Bluff erosion, Esplanade Avenue, City newsletter

City of Pacifica/Lorie Tinfow, City Manager and Executive Staff, 12/16/16, "Connect with Pacifica", week of 12/12/16.  Featured: Continuing bluff erosion, Esplanade Avenue, the sink hole, City Council reorganization, and much more City news.

310 Esplanade Avenue, going soon.

320 Esplanade Avenue,
gone, week of 3/12/16

Esplanade Avenue apartment
neighborhood, week of 1/26/16.

.... "On Thursday, Dec. 15, the City held a press conference to announce planned actions to demolish a vacated apartment building at 310 Esplanade Ave.  This is the building that last January was deemed uninhabitable and “yellow-tagged” by our Building Official.  Since then we have been monitoring the bluff condition and with the recent rain and storms, the deterioration has increased at an alarming rate.  The property is under private ownership but the owner has declared bankruptcy and has no funding to respond.  Because it’s such a serious public safety concern, the City is stepping in to take the building down but will seek reimbursement from the owner.  For more information, please see the press release issued as well." 

On a related note, you likely heard news stories about the “sink hole” at Oceanaire Apartments (located just north of 310 Esplanade Ave.) this week.  Fortunately, that property owner is acting responsibly to repair the damage sustained and stabilize the bluff edge.  In that case, the City has played no role.  The owner posted the sign closing beach access and roped off the area.  Since the damage is to the bluff edge, the permitting authority is the California Coastal Commission.  Our jurisdiction covers only activity on the bluff top.

We are hopeful that this winter won’t be as challenging for our City as last year’s but rest assured that your City staff and City Council are taking all steps possible to protect the City and respond appropriately."  (Lorie Tinfow, City Manager).   Read more and sign-up for emailed "Connect with Pacifica."

Note photographs: 310 Esplanade Avenue by Chris Dant from Adequate Bird. The cliff apartment neighborhood from Daily Mail, UK/Snejana Farberov, 1/27/16,"Residents evacuated from seaside homes teetering on the brink as California cliffs crumble into the ocean amid violent El Nino storms." 320 Esplanade Avenue teardown by John Green/Bay Area News, from Monterey Herald News/Associated Press, 3/12/16, "Cliffside teardown: Pacifica apartment building demolition begins.

Posted by Kathy Meeh