Original Article here: http://sdnews.com/bookmark/1776828/article-Cliff-erosion-safety-take-center-stage
Cliff erosion, safety take center stage
The ongoing changes to Sunset Cliffs Natural Park has at least one local critic saying that the continuing erosion of the bluffs and the removal of sections of guardrail along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard makes the cliffs more dangerous than ever.The city has added about 20 warning signs along Sunset Cliffs Natural Park over the last year and half, according to city officials. Access points along the bluffs and to walking trails where joggers and hikers walk frequently were added.
Although warning signs read “danger” and “stay back,” Ocean Beach resident and California gubernatorial hopeful Richard Aguirre said some signs have been reduced in size and lowered, decreasing their visibility. The most recently added signs were done with the help of the California Conservation Corps — a state youth job-training agency, according to city officials.
“The more you lower the signage the more you’re going against the (safety of the) community,” Aguirre said.
Ongoing erosion from the ocean and sporadic rains also add to the dangers posed by the cliffs, he said. Diverting urban runoff, he said, would at least slow down one of Mother Nature’s most powerful and destructive forces.
Aguirre said a storm drain along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard to prevent runoff would also help hedge against cliff erosion and possible safety problems.
“If we don’t stop the erosion, there is no (natural) park. We are polluting the crud out of it,” Aguirre said. “We need a drain to save the cliffs.”
The city is currently working on a Sunset Cliffs Natural Park drainage study that would help pinpoint areas needing the most attention, according to Ann Swanson, chair of the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Recreation Council. Under the current Sunset Cliffs Natural Park master plan, a system of trails would increase access throughout the park. Part of the plan is to plant more native plants as well.
But while safety is paramount in the minds of most, balancing safety and maintaining a natural look of the park can be a challenge for park organizers.
“Signage is certainly an important aspect. It’s really very important and we’ve been trying to bring in more signs. We’re trying also not to have sign pollution with too many signs,” Swanson said.
The California Coastal Commission approved the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park master plan in 2005. It has been under piecemeal implementation as funding becomes available, Swanson said.
The drainage study is important because it would look at runoff and erosion. Before the city can implement the rest of the plan, officials need the information from the study, Swanson said.
“We’re not sure what the study would call for because it isn’t completed yet,” she said.
Swanson said the Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Recreation Council will hold a community meeting when the drainage study is complete.
A date has not been set for the meeting.
Calls to the city’s Park and Recreation Department for an update on the study were not immediately returned.
As for safety concerns, Michael Ruiz of the Park and Recreation Department said there’s enough warning to keep people informed about the danger posed by potentially unstable cliffs.
“A person could squeeze by or go underneath the chains, but the goal is to warn and let reasonable people know about the dangers,” Ruiz said. “You have to ask yourself, ‘As I’m walking, does this provide enough information to keep me informed?’”
The Sunset Cliffs Natural Park and Recreation Council next meets on Monday, Feb. 2 at the Cabrillo Recreation Center, 3051 Cañon St. at 6 p.m.
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