By Adam Kaye
North County Times
October 4, 20061
ENCINITAS
-- A $2.1 million repair of the rusted and wave-beaten
facilities at South Cardiff State Beach is under way and
scheduled for completion by Valentine's Day, a state parks
official said Tuesday.
Scheduled for removal are a weed-choked plaza, rubble and
riprap. Undermined and buckled concrete slabs, rusted railings
and a deteriorating kiosk all will go away.
All
told, 75,000 square feet of paving and boulders will be
returned to a sandy area the size of two football fields.
Much of the damage dates to the El Nino winter of 1995, when
heavy surf pummeled the park before it was finished. Months
later, in July of that year, the park opened with no running
water or electricity.
"We're looking very much forward to having that project
cleaned up and to enhance the recreational opportunities for
visitors," Ronilee Clark, the parks department's district
superintendent, said Tuesday.
Planning for the project began years ago, and the state
Coastal Commission approved the renovation proposal in 2004.
Securing a share of funds from Proposition 12 ---- the State
Parks Bond Act of 2000 ---- added a year's delay to the start
of construction, Clark said.
On Tuesday, heavy equipment operators demolished slabs of
concrete at the entryway to the park, which will be replaced
by a new entrance 440 feet south of the existing one.
Plans also call for new showers and a pathway from the parking
lot to the beach. The path will be inlaid with etchings and
tiles depicting beach and wildlife scenes.
Workers will demolish 108 parking spaces, leaving a balance of
353.
The parking will serve a beach where sand is at a premium.
Most of the shoreline near the parking lot is covered in
cobble.
As construction proceeds, large sections of the parking lot
will be closed, said Jeff Brown, project manager.
During most of the year, the sprawling blacktop is wide open.
On Tuesday, some men operated remote-controlled toy cars on
the parking lot. Every so often, the Encinitas Fire Department
places cones on the lot for engineers' training drills. In
2000, an 84-foot-long Marine helicopter with hydraulic
problems landed on the lot.
On windy days, thrill seekers sometimes glide across the
blacktop on skateboards fitted with sails.
Before the blacktop went in, a trailer park called Seaside
existed at the site.
Last week, crews placed chain-link fencing along much of the
parking lot to secure the construction area.
Surfing competitions normally held at the park have been moved
to South Carlsbad State Beach, according to park officials.
They provided a phone number for people to call with questions
about access to the parking lot and beach during construction:
(760) 720-7001.
A surfer from Solana Beach, Mike Millin, looked through the
fencing toward the ocean on Tuesday. Millin said he remembered
not liking the parking lot that went in more than 10 years
ago.
"They should just let it turn into a dirt lot
again," he said.
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