beaches to the north.  You’ll find an interesting mix of sand crabs and other wildlife, yogis and homeless, remnants of eroded structures, breathtaking sunsets, litter, and graffiti.

Unfortunately, the constant wave action and sluggish response from the city has left most of the coastline inaccessible.  The map shows the locations, most of which are now closed (in red) or are at risk of closure (yellow).

Most of the locations are somewhere in the city’s to-do list, but the process is frustratingly long and lacks transparency.  Small repairs and maintenance can be performed directly by the various city departments, but larger repairs are processed as Capital Improvement Projects (CIP).

CIP projects along our coast begin pass through the budget process (which is a long list of steps in of itself), then design phase, approval by Development Services, City Council and the Coastal Commission, then bidding and finally construction.

Surprisingly these public projects do not come across the desk of the OB Planning Board. According to City Council Policy 600-24, “Community planning groups may be called upon to advise on, or participate in, additional efforts such as CIP infrastructure needs identification discussed I Council Policy 000-32.”

In practice, the Board creates an annual wish list of projects after meeting with the public and the District 2 council staff.  But the city does not otherwise seek input or share project drawings with the Board or the general public.  This is in sharp contrast to private developments which have less impact on the general public.  In these cases the Board and the public review the drawings and provide a recommendation to the city before they can be permitted.

Tour Your Inaccessible Coast

Starting at Newport Avenue and heading south, here is a summary of all the coastal access points in our community:

OB Pier with corroding supports and recent storm damage (photo credit: Oliver Dillard)

OB Fishing Pier – CLOSED, under repair [Editordude: the OB Pier reopened Memorial Day weekend, 2019]

The pier is regularly closed during high waves when it often sustains damage to the wood railings, but it did so in more spectacular fashion on the weekend of January 19, 2018.  Several hundred feet of railings were completely wiped out and strewn across the beach and Newport Ave.  The utilities connecting to the café were also damaged.  The railing is actively being repaired, and is estimated to be completed in 2 months.  But the future of the pier altogether is in peril.

The pier is now 53 years old, and the OB Planning Board has asked the city to prioritize funding to address the deteriorating structural conditions. In 2018, $670K was budgeted for CIP project #P18002 “Ocean Beach Pier Condition Assessment”. This is funded by lease and concession revenue on the pier, but it is unclear what work was performed.  For the 2019 budget $3.9M was proposed but it is marked as a low priority and no funds have been allocated.

South Boardwalk Stairs – CLOSED

A wood staircase leads from the street level down to the south end of “the wall” on the boardwalk.  The stairs have been fenced off since approximately 2008, presumably due to unsafe conditions.  The stairs have since become a dumping spot.  In February 2008, the city performed an emergency repair to the sidewalk below after locals discovered it was discovered it was completely eroded underneath, exposing the footing of the building.

Salt Pool – CLOSED

This is the area below Silver Spray Apartments that in a previous lifetime contained a public saltwater pool known as The Plunge. It connects the boardwalk to the tidepools to the south.  The steps to the tidepools had eroded beneath and were in danger of collapsing.

In the fall of 2018, Ramona Paving embarked on a $330K contract to repair the steps and 2 other locations.  The contractor chipped away at the steps, turning them into a ramp, and cut a section out, making it more dangerous than before.

Last week, heavy waves tore the remainder of the steps loose.  The entire salt pool is now gated and locked, presumably to secure their work area which isn’t being worked in and contains only a small pile of water-logged construction materials.  Adventurous types have cut through the gates and locks several times to gain access.

Weathered construction materials at the Salt Pool, why does this need to be secured?

These stairs were identified as an issue back in 2003, and funded in 2013.  The funding source is the San Diego Regional Parks Improvement Fund (RPIF) which collects $3.5M or more in annual lease revenue from Mission Bay Park.  However, in 2016, the funds for it (and the Bermuda stairs) were reallocated to repair beach stairs in La Jolla.

