Drone photo shows the length of the Cayucos Pier and the last 15 feet, which lost all supports in a big storm last January.
The iconic Cayucos Pier, which was almost completely rebuilt less than a decade ago, is in need of extensive repairs, after last winter’s storms knocked off over half a dozen of the support piles, according to a County report.
Last winter’s fierce storms that deposited a forest of driftwood on Cayucos Beach, including several tree trunks, also damage the last few feet of the 980-foot-long pier, originally built in the 1870s.
Over the years the Cayucos Pier has been damaged by storms most recently in 1983 and again in 1993. By the time the County fenced off the last third of the Pier in 2013, it had lost so many supporting piles it was no longer safe for the public. Shoreline Engineering was hired to design the repair project and Associated Pacific — both companies out of Morro Bay — did the work. The pier reopened in 2015 to much celebration and fanfare.
Last January, the area was hit with several big storms and giant, stormy seas battered the Cayucos Pier (as well as every other pier in SLO County).
The San Simeon Pier was also damaged and is being repaired now by State Parks, which owns both the San Simeon and Cayucos Piers. SLO County leases the Cayucos Pier, Cayucos Beach and Vet’s Hall from the State and is in charge of operations and maintenance of these facilities.
Though no one has conclusively stated what damaged the Cayucos Pier, the storms did leave tons of driftwood debris on the beaches, including several tree trunks, one of which was easily 15-feet long and 2-feet in diameter.
Some of the lost piles from the Pier washed ashore and were deposited at the mouth of Cayucos Creek.
That storm also set back the rebuilding of the Vet’s Hall, damaging the roof before it was buttoned up against the elements.
After this latest storm damage, the County hired engineering firm, Richard Brady & Associates of San Diego, to conduct inspections and report the damage. This past June, “An above-water and below-water inspection and post-event inspection were conducted,” reads Brady’s report. “The findings were used to assess the overall condition of the pier, record observed defects and assign condition assessment ratings for the elements of the pier.”
Brady said they relied on direct observations of the pier structure and knowledge gained from their experiences with other, similar structures.
The Cayucos Pier lost seven structural piles — four piles that are vertical and support the pier deck [the axial load] and three batter piles, which are installed at an angle to reinforce the vertical piles from wave action.
Many of the piles that remain were damaged in the storms, mainly to the protective coatings applied before they were hammered into place.
And, there is a failed connection at another batter pile location, “which eliminates its contribution to the integrity of the structure.” That pile remains in place but is no longer attached to the pier.
Simply put, the piles were lost from the end of the pier leaving the last 15-foot cantilevered over the water, with nothing underneath. That’s not how it was designed.
“The deck portion past the last surviving bent,” the Brady report said, “is currently only supported by the bolts that connect the beams under the deck, not the piles, as the designer intended.
“This situation creates an additional load on the structure that increases the risk of future failure.”
After the damage in January, the County fenced off the final four segments of the pier, but the rest of the pier is open.
The Brady report lists four options for moving forward: reducing the length and removing the damaged part; replacing the lost piles and return it to the original configuration; install a “fendering” system to protect the repaired part; or redesign the end of the pier “to create a more resilient structure.”
The Brady report doesn’t have any cost estimates on these various options. Shaun Cooper, the Assistant Director of County Parks, who is overseeing the pier project, said, “County staff is in the process of vetting the different options to determine next steps.”
One of their big steps will be to find money for the repairs. The County pieced together several funding sources to cover the over $4 million rebuilding project, including getting a significant amount from a group of Cayucos residents who formed a non-profit and raised money to help with some aspects of the rebuild job, such as the lighting. That group, Friends of the Cayucos Pier, sold the commemorative plaques that adorn the pier railings.
Cooper did not give an estimated date when they might bring the project to County Supervisors.
In the case of the Vet’s Hall rebuild, the County is using some of the proceeds from a bond sale to help finance the project, as well as the new co-dispatch (Sheriff and Cal Fire) center in Templeton; and the new Probation Department offices that will be built on the County’s Health Department campus on Johnson Avenue.