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Panorama Vista neighbors, county staff discuss collapsed beach stairs; survey needed before repairs
Summary
County parks staff described a collapsed wooden stairway at Panorama Vista beach access, an informal "Friends of Panorama Vista" group has formed, and staff told the advisory board a land survey is needed before reconstruction and that no funds are currently allocated.
County parks staff told the advisory board on April 29 that winter storms have damaged a wooden stairway used for beach access at Panorama Vista and that staff temporarily closed the stairs and posted signage while they consider restoration options.
Why it matters: The stairway provides neighborhood access to a county park beach. Board members and residents said they want the county to involve the broader public and to put any repair project through the parks master planning and capital process.
A parks staff member said the stairway damage this winter is beyond routine maintenance and that staff blocked the top of the stairs, posted a sign with a county contact and reached out to adjacent homeowners and the HOA president. The parks staff member said a group of roughly 20 residents assembled in April to discuss restoring access and that staff established an informal "Friends of Panorama Vista" group to keep neighbors informed.
Staff told the board a key first step before designing repairs is a land survey to confirm whether the parcel leading down to the stairs is county park property; until staff confirm property lines they cannot develop a plan or commit to work. The staff member said there is not currently budgeted money to pay for the survey and that they must consult their supervisor and the parks budget to identify potential funding.
Board members urged staff to place Panorama Vista access on the parks master plan or capital list so decisions reflect countywide priorities rather than only neighborhood requests. One board member noted that the informal friends group includes residents who are not part of the HOA and emphasized that the county must consider park access for the broader public.
Quote: A parks staff member said, "The county is telling you that our access is closed. If you wander off somewhere else, we don't... we don't condone it. We don't have anything to do with it." That staff member also told residents they were being kept in the loop and cautioned that any process "could take some time."
What's next: Staff will look for funding for a boundary survey, update the advisory board and the informal friends group on progress, and add the access issue to the parks master plan amendment process so it can be prioritized within the county's capital program.
