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| Surfers' Point Phase 2 construction 12-16-24 |
At the June 1, 2023 meeting of the California Coastal Conservancy the board approved $16,200,000 to the City of San Buenaventura (Ventura) to construct Phase 2 of the Surfers Point Managed Retreat Project, a sea level rise adaptation project that relocates existing infrastructure landward and restores beach dune habitat, in Ventura.
Final design was completed in 2024, with construction originally scheduled between Labor Day 2024 and Memorial Day 2025 as required by the Coastal Commission to avoid the summer months.
On October 11, 2024 the City of Ventura hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for phase two of the Surfers' Point managed shoreline retreat project.
After many delays, work began at Surfers Point on December 2, 2024. Site clearing was well underway leading up to the Christmas holidays.
According to an article published in the Ventura County Star;
Work was scheduled to start in September, but there were delays due to the California Coastal Conservancy’s grant administration process and work approvals as well as the area being used for Mountain Fire operations, said Jennifer Buckley, spokesperson for the city of Ventura, in an email on Monday.
In June 2023, the conservancy approved $16.2 million for the second phase of work on Surfers Point, a project that began more than a decade ago. Its first phase was completed in 2013 with an approximate cost of $4.5 million and included $1.6 million from the coastal conservancy, Buckley said.
After receiving bids and factoring in contingencies such as construction changes, the estimated cost for the second phase is approximately $18 million, Buckley said.
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Despite the challenges, the work of managed retreat is important, Jenkin said.
"The initial reaction to coastal erosion is to dump rocks and build a seawall," he said. "At Surfrider, that's one of our biggest concerns, especially with rising seas that we'll start losing our recreational beaches."
Jenkin said he does not want to see Surfers Point, an attraction close to downtown that draws visitors from all over, turned into a "concrete jungle" like other Ventura County coasts.
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The construction is affecting the Ventura County Fairgrounds and its ongoing events. Dan Long, board president of the fairgrounds, said while he is in support of the project, it will negatively affect the fairgrounds as work is done.
“We’re going to lose quite a bit of parking and some RV parking,” he said. “While we’re very happy to see this done because it helps all of us ― the public, the city infrastructure and our infrastructure ― it is costly to us and we’re having to make a lot of different arrangements to try and make things fit.”
More:
On this blog Surfers Point
Project website: Surfers Point - Phase II City of Ventura
Surfers' Point Phase 2 Groundbreaking ceremony, Ventura.surfrider.org
What does it take to save Surfers' Point?, Surfrider.org
10 Waves Saved: Surfers Point, California, Surfer Magazine, Dec 24, 2024
In the news:
Surfers Point coastal pathway in Ventura to be relocated for $13.9 million, Ojai Valley News, Sept 6 2024
Revamp of Ventura's Surfers Point gets underwayVentura County Star 2024/12/10
