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Avila Beach pier closes

June 25, 2015

avila-beach-pierFollowing a vote by the port San Luis Harbor Commission, the Avila Beach pier is closed indefinitely. [KSBY]

Harbor district officials decided Friday to close the pier, a move they say was made out of an abundance of caution after people flocked to the pier to whale watch. The commission then voted 3-0 on Tuesday to approve the closure.

District officials plan to keep the pier closed as they complete an underwater survey and an evaluation of the structural condition of the pier. The engineering firm that is conducting the evaluation says parts of the pier should be closed.

The Tribune cites Harbor Manager Steve McGrath as saying worm-like marine species, which bore holes in wood like termites, have weakened the structure of the pier.

The harbor commission approved spending $54,000 in district funds to complete the evaluation of the pier. Morro Bay-based Shoreline Engineering is conducting the survey and expects to take 60 to 90 days to complete it.avila

After the survey is complete, the district will decide what renovations it will make. McGrath says it will cost approximately $1.1 million to renovate the pier, and he hopes to obtain the funding through grants and community support.

The district is trying to help relocate the bait and tackle shop, Zippy’s, which is the lone business located on the pier.


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Deferred maintenance has never proved very successful. Like the Fram commercial says..you can pay me now…or PAY me later.


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What about the businesses?? Summer is the high season. Fish market, restaurants.


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Sad. They wait until this to do something.


Had folks coming to town who might have enjoyed that.


No more..


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It’s the government way, don’t spend small amounts of money over time to prevent an emergency, wait until it becomes a crisis. Also, save no money along the way, and then scramble to find money crying to the taxpayers for funds, while impacting those same taxpayers.


So why was the Harbor District not saving money all these years expecting that some day they would have to do maintenance to the pier?, bet there was never a salary increase, benefit increase or pet project that didn’t get funded, but certainly the “Avila pier” maintenance fund account never receiver a single deposit in all these years.


Any wonder why they what big$$’s for those camping spots being built?


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Sounds like shady politics. Harbor commission is pushing for parking meters and campsites. They can now say they need the sites and meters to pay for the pier. They were clever to pick a time when more and more people were using the pier to see the whales.

Dirty politicians. Vote them out.


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They already have a parking lot there where “guests” pay $5.00 to park. If they put meters in too, it would just be beyond disgusting to me. In a time when the economy is bad, people should be able to park on a public street somewhere for free. If they need the funds to build a pier, I would rather them do street fairs, fund raise, ask for donations. I think people who can donate would donate if asked. Donatiing to a cause feels so much better than having it taxed and stolen from our pockets.


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I heard that the pier was literally swaying from the weight of the people standing on it the day it was closed.


The irony of it is that Avila has been revamped and looks really nice, the sand is warm, the sun shines there where is doesn’t always in Pismo, and those whales love that little alcove.

If they would just get a few companies out there ASAP to look at the pier, get some price quotes, and get work repairing the pier, money could be made.


They could design a new pier with a set up so people can observe the sea life. They could build some small “shacks” on it for vendors to sell things, have a booth for some of the local things to do (whale watching, zip lining, lighthouse tours, whatever). Most importantly, do what others have suggested and use materials that help prevent rotting. I am not an oceanographer, but perhaps the treated wood doesn’t hold up as well in Avila as it does in Pismo because there is a “bay” or “bowl” area in Avila that allows things to stagnate and chew on that wood.


I just hope it gets repaired quickly.


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The San Luis Harbor district be damned! The Avila Beach pier closing to any true Christian is going against Jesus’s word and is another example of the war against Christianity. We trust in the Lord for our safety, therefore, this includes walking on the pier at any given time.


“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)


“For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12)


“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)


True Christians, we can still walk upon the Avila Beach Pier, just tell the police or Harbor District if called, that you’re a true Christian, and quote the passages herein, praise!


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Slanderer of the Word of the most High. Really?


Here’s where I think you are. In your spiritual life as well as your carnal life:


twilight zone intro


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THIAHB,


Jesus and I take exception to you insinuating that the passages in question that are totally relative to this story are equal to a “Twilight Zone!”


