“I’ve seen cliffs fall into the ocean when I'm surfing, but I haven't seen a house go down that much,” Mikae Tracht, Arroyo Grande resident said.
Surfers like Tracht, often witness nature's force while enjoying the waves, but Sunday his eyes caught on a home over by Seacliff Drive in Shell Beach.
“There's been a lot of erosion recently in the past couple of years,” Tracht said.
And he's right, researchers at Lewis & Clark Law School have found currently 40% of the state's beaches face long-term erosion, with 66% experiencing short-term erosion.
For long-time residents of this neighborhood like Kay Brooner, who has lived here for more than 60 years, bluff erosion has been a longstanding concern within her community, and in Pismo Beach, recent storms have exacerbated the issue.
“Within the last year, we've had over $23 million in bluff damage along the coast. Some of that has been to coastal access stairways throughout the community that have had different impacts,“ Jorge Garcia, Pismo Beach City Manager said.
The erosion recently prompted the city to yellow-tag this home.
“A yellow tag means that it's restricted access so the property owner can go into the home during the day," Garcia said. "There's just not overnight stays.”
Homes can also be red-tagged, which means the area is not safe and entry to the property is prohibited.
The affected property owners have been informed of the situation, and the city is facilitating the permit process. However, Garcia says "it is not a simple over-the-counter permit."
“We can take the permits and we can help guide people with information, but coordinating and navigating the Coastal Act and the coastal development process is not an easy process,” Garcia said.
Garcia also said the Coastal Commission can appeal permits.
“Sometimes people think that it's the city that isn't issuing a permit, and that's not always the case," Garcia said. "Sometimes we do issue it, but they can be appealed again, it's part of that complexity of coastal permits and navigating the Coastal Act."
According to the city, the owner has not yet filed for an emergency coastal development permit.
