Pacifica can keep its controversial seawalls, California agency says — for a limited time only – the San Francisco Chronicle

The armoring will be allowed in two locations, Beach Boulevard near Pacifica Pier and Rockaway Beach, but only for a limited period, in order to give the city time to develop longer-term strategies to prepare for the impacts of climate change. There is already a seawall at Beach Boulevard, and Rockaway has rock revetments, or boulders. They can be replaced and expanded under the plan, even to protect new development, as part of an update to a state-mandated local coastal program that included preparations for sea level rise. 

Kate Huckelbridge, executive director of the Coastal Commission, said the updated program will “ensure Pacifica’s beaches and coastal environments are resilient.”

Shoreline armoring can intensify erosion of sandy beaches, and state law does not guarantee the right to build or replace seawalls for structures built before 1977. The commission said it made an exception to approve its limited use in Pacifica as a compromise to protect coastal resources. Some opponents of the plan say 20 years is too long to wait to address hazards that have already forced the city to bulldoze homes and condemn apartment buildings to prevent them from falling into the sea, and surfers say it would harm the beach. Others say more seawalls will be needed, and for a longer period, to protect property values and infrastructure.