Street closure above Narragansett stairs, with fence blown over. The area is not being utilized. (photo credit: Joshua Sullivan)

Narragansett Stairs – CLOSED

The stairs are well-weathered and the handrails have disintegrated, but the stairs otherwise appear to be safe.  These are sunken into the bluff and due to the privacy has been a haven for drug use, defecating, and homeless camps.  Ramona Paving has fenced off the entire end of the street, blocking parking, and access to the steps since October.  The steps are not in the scope of their project, so it seems unnecessary.  The fenced in area at the end of the street isn’t being utilized for any material storage.

Santa Cruz Stairs – DAMAGED, at risk of collapse

Erosion, and perhaps vandalism has undermined the base of the stairs and the pathway to the south.  I was hesitant to inform the city for risk of them locking it for perpetuity… but I did in hopes it could be repaired before it collapses entirely.  This was their response: “We are aware of the issue and stairs have been placed on a list for repair.”  In 2017, Park and Rec recommended allocating $425K from the RFIP for design and feasibility studies to repair the stairs and walkway.  No repairs have been performed, and the erosion is progressing.

Orchard Stairs – CLOSED

The stairs at Orchard appear to be fully functional and safe.  Unfortunately, they are gated and locked due to repairs on the sidewalk below.  The contractor placed fencing to block off street parking and store materials, but the actual work on the sidewalk stopped after their concrete forms were predictably destroyed by waves in December.   This is part of the previously mentioned $330K Ramona Paving contract and funded via the RPIF.  It’s perplexing why it’s being repaired at all, since the walking path is safe without it and the sidewalk doesn’t really go anywhere.  You cannot access the water here due to the rip rap (boulders) below, and it leads to trail to the north that is far more difficult to traverse.

Orchard “Boat Ramp” – OPEN

This is a steep concrete ramp, technically at the end of Cable Street.  It leads to a small rocky beach below and connects to the Pescadero stairs.  The road signage at the street level is damaged and missing, creating a safety hazard.  In the late hours on New Year’s Eve, a vehicle crashed off the end of the road here.

Pescadero Stairs – CLOSED, technically

The stairs from the street were recently repaired by the adjacent property owner in conjunction with retaining wall repairs to protect their condo building.  The stairs down to the beach were damaged by winter waves and repaired. but quickly damaged and closed again.  The city’s response: “We are aware of the collapse at Pescadero Avenue and are looking into a solution.”  The closure is easily bypassed and the signs have since been removed.  Homeless people have been camping at the base of the cliff.

Bermuda Stairs – CLOSED

The stairs to this popular pocket beach were damaged by a winter storm in early 2016, along with the previously mentioned access stairs in La Jolla on Coast Boulevard.  The city declared the La Jolla stair project an emergency and repaired it in the summer of the following year, using funds originally allocated for Bermuda and other OB projects.  Per the city’s project manager, construction on the Bermuda stairs is currently anticipated in the fall of 2020.  This is identified as CIP #B17110 and has an estimated cost of $200K.  In September, a woman was witnessed falling down to the beach while scaling the damaged stairs.  The next day she was found deceased on the beach but it is unclear if the damaged stairs were a contributing factor.

Closed stairs at Point Loma Ave. Public access may be restored soon as part of a private development.

Point Loma Ave Stairs – CLOSED

These stairs accessed a pocket beach that has since vanished due to the installation of rip rap to prevent erosion of the bluff.  The property owner above is seeking permits to construct a new retaining wall which would include public access stairs.  The work might start in 2019.  This is in-line with Coastal Commission policy for developments to provide public access where it is otherwise not available. Curiously, the city recommended only adding concrete and leaving the rip rap in place.

Ladera Stairs – OPEN, recently repaired

The stairwell was closed in February 2018 following a partial cliff collapse.  This area is south of the OB Community Planning Area, and is in the jurisdiction of the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council.  But true to form, the city bypassed them and approved $1.8M for emergency repairs in August.  The repairs ultimately entailed a having worker in a man-lift chip away at the cliff with a shovel.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park – CLOSED, under restoration

The Park is currently closed as part of a long-planned restoration project which includes the removal of non-native trees and a softball field, and the addition of walking paths and native plants.

Kevin Hastings is a member of the OB Planning Board, although he is not writing on its behalf.