SOLANA BEACH — After multiple redesigns and years of public input, Solana Beach has approved permits for a new Marine Safety Center design to replace the outdated 1940s-era facility.
The City Council’s Dec. 11 approval moves the project out of the design phase, where it has been stuck for nearly a decade after the city first identified the need for a new facility within its work plan.
Solana Beach’s lifeguard staff have long outgrown the current Marine Safety Center facility at Fletcher Cove Park, which lacks the needed space for equipment storage, meeting areas, locker rooms and the junior lifeguard program and does not allow a full view of the park or the beach to the south.
A preferred design for the project was initially chosen in 2019 but then shelved when the COVID-19 pandemic began. It was later given a fresh look after neighbors shared concerns about view blockage, and the City Council then reviewed additional designs by Domusstudio Architecture three times in 2023 and early 2024.
“This project has been in the city’s work plan for 10-plus years, and we hope we’re at the end of that line,” said City Engineer Mo Sammak.
The final design represents the smallest facility possible that still meets the lifeguards’ basic needs, with the bulkiest portion of the building nestled into the bluff below Las Brisas condominiums.
The highest point of the proposed building will be approximately 7.52 feet higher than the existing building, and the proposed observation tower is 4.72 feet higher.
The current 2,971-square-foot building offers one single-use bathroom, a communal locker room, and several multi-use areas for offices, storage, first aid, and a kitchen. The second-story office space is only accessible via a vertical ladder, and no dedicated meeting areas can accommodate more than a few people.
Lifeguards have made the facility work for decades but would benefit from more room. On the busiest summer days, there are around 20 personnel utilizing the station at a time.
“We maximize every square foot of the station,” said Marine Safety Sgt. Rob McPhee.
The new 4,309-square-foot facility will include dedicated areas for first aid, meeting rooms, more private office spaces, a kitchen area and a captain’s quarters. There will also be separate locker rooms and bathrooms to accommodate staff better onsite.
“All we’re trying to do is meet industry standards and meet your basic operational needs,” said Solana Beach Lifeguard Captain Greg Uruburu. “When we look north and we look south, the precedent set in Del Mar and the precedent set in Encinitas, we’re just trying to meet those basic standards.”
The new lookout tower will also provide lifeguards with a 360-degree view of the beach, parking lot and larger park and playground area at Fletcher Cove, and a clear view of the beach area directly at the foot of the bluff.
There will also be a separate area for the Junior Lifeguard Program, which runs out of two trailers. Uruburu noted that Solana Beach has the biggest student lifeguard program in San Diego County.
Several public speakers spoke in favor of the new design, saying that the upgrade is long overdue for the marine safety department.
“We are running a small nation out of a facility designed in 1940,” said former Solana Beach lifeguard Grant Fletcher.
However, some individuals living near Fletcher Cove said they still believe the proposed building and lifeguard tower are taller than necessary.
“The design should be single-story, or it should be much lower,” said resident Ron Kassan. “It blocks the view from north, west, east … it’s just overbearing.”
City leaders explained that they have done everything possible to limit view impairment but that a larger building is needed. Mayor Lesa Heebner noted that no one in the city is entitled to 100% of their view.
The city also did not receive any view claims during the required period, during which story poles for the project were set up this year.
“Our process is all about trying to find that sweet spot, and making sure function and form and everybody’s rights are shared,” Heebner said.
Solana Beach still has a long way to go before the new headquarters becomes a reality. The project needs a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission, and the city also needs to find millions of dollars in funding.
While the facility will certainly benefit the city’s lifeguards, residents said it will also help the community, who rely on lifeguards to keep them safe.
“This thing is going to really save someone’s life,” said Anthony Gatti. “If you give these guys the tools to be better equipped to do that, you’re gonna have a very positive situation on your hands.”
