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Staff details beach-stair designs, 4th Avenue outfall options and access-ramp concepts
Summary
Director Wysocki reported 90% design for two beach stairs with bidding expected mid-January and construction aimed for spring; staff noted the $300,000 baseline may be exceeded and are evaluating hardened foundations, 4th Avenue outfall concepts pending geotechnical results, and access-ramp options to maintain emergency access.
Director Ken Wysocki updated the commission on several near-term beach and shoreline projects and offered timelines and budget context.
Stairs: Wysocki said design drawings for the beach stairs are at about 90% and staff expect to put the project out to bid around mid-January. "We're given 300,000 for the stairs, but it looks like this might go more than that based on estimates from our contractors," he said, and explained staff are "truing up" cost estimates. He described a preference for a more hardened base to lengthen longevity rather than a simple wood-to-sand approach and said staff will consider phasing the work (do one stair first if bids exceed budget) to secure at least one completed structure.
4th Avenue outfall: Wysocki said contractors have presented three conceptual options and staff have added geotechnical work to the scope to determine whether the wall sits on sandstone or straight sand. Options include repair-in-kind, removing the wall, or building a drop-pipe/earthen structure. Staff are targeting late summer 2026 for construction if designs and permitting move forward.
Access ramp and emergency access: Staff described access-ramp concepts, noting the Del Mar entrance is heavily trafficked and that buying larger beach-capable trucks would create storage and housing issues. Wysocki highlighted the urgency of keeping emergency-vehicle access and said staff will refine proposed ramp options after internal meetings and contractor feedback.
Why it matters: the stairs project and outfall repairs are tied to public-safety, beach access and long-term shoreline resilience. The budget and contract-management complexities (project-management and construction-management staffing, advertising/bid costs, inspection) mean the city will likely refine CIP budgets in next fiscal-year planning and consider economies of scale if both stairs are bid together.
Staff timeline: staff expect to put stairs documents out to bid in January, receive bids in February, and begin construction in spring 2026; the 4th Avenue outfall construction is anticipated in late summer 2026 pending geotechnical results and design selection.
Next steps: staff will complete 100% contract documents, perform required reviews with building/planning, put the stairs out to bid in January, and pursue geotechnical testing for the outfall concepts.
