Beacons Beach Saved from a “Defacto” Seawall

Instead of a huge “erodible concrete” buttress 15 ft. thick at the top and 25 ft. thick at base covering the entire base of the landslide at Beacons Beach in Encinitas, an already narrow beach, the city will now pursue a staircase to maintain access to the beach, and reconfigure the parking lot to allow the landslide to stay in place and reach a safer angle of repose. Previously, the city of Encinitas was on track to select an “erodible concrete” buttress as the preferred alternative, constructed of material that has not been proven to erode, and would be maintained in place, thus acting as a defacto seawall. The project still has to go through the environmental review process, including an EIR, and the Coastal Commission, but the minimal impact of a staircase as the preferred alternative instead of huge “erodible concrete” buttress, is a real win for the coastal environment.