In another stunning example of the unyielding destruction powerful winter storms can cause on the California coastline, State Parks officials are now faced with having to remove a home teetering over the edge of a Half Moon Bay bluff that eroded by nearly 30 feet the last few weeks.
The residence at the western-most edge of Alcatraz Avenue used to house State Parks workers, but was red-tagged after the earth below began crumbling even further this past weekend, according to the state agency.
Just a few blocks to the north, for the second winter in a row Mirada Road in El Granada took another beating. Portions of the street that separates homes and businesses from the ocean also succumbed to recent storms.
With many residents and officials noting coastal erosion was exacerbated in recent years, the exact cause has been up for debate. Some believe it could be a combination of factors — rising sea levels, more intense storms and a lack of protective sand collecting in Pillar Point Harbor that still hasn’t been dredged.
What is becoming clear, is that something needs to be done, said Half Moon Bay Mayor Debbie Ruddock.
“I really think that we need a multi-jurisdictional group here to look at erosion,” Ruddock said. “Looking at this year’s damage, I think it’s pretty clear that we need a group to look at this together — the city, county, state and Army Corps — to figure this out. The down-coast erosion has really taken off this year, it needs some joint attention.”
Residents in the area have decried the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announcing its analysis of removing sand that collects inside the federally-built jetty at the harbor wasn’t worth the cost of dredging. Proponents argue replenishing the sand along the coastline just south of the harbor is vital to slowing, if not preventing, extreme erosion of the bluffs.
The San Mateo County Harbor District, which owns Pillar Point, is continuing to study the issue that has a variety of environmental implications. In the meantime, the various entities that have jurisdiction over areas of the coast are working on both short- and long-term repairs.
State Parks is in the process of determining whether to demolish or attempt to remove and relocate the single-family home, said Terry Kiser, superintendent of the Santa Cruz District.
“It all happened within the last month. We had a good bluff, I want to say 35 to 40 feet of bluff in front of that house before the first winter storm hit. Since then, it’s been an exponential rate of coastal retreat and erosion,” Kiser said.
Although the foundation is now exposed, officials are confident it will hold up while they determine next steps. State Parks is also considering whether to realign the segment of the California Coastal Trail running just east of the home to ensure the recreational asset isn’t compromised, Kiser said.
Unlike other entities with property along the coast, State Parks strives to manage its assets in a “natural” way, he said, differentiating it from armoring tactics such as using large boulders known as rip rap. He added the agency would be interested in collaborating with other agencies in discussing a more regional approach.
“Coastal access and the California Coastal Trail are very important resource for not just the residents that live on the coast, but people that visit the coast from all over,” Kiser said.
San Mateo County is also working toward repairing Mirada Road where, for the second year, extreme erosion was fueled by powerful winter storms.
The road, which is the main entry for several homes and businesses, is now marked by potholes and areas where large chunks of asphalt and bluff disappeared.
Most recently, the county raised the rip rap up to just above street level to help protect against crashing waves. In the long term, the county is planning what’s called a “soil nail wall” that requires drilling down and filling a series of holes with rebar or concrete, to provide more lasting protection against erosion, said Joe LoCoco, deputy director at Public Works.
Neither LoCoco nor Kiser could point to the harbor as the sole culprit for the extreme erosion experienced in recent years. LoCoco noted it’s hard to quantify the exact cause, instead pointed to a variety of factors that likely contribute to harsh conditions including sea level rise, the harbor breakwater trapping sand, winter storms and just the naturally occurring process of erosion.
“It’s just a lot of the same vulnerabilities that we’ve had for a long time,” LoCoco said.
There are a variety of storm-battered coastal areas prompting officials to consider options such as shoreline protection projects or even strategic retreat.
Last year, a joint county, city and Caltrans restoration project at Surfer’s Beach was completed to protect Highway 1 and restore beach access at the popular spot immediately south of the harbor.
To the north, the city of Pacifica has faced extreme consequences such as sinkholes, damage to its pier and needing to red-tag a 20-unit apartment building caused by last winter’s El Niño-fueled winter storms.
On Wednesday, the city and U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, were pleased to announce several restoration projects expected to cost millions of dollars were being considered for federal and state funding related to disaster assistance and hazard mitigation grants.
To the south, Half Moon Bay is considering whether to realign a portion of the Coastal Trail at Poplar Beach near a recently relocated pedestrian bridge moved after the Seymour ditch widened at the bluffs. The county must also consider whether a capped landfill it manages nearby will one day need to be moved.
Mayor Ruddock, who met with Half Moon Bay staff to review the recent reports of damage in and surrounding the city, said she hopes officials from various levels of government begin considering a regional approach toward finding more permanent solutions.
“It’s a patchwork of jurisdictions in addition to a patchwork of repairs, rip rap and Band-Aids,” she said.
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