Encinitas should pursue its plans to relocate the Beacon’s Beach parking lot away from an erosion-prone cliff, state coastal commissioners said Thursday as they declared that opponents had failed to prove the project had “substantial issues.”
It’s clearly unfortunate that the city’s plans will result in the loss of 11 of the parking lot’s 26 spots, but the cost of not doing this project could be far worse, commissioners said as they mentioned the area’s extensive landslide history.
“I think there would be a bigger issue if there was coastal erosion and cars falling,” Commissioner Justin Cummings said as he described the current situation as a safety issue.
Coastal Commission Chair Caryl Hart agreed that the city’s proposal was preferable to that.
“I see this as a managed retreat project, and what we’re looking at in the future,” she said.
Beloved by Leucadia residents, the Beacon’s Beach bluff top area is known for its great sunset and surf views. The small public parking lot is on the west side on Neptune Avenue between Leucadia Boulevard and Jaspar Street.
Commissioners had ample fresh evidence during their Thursday hearing that the Beacon’s Beach region is landslide-prone. Currently, the public can’t use a hugely popular, dirt switchback trail that runs from the cliff-top parking lot to the beach below. In an emergency move last month, the city closed the pathway after wet winter weather reactivated an existing landslide.
“The area has been active historically and is currently unstable and unsafe,” a news release on the city’s website notes.
The proposal to change the parking lot’s location won city Planning Commission approval in May 2023. Plans call for relocating the lot landward by about 10 feet from its current location, and seeding the space between the new lot and the bluff edge with native plants.
Initially, Encinitas officials said they had planned to begin the construction work in fall 2023, but three people — Matthew Gordon, Michael Conway, and John Wigmore — filed an appeal with the state Coastal Commission. In their appeal, they argued that the city had failed to consider numerous issues, including the project’s impact on public access to the beach and the potential to harm the coastal environment.
Their appeal was initially scheduled to be heard in the final months of 2023, but was delayed to the commission’s February meeting due to technical difficulties with the state commission’s website, a staff report states.
One of the three appellants, Gordon, spoke during Thursday’s Coastal Commission hearing. He said the loss of the 11 parking spots would be a huge impact given how popular the beach area is. Gordon, who has lived next to Beacon’s Beach for 24 years, said the city should be required to do a full-scale environmental impact report on its proposed project.
The commission’s unanimous vote confirming its staff’s recommendation on the “substantial issues” situation means that appeal will not move forward to the next stage in the commission’s review process.
