The City of Laguna Beach has engaged in a "master planning process" to renovate Heisler Park in the north end of Laguna Beach. This public park is loved by locals and visitors alike for its low key style that emphasizes the natural beauty of the naturally eroding coastal bluffs and coves. Heisler Park is home to a special surf break called Rockpile that is unique because of the rocky shoreline and its striking visual setting. Many of the proposed renovations for the Park are supported by the Laguna Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, such as improved ADA access and efforts to improve landscaping along the bluffs. However, we are opposed to the City's plans to build a bulkhead/seawall that is being proposed at Rockpile. Superior alternatives exist. Click here to see our vision.

Due to the fact that the coastline adjacent to Rockpile is an ancient landslide, this region has been a source of erosion problems over the years. To address this issue that City put forth several alternatives. The alternative that the City has endorsed is to construct a seawall/bulkhead that will stretch along the northern half of the cove at Rockpile. We are opposed to this alternative because the seawall:

• will require massive engineering of the bluff
• will not be aesthetically pleasing
• isn’t fitting with the character of the park
• will interrupt natural erosion and beach processes

Fortunately, there is a very acceptable alternative called the "managed retreat" alternative. This alternative would simply move the trail back and allow natural erosion processes to occur. We believe this alternative is superior because it will reduce interference with natural erosion processes, is in keeping with the harmonious relationship Heisler Park maintains with the natural environment, and will not turn our park into an artificial Disneyland-like place.

Some important facts:

1. The park's conceptual plan repeatedly reference working with natural processes and moving infrastructure, such as the bathrooms at Picnic Beach, away from the eroding bluffs. This philosophy is not being applied to Rockpile.

2. The seawall/bulkhead alternative will interrupt natural erosion processes.

3. The managed retreat alternative will result in the loss of less than 1.4% of the park's surface area (3,000 square feet).

4. The managed retreat alternative will not result on the significant loss of views along the trail.

OUR VISION:

The photo below is Rockpile as it looks today. Notice the erosion to the south of the stairs. The path is being under-mined and the stability of the stairs is also threatened. See image below for our vision of the managed retreat alternative.

This photo below shows how the Rockpile coastline might look after implementation of the managed retreat alternative. Notice how the lower path would be removed but views are still maintained by the existing path above. The existing stairs would be removed and replaced with a new stairs (not shown) that would be put in near the palms trees on the right side of the photo where the existing "goat trails" are found.

Photo: Copyright © 2002-2004 Kenneth Adelman, California Coastal Records Project, www.californiacoastline.org (modified to simulate "managed retreat alternative").

To learn more about this issue visit the Laguna Beach Chapter's website at: www.surfrider.org/lagunabeach