Before storm collapsed Santa Cruz wharf, activists had resisted upgrades for nearly a decade

A winter storm carried off the end of the Santa Cruz wharf two days before Christmas, indefinitely shutting down the tourist attraction that houses 17 stores and restaurants.

City records show a successful environmental lawsuit from local residents to block repairs and upgrades to the over 100-year-old, half-mile long pier may have been the deciding factor in the wharf’s collapse.

The pier, dating back to 1914, sits on over 4,000 aging wood pilings that need to be frequently replaced or repaired.

By the start of 2024, the city estimated the pier had accumulated an over $14 million backlog of necessary repairs.

The city had approved a 2016 master plan for the wharf in 2020, which would have created a walkway around some of the at-risk pilings to help protect the wharf as a “fender,” but local residents organized under a group called “Don’t Morph the Wharf” to block the plan’s adoption.

“Don’t Morph the Wharf” sued the city under the California Environmental Quality Act, which allows groups to challenge projects essentially indefinitely on the grounds that sufficient environmental review has not been completed.

The group emerged victorious in court, leading the city to unveil an updated master plan that the group continued to challenge.

“The city is pushing the impression that the walkway is necessary to preserve the structural integrity of the Wharf,” wrote Gillian Greensite, a member of Don’t Morph the Wharf, in the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “Putting obstacles in the way does nothing for safety or structural integrity.”

“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,” continued Greensite in opposition to the new plan.

The updated, and largely similar plan was ultimately approved by the city council at the start of 2024, eight years after the 2016 master plan was floated.

On Monday, December 23, delays to the plan finally came to a head when a winter storm collapsed a 150 foot section of the pier, leading three city workers to be swept away into the sea.

While the city workers luckily escaped without any serious injuries, nearby beaches were shut down due to risk of debris.

Speaking to KSBW 8 on the 17 businesses that operate on the now-shuttered pier that is a “a hub for the economic development of the city and region,” Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley offered financial support, but no timeline for the pier’s reopening.

"It's going to take such time as it will take for them to do it right. Whether that's days or weeks, I don't know the answer," said Keeley. “These folks are wonderful, and they're our tenants, and we're going to support them economically. But first and foremost, we want to support them by making sure when we open it back up, it's safe for them and their customers.”

While the city recently approved a tax hike, the city is currently in a deficit and expects deficits for the night eight out ten years.

With the matter now brought to the governor’s attention and announced coordination with the state disaster agency, state disaster funds could soon be coming to provide the additional funding to support affected businesses and rapidly make repairs.