City Plans To Restore Breakwater

Carolanne Sudderth

Mirror staff writer

   The City of Santa Monica is exploring a plan that would bring ships back into Santa Monica’s long-unused harbor. 
   On March 9, the Planning Department solicited public comments and questions for inclusion in a draft Environmental Impact Report on a breakwater which would permit boats to come and go from Santa Monica Pier as they once did. . . 
   Documents found by the Mirror show that the original 2000-foot breakwater was built in 1934 and rose about 10 feet above the water line. Its remains lie approximately 1300 feet offshore northwest of the Pier.
   The current proposal calls for about 900 feet to be restored. The original harbor had moorings for 45 boats. The new one would have only 12 moorings. They would be designed to acommodate commercial vessels up to 150’ long.
   A floating dock at the west end of the Pier would permit passenger loading and unloading via gangways and would also serve as “a temporary disembarkation site" for launches carrying people to and from larger ships moored offshore. 
   Possible boat uses being looked at in the EIR include:
   - Water taxi service to piers from Malibu to Long Beach.
   - Harbor Vessel Assist (Harbor of Refuge)
   - Whale Watch Cruises
   - Dinner Cruises
   - Dive Cruises
   - Sport Fishing Cruises
   Fishing boats would be allowed to arrive and depart the Pier, but “processing of fish will occur elsewhere, and not be permitted at the project site.”
   A staff report states that, according to the Army Corps of Engineers’ Environmental Assessment, “the environmental impacts of the selected plan are not significant," but "two of the potential impacts to the beach are of note.” 
   The shape of the beach could change. The breakwater could cause the strand between the pier and Ashland Avenue to narrow by as much as 50 feet, while the beach above and adjacent to the Pier could increase in width. “to a point where [sediment] could impact on fishing from the Newcomb Pier.” This would necessitate dredging the area annually (as was the case in the past), at a cost of approximately $300,000 per annum.
   The estimated total cost for the breakwater is $7,110,000 (based on 1994 price levels) of which the Federal government is expected to kick in $4,621,500— or a little less than two-thirds of the total cost.
   The City would cover the full cost of the dock and moorings. One-time costs include $400,000 for the installation of the 12 moorings and approximately $650,000 for the construction of the boat dock. 
   In 1992, the community had an opportunity to express its concerns about the project at a public meeting. According to the staff report, these included: 
   - The need to protect the pier from further storm damage.
   - Desire to “protect the heavily-used beaches”
   - Avoiding unwanted shoreline changes 

   - Interest in returning to “the use and atmosphere of a harbor”
   - Concern about protecting the biological communities inhabiting the breakwater.
   Residents with comments, questions, or information on issues that they would like to see addressed in the EIR may do so by contacting Associate Planner Sarah Lejeune at 458-8341.as soon as possible.