Surfers point plan
By John Hankins
The city of Ventura was awarded a $16.2 million dollar grant in June 2023 to implement Phase 2 of the Surfers Point Project because the ocean is chipping away at the shoreline that is adjacent to the Fairgrounds.
And it’s open for input from residents, which occurred on May 2 at the Fairgrounds and the outreach was possible due to a grant. Details of the project were given to the 50 or so participants who later put paper dots onto a list of favored attributes, like slowing down e-bikes (a big one), more access to the beach (currently limited due to erosion and fenced off), educational signage, maybe surfboard racks, ADA compliant and public art.
That “public art’ factor was quite popular, especially if it was made from natural materials. Enter the Dragon: This iconic Surfers’ Point assemblage (see photo) was singled out as the way to go with its “Surfer’s Crossing” and “Surfer Girls RIP” signs and steps leading to the sandy beach.
Phase 2 of the project is planned to be completed by 2025, complementing construction of Phase 1, completed in 2012. The first phase of the “managed retreat project” has been extremely successful, garnering nationwide attention for its approach to addressing long term coastal resilience, using natural materials rather than building a sea wall.
“The project serves as a model for other beaches along the California coast threatened by erosion and sea level rise, combining adaptation strategies of coastal habitat,” said Assembly member Steve Bennett in a letter to the state Coastal Conservancy. Others who champion the project include State Senator Monique Limón and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, among others.
This second phase involves removing damaged coastal infrastructure and replacing it with dunes, native plants, and a buried cobble berm to safeguard City and Fairground infrastructures. The project will also include the construction of a new multi-use path and parking lot with an attendant station, a public art component, new lighting, drainage improvements, landscaping, and electrical vehicle parking.
It should improve coastal climate resilience by relocating a parking lot and section of coastal trail and reconstructing 2.5 acres of coastline with dunes, native plantings, and a buried cobble berm.
In the mid 1990’s, after experiencing recurring coastal erosion at Surfer’s Point, the City of Ventura, along with BEACON, the California Coastal Conservancy, State Coastal Commission, Ventura County Fairgrounds, Surfrider Foundation, and other local stakeholders embarked on an innovative approach to support resilient natural and public infrastructure against the impacts of climate change, rising sea levels, beach erosion, and extreme weather events.
“There’s the old-school mentality that when nature threatens you, you fight back,” said Paul Jenkin, Ventura campaign manager for the Surfrider Foundation and a longtime advocate for the project in a 2011 feature in the Los Angeles Times. “So, this idea of retreating and moving back was really a radical proposition.”
The project site served as an important “outdoor classroom” and was host to a BEACON organized field visit for four dozen managers and scientists to examine the completed Phase 1 project last November.
Get all the details and provide input here: