On Thursday, county officials, the California State Coastal Conservancy and other members of the process gathered for the official ribbon cutting for the newly improved Cave Landing Natural Area in Avila Beach.
The improvements and restorations were part of a 15-year process that saw $1.1 million between impact fees and a grant from the state's coastal conservancy. For every one that saw it what it was before construction, it was much needed.
“It was in really bad shape," construction superintendent Dan Callery said. "It was tough for vehicles to get around, bad ruts everywhere and just tore up.”
“If you weren't agile on your feet, it was kind of dangerous,” local resident Anthony Quall said.
But that’s in the past now with the final construction and landscaping done over this past week. Improvements include trashcans, new ADA pathways, complete grading of the parking area, interpretive signage, bouldering alongside the cliff and a bio-retention center to help prevent erosion.
“If it's not maintained and put into the kind of condition it is now, people won't respect it," SLO County District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg said.
Tim Duff with the California State Coastal Conservancy saw 15 years ago that the land needed upkeep.
“It was an opportunity to work with the county to improve the parking lot," he said. "To create the accessible parking, to put in some boulders to protect people from falling over the cliff edge."
However, during the planning phase of this project, there was more left on the cutting room floor including proposals for a bathroom and improved beach access.
“Being unable to install the restroom was frustrating," Duff said. "We also proposed to improve the path from the parking lot down to the beach access stairs that go down to the beach.”
Duff explained that the pathway condition "was not in very good shape." But for some like Quall, he likes it that way.
“I like it that way because you got to really want to get down there if you're going to enjoy it.”
Duff told me he hopes for continued conversations with the County and the community to help get a bathroom installed and improved pathways and steps down to the beach.
