Pacifica council ratifies local emergency after severe pier damage; staff to demolish Chitchat Cafe

Pacifica city staff told the council that significant cracking was discovered at the Pacifica Municipal Pier after the agenda was posted, prompting the city manager to declare a local emergency and temporarily close the pier and nearby beaches. City Attorney and staff said the council must ratify that emergency within seven days; the council voted to add the item to the agenda and later approved the ratification.

City Manager John Sharpier described the damage and the immediate public‑safety response, saying staff had already closed the affected area and limited access to trained personnel. Roland Yip, deputy director of public works and city engineer, told the council that a preliminary engineering assessment prioritized demolishing the Chitchat Cafe to prevent it from falling into the ocean and creating a larger cleanup hazard. “Our first order of priority is to demolish the Chitchat Cafe so as to prevent it from falling into the ocean,” staff said, and they said demolition was anticipated to begin the following day.

The council voted to ratify the director of emergency services’ proclamation and the order to temporarily close the pier. The motion to adopt the resolution was made by Council Member Beckmeer and seconded by Vice Mayor Wright; the council approved the resolution unanimously.

During an extended public‑comment period, dozens of residents and community groups urged the council to treat the pier as an economic and cultural anchor. Lyanna Lowe, speaking for the West Coast Crabers nonprofit, called for a public‑private coalition and grassroots fundraising and asked the city to pursue state and federal emergency grants: “Please look to us as a resource and a partner,” she said.

Staff told the council they will pursue potential state and federal assistance, including a gubernatorial emergency declaration, and will continue engineering work to assess shoring and stabilization options. City engineers said any shoring would stabilize the abutment that connects the pier to shore but would not necessarily reopen the pier to the public until safety could be certified.

The council also directed staff to report back with additional details and a timeline for the engineering assessments and to continue outreach to the public; staff said they will post updates and structural assessments on a dedicated pier web page. The council’s formal ratification concludes the immediate procedural requirement for the emergency order and allows city staff to pursue emergency funding and reconstruction options while continuing public communications.