Mayor Gloria and Councilwoman Campbell are announcing that the Ocean Beach Pier will partially reopen this Friday, May 28. However, pier visitors will only be allowed to go up to the cafe and bait shop. And only emergency vehicles will be able to drive onto the pier “when necessary.”
In a news release, Campbell’s office stated:
City engineers and maintenance crews have made immediate repairs to make a portion of the pier safe for public access while a longer-term strategy is developed for the future of the pier. …
Public access will be allowed up to the bait shop and café and only emergency vehicles will be allowed when necessary. In addition, the pier will need to close during very high tides. …
In January, the pier experienced damage due to storm conditions which required replacement of several railings along the pier. City crews have since made the necessary repairs to the railings and service lines to the Cafe and the partial re-opening of the pier has been deemed safe for public use.
These restrictions were predicted by the OB Rag and reporter Geoff Page. See Geoff’s “Update on the Ocean Beach Pier – the West End May Be Permanently Closed Off.”
As most observers and readers are aware, the pier has been so damaged that repairing railings and service lines do not even scratch the service of what the pier needs.
But OBceans and other visitors alike will be able to enjoy the pier – even if it’s only momentary – and we all can celebrate in that.
Meanwhile, Gloria and Campbell are celebrating that the “pier crisis” has been resolved for the time being.
Yet, the Ocean Beach village is not lighting off fireworks over any “resolution”. There’s an OB Town Council “listening session” tonight, Wednesday, at 7 pm, all about the pier. The OB Mainstream Association is helping to organize a “working group” on the pier. Campbell says she “is convening a community working group that will provide the community with a consistent forum to provide input on the future of the pier,” as well as “hosting a community forum alongside City engineers and department staff to discuss the most recent damage and repairs made.”
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About stinkin’ time!
My hope is that when they redo the O.B Pier, that they don’t take away from it’s charm. That they don’t make some shiny metal modern looking pier that doesn’t FIT into our lovable and quirky community.
I also think it would be a great idea for them to sell small pieces of the original pier and to put that money towards the new construction. Keep the original gate entrance too!
We all love the O.B Pier, let’s keep it that way!