OCEANSIDE — The city’s parks maintenance crews are on the home stretch of replacing aged beach stairways. New stairs, sidewalks and landscaping have been completed at six of the seven beach accesses.
The Cassidy Street beach stairway opened this week. The entire wood structure was rebuilt. An area for a lifeguard tower was added and new concrete sidewalks were poured, which sport a decorative “O.” Additionally two bench areas were added to the spacious stairway.
People gathered on the stairways’ lookout platforms on Sunday to enjoy the view.
Residents said the new stairway is built with top materials that will last.
Floyd Pavlick, of Oceanside, said the previous stairway was weatherworn and had exposed screws where people walked.
“I’m glad to see it replaced,” Pavlick said.
City crews will redo the Cassidy Street beach irrigation system, add drought tolerant plants, and put in a chain fence in the weeks ahead. Safety lights will also be installed.
Thirty-year-old wood stairways were also replaced at 1919 South Pacific Street, Ash Street, Tyson Street, Civic Center Drive and Windward Way beaches within the last year.
The remaining aged stairway at Neptune Way beach will be replaced by the end of this year.
Beach restrooms have also undergone upgrades as city capital improvement projects.
Restrooms by the pier amphitheater will be rebuilt as the final phase of the improvement project. They are in the design and development phase of building. The city needs to acquire a coastal permit, and submit environmental documents before the project can go out to bid.
Plans include a new building with single stall restrooms, renovation of the historic bathhouse for use as a police substation, plaza upgrades, and improved pedestrian access from Mission Avenue.
Nathan Mertz, city project manager, estimates the pier restroom project will gain approvals by the end of the year, and break ground in fall 2017.
