Excerpt:
SANDAG lays groundwork to dredge nearshore ocean deposits and replenish county beaches for third time.
Carlsbad could be the next coastal North County city to join the San Diego Association of Governments’ proposal to launch a third regional beach sand replenishment project.
SANDAG asked Carlsbad to shoulder a proportional share of the $200,000 cost for a planning, feasibility and economic analysis needed to start the project, which would pull sand from the ocean and spread it on beaches from Oceanside to Imperial Beach.
So far, the Oceanside, Encinitas, Solana Beach and Imperial Beach city councils have agreed to help fund the analysis, SANDAG regional planner Courtney Pesce said Tuesday in a presentation to Carlsbad’s Beach Preservation Commission. Del Mar and Coronado have scheduled discussions for upcoming council meetings.
The Carlsbad commission voted unanimously to recommend the Carlsbad City Council agree to pay the city’s share of the initial costs, estimated at $64,677 based on its 6.5 miles of shoreline. Carlsbad’s share could go down if additional cities participate, Pesce said.
A second phase of the project, consisting of the engineering and environmental work, is expected to cost $3 million, she said. Construction and monitoring of the replenishment would be the third and final phase, estimated at $37 million. Most of those costs should be covered by state and federal grants, with a small part to be shared by the cities involved in the project…
FOLLOW UP ARTICLE
Carlsbad remains wary of Oceanside sand nourishment pilot project –
The City Council unanimously opposed actively participating in the City of Oceanside’s sand nourishment pilot project during its April 11 meeting, remaining opposed to any plans that may obstruct the natural flow of sand down the San Diego County coastline.
However, the Carlsbad City Council agreed to request a city staffer be present during the neighboring city’s proposed pilot project meetings and design competitions.
Last year, the Oceanside City Council moved forward with plans for sand replenishment on its depleted beaches, which included a controversial option of building groins. They also discussed artificial reefs and other “innovative designs” to hold as much sand as possible.
In January, the Oceanside City Council approved moving to Phase 2, which includes a design jury for innovative designs and selecting council members as non-voting panelists to discuss specifics of the options available to the coastal cities.
The cities of Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar each passed resolutions opposing the groins and any other structure obstructing or preventing the natural flow of sand down the coastline. However, Del Mar sent a letter to Oceanside supporting moving to Phase 2.
“They indicated they wanted Carlsbad’s involvement,” said Kyle Lancaster, Carlsbad’s parks and recreation director. “We wanted to be involved in some way … and reiterated council’s resolution…”
