Hope On Horizon For Eroding Capistrano Beach

DANA POINT, CA —The parking area has been re-striped and painted, benches are going into place for visitors to once again sit and enjoy a Pacific Ocean sunset.

"There isn't much there but sand," resident Toni Nelson told Patch. There will be fire pits out on the main beach by Friday, according to what the Orange County Parks Service has told her.

Gone are the basketball courts. Pavement, where it was giving away, has been shored up with sandbags and sand in what Nelson calls a "temporary fix."
"We expect the whole sidewalk, and at least part of the parking lot will be removed in the final phase," she said.

OC Parks has worked to stabilize the park, for now, armoring the coastline with CCC permission Long term planning is underway and will involve a significant retreat from the existing shoreline.

Nelson is doubtful that any permanent infrastructure will remain near the shore, which largely disappeared this winter. At the moment, pre-Memorial Day Weekend, the sidewalks are stabilized.

A short term enhancement plan, below outlined in red, is being unveiled in Capistrano Beach. The project began with emergency repairs on a stretch badly damaged by erosion from battering waves.

In the summer of 2019, the parking area will be addressed, and in the long term, the parks will add work to an extended sliver of coastline to include more public access and enhancements to recreation in the area, outlined above by the dashed line.

Orange County Parks has developed a plan with accessibility and safety in mind, they said. Still, they want beach-goer's input on what the long-term master plan will look like, which will need to keep in mind that the coastline continues to erode.

It's your chance to weigh in on a survey, here:

Could Capistrano Beach ever be what it once was?

The Capistrano Beach Club was once the pride of the Palisades, erected in the 1920s. It was demolished after years of neglect in 1969.

Join the local advocacy group Capo Cares is inviting residents to join their efforts to restore the beach. You can join their mailing list by registering at www.capocares.com or emailing them at capocares@gmail.com. or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/capocares

Read Also:

Beach Erosion Woes Continue At Capistrano, Doheny Beach; PHOTOS

What's next for Capo Beach?