At Tuesday night’s meeting, Long Beach City Council voted unanimously in favor of completing the original plan, using shotcrete—sprayed concrete—to repair and revitalize the Ocean Boulevard (Bluff) Erosion and Enhancement Phase 2 Project. This choice was the decision recommended by the city manager’s office.
“We feel that’s the most cost-effective option,” assistant city manager Tom Modica said. “We believe it offers the most amount of protection.”
Concerned that a massive earthquake would cause permanent damage to the Bluff, the city of Long Beach has engaged in years of action to prevent such a disaster from occurring.
The current project was approved by the council on July 9, 2013, ushering in improvements in seismic stability and replacing the sidewalk and entire irrigation system. The council voted to halt the project on April 29, 2014 in order to conduct further studies on the use of biotechnical options in repairing the Bluff. The vote on Tuesday night eradicated these options in favor of the lower-cost, faster original plan.
Due to the falling price of oil, funding for the Bluff revitalization will come from existing Tidelands projects. This project would take priority over others because it is currently unfinished. The cost of the existing project is the cheapest option at $1.3 million for both areas, compared to biotechnical option one at $4.3 million and $7.7 million for option two, followed by regrading at $5.4 million. The total budget is set at $5.8 million budget and is already exhausted.
Additionally, the original plan comes out on top in terms of the lowest annual maintenance costs, with a total of $11,000 in upkeep funds per year. The first biotechnical option would cost more than twice as much at $26,000, while the second biotechnical option and the regrading option come out to $19,000 a piece. The original choice also will be finished in 2015, whereas the other three could take up to 2018 to complete.
“I think the current plan is fine … I would really urge the city council to look at the work that was done by the staff. I’m glad that the staff has heard people’s comments about the native plants,” said Reba Birmingham, a Bluff resident. “It can be pretty, it can be safe and it can be affordable.”
The city manager’s office also gave an update on the Bluff’s progress. Most recently, 3700 feet of new sidewalk has been laid in Bluff Park, as well as a galvanized steel railing. Reseeding the lawn in Bluff Park is expected to start as soon as possible, according to Modica.
Plant coverage is measured by how much of a plot of land is covered by plants. The goal for Bluff Park is to have 75 percent plant coverage but 100 percent would be ideal, according to Modica.
“We went out to the community and talked to the community about what that plant coverage should be,” he said. “The current plan is to use native plants.”
These plants include island morning glory, showy island snapdragon, Catalina Island mallow, beach evening primrose, sea pink and beach strawberry. The flowers will be installed around the park.