Board concurs with mayor's emergency declaration for Ocean Beach erosion; supervisors limit concurrence to one week and request follow‑up

The Board of Supervisors on Jan. 26 voted to concur in Mayor Gavin Newsom’s proclamation of a local emergency for Ocean Beach, authorizing the Department of Public Works (DPW) to pursue emergency contracting to protect eroding bluff and critical underground infrastructure. After extensive public testimony and supervisor questions, the board limited its concurrence to a one‑week window and requested that DPW return with additional information at a special hearing.

DPW Director Ed Ryskin described severe bluff retreat along the Great Highway, accelerated by recent high surf and storm warnings. Ryskin and DPW staff said erosion had already undermined portions of the roadway and reached levels that pose a risk to a 14‑foot wastewater tunnel and a 15‑inch storm drain beneath the roadway.

DPW presented three short‑term options that engineers had evaluated: (1) beach nourishment using dredged sand (higher cost, requires large‑scale permitting and vessels); (2) “super‑sacks” or geotextile sandbags placed at the toe (medium cost and high recurring maintenance); and (3) a riprap/rock revetment placed at the foot of the bluff (DPW’s recommended approach, lower initial cost and an expected 5–10 year life that would preserve infrastructure for longer‑term planning).

The department estimated a construction contract for a rock revetment and related work would be in the low‑millions (DPW’s initial construction estimate, including contingency, was roughly $2.6 million). Ryskin said the toe stabilization would buy time while longer‑term planning (including environmental reviews and potential managed or facilitated retreat approaches) proceeds.

Public comment at a board‑organized community meeting earlier in the day and again during the board session was strongly opposed to rock armoring. Speakers included coastal managers, local surfers and representatives of the Ocean Beach Task Force and the Surfrider Foundation. They urged alternatives: accelerated sand nourishment, geotextile solutions where feasible, or managed retreat. Many warned that rock revetments have worsened erosion problems elsewhere and would be inconsistent with long‑term coastal‑protection policies favored by state regulators.

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and others asked DPW whether a short delay — one week — would change available information. DPW said bids for emergency construction were due the next day; the department also said it would not execute an emergency contract before returning to the board for discussion. City staff confirmed the governor had declared a state emergency covering the storms, making the city potentially eligible for state reimbursement, but DPW and the city attorney cautioned that eligibility and reimbursement timing were uncertain.

The board voted to concur in the mayor’s proclamation but limited the concurrence to one week and directed DPW to return to the board within that period with more detailed cost and scope information. The board also asked DPW to report on permit status with the California Coastal Commission and National Park Service and to answer community questions about how any short‑term work would affect long‑term planning. Supervisors emphasized that the concurrence preserved emergency contracting authority and potential reimbursement while requiring a rapid follow‑up and more public engagement.

Votes: following a motion to amend that limited the concurrence to one week, the motion passed 9‑1. The subsequent concurrence/imperative resolution was adopted as amended.