The Avila Pier has been closed since 2015, but locals still have fond memories.
“I used to fish on it!” remembered Charlie Kamm.
“I used to roller skate on it and go to Sharky’s when we’d do the Bob Jones Trail,” said Ryan Kink.
"We'd grab a pier beer, just $2, and maybe take a leap off the pier," added Jennifer Yonen.
“I miss walking out there and looking back up the hillsides,” said Carol Shaddox.
The pier is more than 100 years old and has weathered many storms.
Locals have heard rumors about the reason why it was closed.
“The kind of resounding theme is that there was really good whale sightings and way too many people were on the pier? I don’t know how true that is,“ Kink said.
Port San Luis Harbor District Facilities Manager Chris Munson confirms the tales.
“We had the whales come out here to Avila Beach, and during that time, we had a number of people out on the pier, and the pier started to sway. So out of an abundance of caution at the time, we made the decision to close the pier,” Munson explained.
Munson says repairs to the pier’s trestle, utility lines, light posts and landing total more than $2.5 million. But after being battered by recent storms, the end of the pier is in critical condition, increasing repair estimates by another $1-1.5 million.
The non-profit organization Friends of Avila Pier has stepped in, receiving donations totaling more than $430,000. The Harbor District has also spent more than $400,000 of its own budget on the pier and has received several large grants to help pay for the project, including a $1.25 million grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board.
“Once we got the permitting and the funding, we started going in late 2022, and we've been working it out ever since," Munson said.
He says they expect to reopen a portion of the pier by the end of this year.
Friends of Avila Pier say they will recognize all donors who contribute $1,000 or more with a plaque on the pier. Prospective donors may pledge by credit card through their website, www.AvilaPier.org, or by sending a check to Friends of Avila Pier, PO Box 685, Avila Beach, CA 93424.
