Don't morph the Municipal Wharf
Next Tuesday (Nov. 28), the Santa Cruz City Council will decide the future of the historic Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The Wharf was designed and built in 1914 by Master Engineer Henry J. Brunnier, who also built iconic buildings and bridges in San Francisco, post 1906 earthquake.
You may recall that in 2020 a Wharf Master Plan and its environmental review were circulated for public comment. The plan proved widely unpopular with the public. The many changes proposed for the Wharf included three 40feet tall buildings for public and private gatherings. The current tallest structures on the Wharf are 24 feet, with many at 12 feet, giving the Wharf a low profile atop its 4,450 pilings.
Other changes included a new large boat dock to accommodate 200-ton vessels, a 30% increase in commercial space, and a walkway 8 feet below deck on the west side (Steamer Lane side) bringing people behind the current shops and restaurants for approximately a third of the Wharf's length. The city claimed the walkway wouldn't block the view from the restaurants but anyone who has eaten at a Wharf restaurant knows that looking down on scores of people walking by on a 12-footwide stainless steel and fiberglass walkway is not the same as looking at an uninterrupted view of ocean, marine life, and migratory birds.
The 2020 environmental impact report (EIR) was inadequate on many levels. It postponed decisions about where the popular sea lion viewing holes would be relocated after the public pointed out that one of the tall buildings would cover them. It rejected its own Alternative 2, the environmentally superior alternative that met all project objectives. Alternative 2 gets rid of the lowered westside walkway.
Over 2,000 people signed a petition expressing opposition to the plan and over 400 wrote personal statements urging the city to not “morph the Wharf.” Those who wrote expressed their love for the current Wharf and begged the council to not transform it into a version of Pier 39.
The vote at the council was close, however, the Wharf Master Plan and EIR were adopted. In response, a group of locals under the name “Don't Morph the Wharf!” raised the funds to challenge the city in court … and won. In 2022, the court ruled that the city must rescind the Wharf Master
Plan and EIR.
Since then, the city's consulting attorneys and environmental experts have produced a revised plan and EIR. Both are essentially the same as the 2020 versions. None of the features so disliked by the public have been changed or removed. The court ordered the city to provide compelling evidence why Alternative 2, which removes the westside walkway, was not adopted.
The city has failed to do that.
The 2023 Wharf Master Plan and EIR have been reviewed by three commissions. The Historic Preservation Commission, arguably the most important given the historic nature of the Wharf, recommended removal of the westside walkway which “degrades the visual character of the Wharf and is incompatible with its historic design.”
The city is pushing the impression that the walkway is necessary to preserve the structural integrity of the Wharf. Brunnier, however, designed the pilings at a height of 23 feet to allow even big waves to flow under the Wharf. Putting obstacles in the way does nothing for safety or structural integrity. The court ruling noted that alternatives for lateral stability are available. The consulting engineering report concluded “the Wharf structure is in good condition overall” with less than 5% of pilings needing replacement, and many have already been replaced. The road and substrate were cited as in poor condition. Nothing prevents the city from fixing them.
The Sierra Club, the Santa Cruz Bird Club and Don't Morph the Wharf! all strongly support dropping the westside walkway from the Wharf plan.
It is vital you let City Council know your thoughts by Monday. citycouncil@santacruzca.gov