Maintaining the longest wooden pier on the West Coast is not cheap — Oceanside has budgeted more than $1 million for repairs this year.
Crews have replaced sections of the metal bracing under the wooden pier itself, and workers are currently doing repairs to stop concrete from falling off the approach ramp, which was built in 1926. The city council has earmarked $1.1 million so far and may need to spend more before the end of this fiscal year.
City Councilman Jerry Kern said the city does not want to knock down the concrete structure, plus the city could not afford to replace it anyway.
“It was a WPA project,” he said. “It does have historic value to it. People come to Oceanside just to walk on the pier, and part of that experience is walking on the old section of the pier and up the old steps.”
The city applied for federal money that covers bridge repairs, but did not win the grant, Kern said.
Mark Sabelis of the Oceanside Public Works Department said work started on the northwest section of the concrete ramp last summer, and progress was slow. But he said crews have found ways to effectively reinforce the rusting steel rebar inside and patch the concrete. He said work is progressing faster and should be complete before the summer tourist season begins.
Sabelis said these repairs should last at least another 10 years, which would take the pier up to the year 2026 — its centennial.
The wooden section of the pier stretches 1,942 feet into the ocean. It has been rebuilt five times in its current location; the most recent version was completed in the 1980s.
Kern said there is no money in the city budget to rebuild the pier, but ongoing repairs are a priority
“Oceanside would be not be Oceanside without the pier,” he said.
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