OCEANSIDE — Recent high tides caused significant damage to the beachfront parking lot just north of Oceanside Pier.
A large section of the west end of the parking lot was destroyed due to seven-foot tides and the lack of protective beach sand.
“There were two weeks of high surf and high tides eroding the western edge of the curb, gutter and pavement,” Kiel Koger, city public works division manager, said.
An emergency permit from the state Coastal Commission was secured, and the pay lot was closed for several days while city crews repaved the parking lot curb and gutter, and repacked the beach slope.
The parking lot is adjacent to lifeguard operations and the beach recreation center, plaza and amphitheater. No significant damage occurred to other beach facilities.
Parking reopened in time for Memorial Day visitors, and summer festivals the following weekend. Beach parking lots were consistently full while the Kukkiwon Cup Taekwondo Tournament was held last Saturday, and Sandy Parts Festival 94.9 FM concert took place last Sunday.
Annual harbor dredging and beach sand replenishment efforts usually begin prior to significant summer tides, which peak in late June.
This year’s dredging and sand replenishment efforts began in late May, and will continue through July. Operations dredge up 200,000 cubic feet of sand from the mouth of Oceanside Harbor and deposit it along Oceanside beaches, including directly in front of the parking lot.
Koger said sand replenishment efforts would help protect beach facilities.
The city will continue to keep an eye on The Strand parking lots and facilities that sit at sea level, as more high tides roll in this week.
Oceanside has 12 beach parking lots, and six downtown lots. Beach pay lots prices range from $2 to $8 a day. Downtown free lots allow parking ranging from two hours to all day. There is also metered parking and limited street parking available.
1 comment
These priorities don’t make sense. $800,000 on yoga and millions in “the farm”? The EUSD curriculum, implementing Common Core using iPads while sending students out of their classrooms for basic instruction on the “Wheel”, is an experiment.! The EUSD values Yoga over Teachers in smaller classes! It’s past time the EUSD started listening to Parents and taxpayers. Stop the waste!!!
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