Enter the government scientists. Their mission: to create the first distinct record detailing how surf breaks under different conditions, and they’re doing it here at Pleasure Point, between 41st Avenue and Moran Lake.
County Supervisor Jan Beautz, who represents Live Oak, says before money is allotted for the project, neighbors must settle their differences.
Santa Cruz County plans to move forward to protect East Cliff Drive.
East Cliff Drive resident Jim Marshall also can’t say for sure how the break would be affected. But he does know if the wall is not built, he not only stands to lose his home, the public stands to lose the cliff-top walkway, popular with bikers and pedestrians.
The cliffs of Pleasure Point, with the winding stretch of East Cliff Drive perched atop, have survived another winter storm season without a major collapse. But the County Redevelopment Agency’s plan to reinforce the cliffs suffered a setback when the Coastal Commission rejected the long-awaited plan in November.
The roadway that winds along the bluff at Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz offers head-turning views of one of the best surfing spots in California. But pedestrians are well advised to watch their step — and not the surfers — as they stroll this popular promenade.
Save Our Shores opinion
East Cliff Drive / Pleasure Point protection project
On any given day, black-suited surfers can be seen riding the famous waves here. It’s these waves, which seem to roll into mile-long rides, that make the surf break off East Cliff Drive world-renowned among surfers. And that is part of the reason for the controversy over a years-in-the-making plan to stabilize the bluffs overlooking this point.