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Pacifica gets update on pier emergency work; city to seek state help and pursue permits to close Lindamar lots overnight
Summary
City Manager Sean Sherpentier told the council that emergency placement of roughly 300 boulders (about 90 tons) has been completed around the pier abutment and that the city has requested state technical and financial assistance; he also said staff will file a Coastal Development Permit amendment and a possible emergency permit to allow overnight closures at Lindamar beach parking lots.
City Manager Sean Sherpentier told the Pacifica City Council that the city has completed an emergency stabilization step on the damaged pier by placing roughly 300 boulders, totaling about 90 tons, around the abutment to slow further destabilization.
“We finished the placement of approximately 300 boulders weighing 90 tons around the abutment,” Sherpentier said, adding the project bought time for a more robust investigation of the first span and abutment. He said specialized drone and radar operators were brought in to better assess what remains of the structure and to inform options for a longer‑term fix.
Sherpentier said the city submitted a request to the governor on June 12 for a state declaration of emergency and for technical and financial assistance, and that staff have had on‑site conversations with California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) staff. “We are awaiting to hear from them,” he said, and added the county board of supervisors is expected to renew a related emergency proclamation on Aug. 11.
The city manager also addressed related public‑access impacts. Sherpentier said the loss of the pier restrooms is “a significant loss to the community,” and that staff are contracting with a company called Throne to install a restroom near the pier; that installation is not expected before September, so the city is first siting porta‑potties as an interim measure. He said the budget process includes funding for two Thronelike restroom units — one for the pier and one for Fairmont Park — and that the unit for Fairmont Park will move forward to council adoption in August.
On beach parking, Sherpentier described discussions with California Coastal Commission staff about Lindamar lot management. The commission advised the city to pursue a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) amendment to change hours and introduce an overnight closure; Sherpentier said staff plan to file the CDP amendment by the end of the month. Commission staff also discussed the option of an emergency permit that, if approved, would allow the city to close the lots overnight while the permanent permit is under review.
Sherpentier said the pier and Lindamar updates will be posted on the city’s public record and on the city website and that staff will notify people who sign up for pier updates. He estimated the council would receive a further update within a few weeks on the emergency stabilization analysis and next steps.
What happens next: Sherpentier said staff hope to provide a follow‑up briefing within weeks on the pier investigation and stabilization options, and they plan to submit the CDP amendment for Lindamar before the end of the month. The county’s emergency proclamation renewal is expected Aug. 11, the city will coordinate interim restroom siting and longer‑term restroom procurement, and the council can be asked to approve related contracts and budget items in the coming months.
