Staff unveils waterfront adaptation concepts focusing on elevated bike/walk spine and phased ‘quick wins’

Timmy Bolton, the city sustainability staff lead, told the Transportation & Circulation Committee that the waterfront adaptation effort is a three‑year, Coastal Commission– and Conservancy‑funded planning program to protect the three‑mile low‑lying shoreline from coastal storms, erosion and sea‑level rise while preserving beach access, boating and habitat. “Our guiding light is to develop practical solutions to address coastal flooding and coastal erosion for at least the next 30 years while enhancing beach access, recreation, boating, and habitat,” Bolton said.

The presentation laid out a three‑tiered approach. Quick wins include restriping to separate bikes and pedestrians from cars, minor drainage fixes and temporary floodproofing. Core measures—described as the foundational responses for the next 30 years—include a raised walking and biking path designed to provide both a safe, continuous circulation facility and a vertical backstop to keep ocean water from flooding inland areas. Future options that would fundamentally change the coast, such as groins, headlands or offshore reefs, were presented as costly, complex and controversial possibilities to be examined later.

Bolton emphasized trade‑offs: “Seawalls and revetments can protect what’s behind them, but they can also narrow the beach in front. Groins can widen a beach locally but may starve down‑coast beaches,” he said. Staff showed modeling that indicates East Beach has eroded markedly since 2000 and that without intervention some shoreline sections could migrate inland toward Cabrillo Boulevard by mid‑century, increasing inland flood risk and recurring cleanup and repair costs. As one data point, Bolton cited the 2023 cleanup and repair bill of roughly $3 million as part of the case for planning action.

Site‑specific concepts differed by location. At Leadbetter Beach, staff proposed restriping and low curbs as near‑term fixes, with a potential long‑term strategy to move pavement inland, convert portions of park to beach, and place the raised walking/biking spine behind that new buffer. In the Harbor, staff showed a concept for a raised rock revetment with a pedestrian promenade on top to protect harbor commercial functions while improving public access. For West Beach—identified as relatively stable—staff proposed improvements to sand quality, storm‑drain consolidation and amenities such as restrooms and concessions. For East Beach, where erosion is most severe, the emphasis is strategic retreat where feasible and analysis of engineered options if retreat is insufficient.

On funding and permitting, staff said many quick wins could be implemented from existing capital improvement allocations, but core measures will require additional funding and permits, including Coastal Commission review. Bolton said the next phase will run technical analyses to assess effectiveness, timing and costs before any firm design choices are made. He urged public participation—surveys and open houses were announced as the immediate next steps—and asked the committee to focus feedback on transportation and circulation considerations.

Public commenters at the meeting expressed support. Barry Remis of Move Santa Barbara County called the first blush “fantastic,” praising the multi‑benefit framing and the proposal to provide continuous, accessible routes along the waterfront. An online commenter, Tristan Miller, also expressed support for the bike infrastructure improvements.

Committee members pressed staff on sediment transport and dredging assumptions; Bolton responded that the modeling assumes continued harbor dredging and that beach nourishment would require sand sourced from offshore or outside the littoral cell. Melissa Hedrickk, the adaptation and resilience manager, cautioned that nourishment in highly erosive reaches can be short‑lived unless measures to retain sand—such as headlands or groins—are also employed.

Bolton and staff said plans for graphics and site‑specific cross‑sections will be improved for upcoming open houses so commissioners and residents can better visualize raised path alignments, driveway interfaces and likely changes to parking. Staff reiterated that the technical analysis scheduled over the coming year will refine timing, phasing and cost estimates before any construction occurs.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the waterfront plan at the meeting; staff said they expect to return with draft recommendations after technical analysis and extended public engagement.