PRESERVE THE TRAIL LINKING CAPISTRANO AND DOHENY BEACHES
A combination of sea level rise, storms and coastal surges has had a devastating impact on Southern California beaches. Capistrano Beach, in particular, has suffered painful losses recently -- a beautiful boardwalk, basketball court, parking spaces, sidewalks and even restrooms. OC Parks made a valiant effort to reopen the park to public use by Memorial Day, 2019. Today it consists of beach, parking lot and a few fire pits, and although considerably changed, it continues to be a scenic and popular destination. Sandbags, rip rap boulders and k-rails protect the remaining infrastructure while the County makes plans for longer term park restoration.
Now, the iconic path between Capistrano Beach and neighboring Doheny Beach is in jeopardy. This eroding stretch is part of a lengthy regional trail that allows residents and visitors to walk or bicycle from Dana Point Harbor to Capistrano Beach and at low tide, on to Cotton Point.
Early photos dating from the 1920s clearly show that there has been a safe trail between the two beaches for at least a century. Every day, many hundreds of pedestrians and bicyclists (and an estimated 1,000 or more on weekends) make this trail part of their beach experience.
While we recognize that coastal erosion will continue, we applaud OC Parks for their willingness to spend public funds on reasonable efforts to keep this path intact for the next few years or more so that our kids and grandkids can continue to enjoy an uninterrupted path to both beaches for as long as possible. Without this path, pedestrians would be forced to climb a bridge and hike along busy PCH in order to travel between these popular beaches. Bicyclists, families with strollers, and the handicapped would have NO uninterrupted access.
We, the undersigned, support OCParks’ efforts to restore this iconic path and protect it via necessary armament, preserving public access until a long term solution can be forged.
Updates
July 30, 2019
Seeing five hundred people commit to preserving this coastal path confirms that our connection to the shoreline is shared by many. This milestone serves as a quiet reminder of how much this specific stretch of trail matters to our community. I appreciate the time each of you took to signal your support for this landscape.
Reached 500 supporters
July 29, 2019
July 19, 2019
Seeing this groundswell of support reminds me that our coastal trail is a vital piece of our local identity rather than just a patch of pavement. It is truly heartening to witness so many neighbors coming together to protect a path that has served our community for an entire century.
July 18, 2019
Reaching one hundred signatures feels like a quiet vote of confidence for our coastal trail. It is heartening to see this many people recognize that our local path holds historical and practical value worth protecting.
Reached 100 supporters
July 16, 2019
291 Comments
This trail was a vital part of my recovery when I was handicapped and could only walk flat surfaces. Day after day, I walked with my dog to have the ocean waves and salt spray breeze relieve my pain ridden body and spirit. For so many it is a vital part of our healthcare and everyday sanity.
This trail is vital. Aside from the erosion which needs immediate repairs, it is barely wide enough for a walker with dog and cyclists - a common occurrence. Slightly widening this trail would be safer and avoid collisions.
An engineered solution-- bridge, elevated boardwalk, cantilevered walkway-- must be considered beyond just riprap and sandbags. Erosion will continue but access provided by the path must continue, too.
The Coastal Development Permit must be approved to mitigate coastal erosion until a Master Plan is complete. Preservation of public access to the beach, pedestrian safety and the use of a historic beach trail are at stake.
Taking out the parking lot is a terrible solution for those that are handicapped or even somewhat disabled. That parking lot is the only access where you can park and see, or be on the ocean. Removing that beach access and easy parking is a severe loss to those that are handicapped and disabled.
Don't let our Coastal Trail go the way of the Dodo bird
We need to save this trail for future generations to enjoy, as we do now.
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PRESERVE THE TRAIL LINKING CAPISTRANO AND DOHENY BEACHES
A combination of sea level rise, storms and coastal surges has had a devastating impact on Southern California beaches. Capistrano Beach, in particular, has suffered painful losses recently -- a beautiful boardwalk, basketball court, parking spaces, sidewalks and even restrooms. OC Parks made a valiant effort to reopen the park to public use by Memorial Day, 2019. Today it consists of beach, parking lot and a few fire pits, and although considerably changed, it continues to be a scenic and popular destination. Sandbags, rip rap boulders and k-rails protect the remaining infrastructure while the County makes plans for longer term park restoration.
Now, the iconic path between Capistrano Beach and neighboring Doheny Beach is in jeopardy. This eroding stretch is part of a lengthy regional trail that allows residents and visitors to walk or bicycle from Dana Point Harbor to Capistrano Beach and at low tide, on to Cotton Point.
Early photos dating from the 1920s clearly show that there has been a safe trail between the two beaches for at least a century. Every day, many hundreds of pedestrians and bicyclists (and an estimated 1,000 or more on weekends) make this trail part of their beach experience.
While we recognize that coastal erosion will continue, we applaud OC Parks for their willingness to spend public funds on reasonable efforts to keep this path intact for the next few years or more so that our kids and grandkids can continue to enjoy an uninterrupted path to both beaches for as long as possible. Without this path, pedestrians would be forced to climb a bridge and hike along busy PCH in order to travel between these popular beaches. Bicyclists, families with strollers, and the handicapped would have NO uninterrupted access.
We, the undersigned, support OCParks’ efforts to restore this iconic path and protect it via necessary armament, preserving public access until a long term solution can be forged.
Updates
July 30, 2019
Seeing five hundred people commit to preserving this coastal path confirms that our connection to the shoreline is shared by many. This milestone serves as a quiet reminder of how much this specific stretch of trail matters to our community. I appreciate the time each of you took to signal your support for this landscape.
Reached 500 supporters
July 29, 2019
July 19, 2019
Seeing this groundswell of support reminds me that our coastal trail is a vital piece of our local identity rather than just a patch of pavement. It is truly heartening to witness so many neighbors coming together to protect a path that has served our community for an entire century.
July 18, 2019
Reaching one hundred signatures feels like a quiet vote of confidence for our coastal trail. It is heartening to see this many people recognize that our local path holds historical and practical value worth protecting.
Reached 100 supporters
July 16, 2019
291 Comments
This trail is used by everyone. We have bikers, runners, walkers and ocean lovers! This is the main connection for all these folk to go from beach road trail to Doheney and then To San Juan creek trail. We MUST keep this trail open!
This trail was a vital part of my recovery when I was handicapped and could only walk flat surfaces. Day after day, I walked with my dog to have the ocean waves and salt spray breeze relieve my pain ridden body and spirit. For so many it is a vital part of our healthcare and everyday sanity.
This trail is vital. Aside from the erosion which needs immediate repairs, it is barely wide enough for a walker with dog and cyclists - a common occurrence. Slightly widening this trail would be safer and avoid collisions.
An engineered solution-- bridge, elevated boardwalk, cantilevered walkway-- must be considered beyond just riprap and sandbags. Erosion will continue but access provided by the path must continue, too.
The Coastal Development Permit must be approved to mitigate coastal erosion until a Master Plan is complete. Preservation of public access to the beach, pedestrian safety and the use of a historic beach trail are at stake.
Taking out the parking lot is a terrible solution for those that are handicapped or even somewhat disabled. That parking lot is the only access where you can park and see, or be on the ocean. Removing that beach access and easy parking is a severe loss to those that are handicapped and disabled.
Don't let our Coastal Trail go the way of the Dodo bird
We need to save this trail for future generations to enjoy, as we do now.
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This trail is used by everyone. We have bikers, runners, walkers and ocean lovers! This is the main connection for all these folk to go from beach road trail to Doheney and then To San Juan creek trail. We MUST keep this trail open!