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Staff urges reinstating dozer sand-redistribution program to protect Carmel shoreline; rental considered as near-term option
Summary
Public Works presented the city's history of dozer-based beach sand redistribution, said full dozer operations stopped about 2015 and spot repairs have continued with a compact track loader, and recommended reinstating regular redistribution (ideally twice-yearly) if budgeted; staff said renting a dozer is possible while engineering designs for shoreline repairs continue.
Rob Culver, a Public Works presenter, told the Forest and Beach Commission on March 12 that Carmel-by-the-Sea relied on heavy dozers to push sand up the beach from the 1960s through about 2015, and that the city has since used compact tracked loaders for spot repairs.
"We used heavy equipment dozers to redistribute sand on the beach since the early 1960s," Culver said, describing pre-2015 practice. He said the compact loader purchased more recently can move roughly half a cubic yard per pass versus a dozer's capacity of 10 to 15 cubic yards, limiting staff to addressing hotspots rather than the whole shoreline. Culver added that a partial sand-redistribution effort in 2015 carried a not-to-exceed budget of $25,000, a figure likely out of date given rising equipment rates.
Commissioners asked whether the city could return to full dozer operations or rent a dozer for a near-term catch-up effort. Culver replied that the city could pursue a dozer if it secures budget approval and noted renting is an option: "Yes, you can rent those." Commissioners reported rough purchase-price ranges from a few hundred thousand dollars to $400,000–$750,000 including a trailer, and said renting could be the quickest way to reestablish broader sand redistribution this spring if sand has returned.
Beyond equipment, staff emphasized operational constraints and environmental limits. Culver said crews must remain above the mean high tide line when pushing sand and stay 100 feet from Pescadero Creek; large driftwood generally must remain in place except when it creates a hazard, and heavy wheeled equipment cannot use some steep access routes. He said engineering work to address upstream, rain-driven erosion (including emergency repairs around 11th Avenue and redesign of the scenic trail) is underway, and that shoreline stabilization work for 8th—11th streets could cost in the order of $1 million once designed and bid.
Commissioners asked staff to research rental costs and present photos and cost estimates at the upcoming budget meeting to support a request for a larger sand-redistribution line item. Culver said staff would pursue those follow-ups and that timing depends on sand returning to the intertidal area.
Why it matters: regular sand redistribution covers revetments and exposed sandstone, reducing safety hazards and limiting structural damage. Commissioners framed the reinstatement as maintenance that could reduce much larger future repair bills if funded in the coming budget cycle.
