City Gets Wet Feet On Westward Beach – Will Reopen Project 3 Years In The Planning
Written by 991KBU on October 28, 2021
The sudden controversy over city plans to put in angle parking and a beachfront walkway along Westward Beach Road will go back before the city council Tuesday.
For years … we’ve been reporting on city plans to replace parallel parking on Free Zuma Beach … part of a plan to open up the road and reduce the number of RVs parked there.
The idea … put in angled parking … actually increasing the number of beach parking spaces … put in a bike lane … a beach walk and a sand wall.
There was no substantial opposition to the project until it hit the Planning Commission.
Then … questions were raised about whether the city should pave any sand … at a time that part of Westward beach is now underwater.
Social media over the weekend erupted in opposition …. to the plan … surprise.
The plan has been chewed over and approved by three city commissions and the city council over at least three years.
Yesterday … public works commissions brought up the complaints.
And one backer … Scott Ditrick …. sounded the retreat.
NEWSCART 73851VWWBCH DITRICK
“We’ve had a lot of complaints. We want to open this up again and try to look at our options. Maybe we can even get the Philippe — the guy who’s appealed us to Coastal – to pull that back and we come up with a new plan with more public input. At least we’ve offered the public that input.”
There may be a compromise in the works … downsizing the amount of pavement and concrete to be poured on the sand.
A Commissioner who has been in favor of the project … Brian Merrick … met with one opponent and city officials … on Westward Beach.
NEWSCART 73852 MERRICK
“We measured for boundaries and we worked on possible modifications you know the problems down there need to be solved and if there’s a better solution I’m all for hearing it.”
Public works Director Rob DuBoux … however … raised red flags about redesigning the project.
NEWSCART 73853 DUBOUX
“Definitely just keep in mind that any little change that we do in this is going to spiral this thing out of control. We have funding deadlines and this is a Measure R-funded project. We have some timelines that we have to meet for the spending on this and everything at this point. “
As we note … the proposed angle parking … beachfront walk and three foot san wall have been in the works for years.
The plans have gone out for public hearings and then been approved by three city commissions … plus the city council.
It’s been sent to the Coastal Commission … where it will be determined if it complies with Coastal Law.
Now … it’s going back to the city council … in what may be a case of buyers remorse.
