Col. Peter Helmlinger, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific Division, met recently with the mayors and other public officials of two coastal communities to discuss a proposed $174 million coastal storm damage reduction project.
Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear and Solana Beach Mayor Mike Nichols hosted Col. Helmlinger and Col. Kirk Gibbs, commander of the Corps’ Los Angeles District, and emphasized their concerns about the risks to public safety and about the potential for economic damages associated with shoreline erosion and bluff failures.
The project proposes widening Encinitas shoreline 50 feet by placing about 340,000 cubic yards of material along 7,800 feet of shoreline with renourishment every five years.
The Solana Beach segment calls for widening the beach 150 feet by 700,000 cubic yards along 7,200 feet of shoreline with renourishment every ten years.