City Council Moves Forward with Portion of Beach Sand Project

The Encinitas City Council voted Wednesday to move forward with a partnership with the city of Solana Beach, the State Department of Boating and Waterways and the Army Corps of Engineers to replenish sand on more than eight miles of shoreline. 

Related:  Read details of the measure

It approved a feasibility study for the project that will eventually cost each city $147,000. Solana Beach moved forward with its half of the deal last month and the cities’ contributions will likely be reimbursed by the State, according to a Coast News report.

At Wednesday's meeting, citizens expressed concerns over the sand replenishment's possible affect on the surf and wildlife. 

Bluff safety was a big factor for proponents of the measure. A woman was killed at Stonesteps Beach when a bluff collapsed in 2002. Those in favor also argued that beach erosion would make the beach uncomfortable to walk on and would affect tourism. 

Members of the council agreed that citizen concerns should help shape the way project is carried out.

"I look forward to the Army Corps (of Engineers) being flexible … and really take into consideration these perspective,” councilmember Kristin Gaspar said. “I do believe that, at the end of the day, we can have a project that … most of the community embraces and I believe that the project that we ultimately see will be better than what's been presented as the preferred alternative today."

If you have concerns about the measure, please express them in the comment section below. If you’re willing to show me your concern at the beach, send me an email at daniel.woolfolk@patch.com. 

Editor's note: As a commenter pointed out, a previous version of the story did not clearly state the council's move. The wording has since been changed.