Repairs to Santa Cruz's historic pier, which collapsed in heavy swells on Monday, have reportedly been delayed after a lawsuit by environmental groups delayed changes to the 110-year-old structure by several years.
Unusually high waves up and down the West Coast on Monday brought some Christmas cheer to surfers who flocked to popular surf spots north and south in search of swells.
But in Santa Cruz, the heavy swells also brought destruction.
No one was injured, but three workers had to be rescued from the remote end of the pier, which was floating in the sea.
of san francisco chronicle The city announced Tuesday that the city's plans to shore up the pier faced a lawsuit by a group of environmentalists and preservationists called “Don't Disfigure the Pier,” which delayed repairs and delayed the project. He recalled that some of the events were also suspended. to be abandoned.
of chronicle reported:
In 2016, the city proposed: another plan: Create an under-deck walkway that wraps around the west side of the pier, creating new space for pedestrians while pilings provide a buffer against incoming waves. The plan was to expand the pier to several new locations and add new buildings, including one directly above the collapsed section.
Additional opponents, rallying under the banner “Don't Morph the Wharf,” filed a lawsuit in late 2020, alleging the city did not conduct a proper environmental review of the plan.
The city says the new “Westside Walkway” will extend beyond the current pier and will act as a wave protector, preventing waves from hitting the pier and the buildings above it, thereby reducing the risk of wave damage during storms. He countered that it was necessary to reduce the damage. Stack piles on the west side of the pier to increase lateral stability.
Opponents won in 2022, and plans were changed to remove the protective walkway and additional buildings. Leaders of the “Don't Morph the Wharf” challenge are now claiming that this change did not help.
In any case, city officials said earlier this year that the lawsuit delayed repairs by three years.
Remarkably, city officials blamed “climate change” rather than the 110-year-old structure for the swells that caused the pier's collapse.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. he is the author of Agenda: What should President Trump do in his first 100 days?available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of Trumpian Virtues: Lessons and Legacy of the Donald Trump Presidencynow available on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
