The restroom and dilapidated concession stand at the north end of San Clemente’s coastline are threatened by ocean waves. A popular playground that sits on the sand is at risk.
There’s little sand space for the residents and visitors to enjoy as erosion has chipped away at this stretch of coastline.
The City Council has decided to spend $1.7 million to bolster North Beach with 30,000 cubic yards of sand, declaring an emergency this week to quickly get the efforts underway.
“If you’ve been to North Beach lately, you will see that the beach is in pretty dire straits,” said Leslea Meyerhoff, the city’s coastal administrator.
The sand will be brought from the Santa Ana River, likely in mid-July. The county needs to rid the channel of sand coming down from the mountains as part of its flood maintenance program.
The project is similar to a county-effort that transported an estimated 45,000 cubic yards of sand from the Santa Ana River to Capistrano Beach last summer.
“They’ve got a lot of extra sediment,” Meyerhoff said. “They are cleaning it, sorting it and stockpiling it for the city to use.”
Each truck will hold about 10 cubic yards, with about 40 loads transported a day, she said. It will be spread out across 1,500 feet of beach, from North Beach to the access way at Dije Court.
The area covers a portion of beach that is in the Orange County Transportation Authority’s area of concern, with the agency also proposing plans to add rocks and sand in its efforts to try and protect the rail line that passes oceanfront through there.
“This will not only directly benefit the city, but it will also directly benefit the railroad,” Meyerhoff said.
The latest project is just one way the city is attempting to rebuild its beaches, which have suffered in recent years from severe erosion that has wiped out much of their sand space.
And this is not the first time sand has been brought to North Beach. In 2016, the city imported an estimated 12,000 cubic yards at the cost of about $600,000.
The project will require the stretch of beach to be closed Monday through Thursday, with the beach open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Water quality tests will need to be done, as well as surf monitoring reports. If the project goes past Aug. 22, the city would also have to conduct grunion monitoring.
The city has already gained approval for two of four permits needed and received five bids for the project, ultimately selecting GCI Construction for the job.
Meyerhoff brought bags of sand to the council meeting this week to show samples of the material quality, which has to meet criteria set forth by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The county sorts and cleans the sand, ensuring the grain size is compatible with San Clemente’s sand.
The contractor and city will be doing daily inspections to make sure the sand is not filled with cobble, as was initially a problem for a recent Army Corps of Engineers replenishment project near the pier. The agency had to switch dredging locations.
Christopher Butler, president of the North Beach Community Association, said plans for the latest replenishment project are a positive sign that the city is turning its focus to the northern end of town, which is often overlooked.
“I think people are starting to realize North Beach is a gem, it’s the entrance to our city and it’s key in attracting tourism and business developments,” he said. “The city is listening and has really made an effort to do something about it.”
Without sand, there’s no beach, he said, and that impacts everything from a resident wanting to take their daily stroll on the beach to tourism appeal.
The area is a preferred stop for people taking the Metrolink and Amtrak who don’t want to get off or on at the busier pier stop, and with the food hall and events center at the historic Miramar Theater expected to be done later this year and a 60-room hotel planned for nearby, even more people are expected to be visiting the area.
“When the beach isn’t active,” Butler said, “we don’t get the foot traffic or commerce for the local businesses.”
