Over the next few weeks, crews will be conducting emergency repair work on the Cayucos Pier. A gate will block public access between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on weekdays.
The very end of the Cayucos Pier has been closed for more than a year because of a winter storm that damaged the pilings that support the deck.
Mother Nature is the one who is in charge, said Fred Neerken, Los Osos resident.
Neerken was present during that storm and remembers how much damage was done.
I was here for the storm that did the damage and it was quite severe. Its no surprise that something like that would happen, Neerken said.
On Monday, Oct. 27, the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department started the early phases of repair work.
Shaun Cooper, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director, said there is about 15 feet of unsupported deck at the end of the pier that will be removed by a contractor.
This will temporarily shorten the pier for about a year until they have a design and put out a bid for reconstruction.
That will bring back full access to residents like Sandi Davis, who has owned a home in Cayucos for 39 years and walks the Cayucos Pier about twice a day, taking pictures of the birds and scenery.
“In fact, I think Im gonna go back maybe and get my camera and take some of these guys surfing out here, Davis said on Tuesday.
The current project costs $119,950, which is partly funded through the county’s insurance and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The pier has been a staple of the community, first being built over 150 years ago and renovated back in 2015, much of it funded by the community.
It means a lot to our community, as you can see with all the plaques that were put here when they rebuilt it, Davis said.
Cooper said that all of the plaques that are at the end of the pier will eventually be reinstalled.
This first phase of the project is expected to last about four weeks, finishing in mid-November.