“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” (Matthew 12:36)


I am saddened that you just can’t take the LITERAL word of our Hebrew Christian God for what it is, and because of your total disrespect to the bible, I can almost hear the trap doors of Hell springing open in your behalf upon Judgment Day.


I will pray for you once again in the hopes of you seeing the light before it’s too late.


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Brother Ted …the light these heelots will see will have an orange-reddish glow, and have an overpowering scent of sulfur.

They’ll convince themselves that it’s not so bad until the Devil comes along with his speedboat.


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Thanks for the offer Slanderer. If you’d like you may pray for me. Prayer is always appreciated. However,


I have a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Which means that I believe on Him, that He [God], manifest Himself in the flesh, came into the world not to condemn the world but to save the world, was the propitiation for the sins of all man, [the innocent/spotless Lamb of His Father], went to the cross on our behalf, was beaten, spit upon, and had His garments ripped from Him by the Roman soldiers.


He was then nailed to the cross [as He knew He would be from the foundation of our creation] and then through complete and utter agony, gave His life for the sins of the world.


His last words before He ascended to His [our] Father in heaven were: “tetelestai”. “It is finished”.


Paul explains the “Simplicity” of knowing Jesus Christ in 2 Corinthians 11:1-31.


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Christians don’t need the pier. They just ask Jesus if they can walk on the water. You just have to believe and have enough faith. If you can’t walk on the water, you just didn’t have enough faith.


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CentralcoastRN,


You are correct in that Christians can walk on water because our Jesus told us this to be fact if we believe in Him, and where we can do even greater acts. The Avila Pier is still a nice addition to look down upon the waters and the surfers.


“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)


“ And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)


Personally, I have yet to accomplish this walking on water act, unless it’s upon a frozen lake in the winter time, because of the “believe” clause. Therefore I am another Christian that is working on taking my belief to the next level of “truly” believing, otherwise, along with others, we are destined for the sulfur lakes of hell.


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Yes, I fed the troll. It was funny, and people need to chill.


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Gee…infrastructure replacement .

Where or where will the numbskull REPUBLICAN idiots fall down on this issue ? ( They only fall, they don’t know how to stand up straight yet ).


Oh Yeah… let the ‘free market’ attend to it ! You’ll all be happy in 50 years when that happens.

Well, maybe.

Most of you will be dead by then, so, NEVERMIND !


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So it took an overload of whale watchers to disclose weakness? Anybody on the board ever think of inspections, preventative maintenance, anticipatory or phased replacement? Laser or D-GPS measurement and routine assessment?


Is this just another SLO government body asleep at the switch? That pier is a jewel of the coast, now it’s closed, and with Pete’s Pierside gone from Harford, the lure of that harbor is lowered.


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LC,


Of course your comment hits the nail on the head. But we are talking about government or an entity of government at large. Gov’t has come to mean lie, steal, cheat, and f**k the people who put us in office in the 21st century. You and I. “Constituents”.


Those in power consider only themselves and how they spend our money on behalf of their benefactors. The powerful lobbyists and the powerful special interest groups whom shower them with gifts, money, and other “illegal” gratuities. Why worry about some pier that has brought so many little unimportant people joy over its years? I wonder why they didn’t integrate repairs to the pier at the time that gov’t allowed the master plan of turning Avila beach from a sleepy little ocean front community into the ugly tourist attracting behemoth that it has become. Having grown up in SLO and spent many a wonderful time in Avila, on the beach and fishing from the pier, I stay away from that place at all costs today.


Citing the above, this is why our infrastructure nationwide is is decay. What happened to Obama’s promises [or any other Presidents?] Zilch. Nada. But yet, with our continued infrastructure decay, we will be told that they [the gov’t] will have to raise taxes on our fuel consumption in order to get the job done. Here’s what Wikipedia says:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States


So what is little o’l Avila pier worth? NADA.


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How can they even estimate the costs of repair if the survey isn’t complete? It will be tough to come up with the money. I hope that they consider using concrete pilings to replace the treated wood. They can’t use creosote any more so worms will constantly be a problem.


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Braided carbon fiber tubes filled with concrete?????


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