OCEAN BEACHOCEAN BEACH — San Diego is moving to speed up a long-planned assessment of the battered Ocean Beach Pier after recent storms inflicted new damage, knocking down one of its pilings.
The city was posting new signs in the area this week, too, reiterating warnings to beachgoers and surfers to keep their distance — at least 75 feet.
“The original plan was to wait until after the winter storm season to conduct a full assessment, but recent damage and weather patterns have created a new urgency to inspect the pier,” the city said this week in a statement, just ahead of dramatic king tides Thursday and Friday.
Winter storm damage wasn’t unexpected. The pier was closed for the season in October in anticipation of it, and the city has warned that more could come this season.
The landmark structure’s age has been showing for years. A 2018 study found it had “reached the end of its service life.” Since then, worsening winter storms have prompted more frequent closures and heightened the urgency of a long-term solution.
The search for that solution began last year, when the city began holding public workshops to help envision a possible future — most likely a replacement pier. Three potential design concepts were unveiled in September. The city expects to present the preferred design in the coming months.
