Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Coastal Erosion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves $1.34 million local match to begin Army Corps CAP feasibility studies for coastal projects
Summary
Pacifica Council authorized the city manager to execute feasibility cost-sharing agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for CAP 103 and CAP 204 studies and approved a $1,340,000 local match appropriation from the Disaster Accounting Fund to initiate the CAP 103 feasibility work.
The Pacifica City Council on Feb. 10 approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute model feasibility cost-sharing agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and to initiate feasibility studies under two continuing authorities: CAP 103 and CAP 204. The council also approved a budget amendment appropriating $1,340,000 from the city’s Disaster Accounting Fund (Fund 38) to cover the local portion of the CAP 103 feasibility work.
The Army Corps’ CAP program authorizes feasibility and implementation work for certain water-resources and coastal projects without separate congressional authorization. City staff told the council that CAP 103 addresses small coastal storm-damage reduction projects in unarmored areas; CAP 204 studies the beneficial use of dredged material for sand nourishment tied to authorized federal navigation projects. Staff described CAP 103 as requiring a 50/50 cost share with local government for feasibility costs beyond the initial federally funded $100,000; CAP 204 feasibility studies are fully federally funded.
Deputy Director of Public Works and City Engineer Roland Yip briefed the council and introduced Juliet Hayes, regional continuing authorities program manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who described the Corps’ role and the program’s review steps. Yip said the CAP 103 study would focus on an approximately 550-foot unarmored bluff-and-beach segment along Esplanade Avenue, roughly between Manor Drive and the southern property line of 380 Esplanade. The CAP 204 study would evaluate using dredged material for sand nourishment near Beach Boulevard between Paloma Avenue and Clarendon Road.
City staff explained a correction to the staff report: the local match for CAP 103 was $1,340,000 (50% of a $2,680,000 estimated feasibility cost), not $1,290,000 as printed. City Manager Kevin Woodhouse and Army Corps staff said the Corps has existing appropriations and that continuing-authority projects are continuously authorized; Army Corps representatives described the program as stable and said the Corps has internal review and quarterly cost-share checks to prevent the city from unexpectedly overspending.
Public comment was robust and included residents and advocacy groups. Speakers urged thorough, broad-based study and raised concerns about armoring, long-term beach loss, the need to coordinate with local scientists and existing research, and equity in cost sharing. Kimberly Finale and others urged caution about spending emergency or disaster funds on near-term beach work without a comprehensive plan; Remy Tan and Surfrider representatives urged coordination with local coastal experts and noted that sand nourishment may not be durable without complementary nearshore work such as reefs or other measures.
Council deliberations emphasized partnership with the Corps, the multiagency permitting environment (including the California Coastal Commission), and the role of public engagement in defining study criteria and alternatives. Council Member Greg Wright moved — and the council later amended to correct the local match amount in the resolution — to authorize the agreements and appropriate $1,340,000 from Fund 38 to begin the feasibility phase; Mayor Pro Tem Christine Bowles seconded. The motion passed unanimously by roll call vote.
Why it matters: The feasibility studies could lead to federal design and construction participation for coastal protection measures, potentially unlocking federal funds or shaping future project alternatives. Staff noted that CAP feasibility studies generally take about two years to complete and that a CAP study can, if needed, lead to a broader U.S. Army Corps general investigation (GI) if the scope or cost exceeds continuing-authority limits. City staff also noted the 2024 Water Resources Development Act increased CAP project limits to $15 million, a change the Corps said had been implemented in guidance in early 2025.
Next steps: City staff and Corps representatives said they will coordinate public engagement, technical scoping and regular project delivery team meetings and return to the council as the studies advance. The appropriation reduces the city’s Disaster Accounting Fund balance to a stated post-appropriation level the city reported during the meeting; staff noted the current balance before the appropriation was about $7.1 million.
