The siting analysis is a process to evaluate the ease of implementation for the design, construction and management of the pilot project in different locations in the City. Multiple criteria, both qualitative and quantitative, are being analyzed to compare the various pilot locations to each other, with the performance of the pilot project as a main driver in the overall evaluation. 

The Oceanside City Council will receive a staff report summarizing the findings of the Siting Analysis at an upcoming Council Workshop. The staff report will detail the results of the Siting Analysis, provide a summary of outreach results from each public workshop and pop-up event, and offer a staff recommendation on the location which represents the highest ranking location for the pilot project. The goal of the Council Workshop will be to approve the recommended location, allowing the Project Team to move forward with more detailed engineering analysis and design. The City will continue to engage the public through an online survey and pop-up events through the Summer to get more feedback on the siting analysis.  

The Siting Analysis focused on the shoreline from the Pier south to the Buena Vista Lagoon (i.e. border of the City). The three segments within this southern, most eroded portion of the City’s coastline were identified based upon natural breaks in the coastline like major roadways, coastal features, and public accessways.

The selected criteria are important parameters to consider through permitting, implementation, operation, and maintenance of a project of this nature. These criteria were used as part of the alternative analysis in the Phase 1 Feasibility Study as well as during the Design Competition. It was further refined through discussions with the City Team, which included representatives from the City Manager’s office, Lifeguard, Public Works, and Engineering departments.

No. We are weighting criteria equally at this stage in the analysis, but we are considering public outreach in this effort.

The project team views that pilot project design can be optimized for any segment to meet the sand retention performance goals. However, the ease of implementation across segments, the swiftness in implementation and tradeoffs of benefits/challenges across segments are not equal. The evaluation of the criteria in each segment will help us determine the best location for the pilot project to move forward the easiest. Once a location is selected, the design can be refined and optimized accordingly. 

No, there are no proposed changes to parking as part of the project. The goal is to enhance access where possible at the eventual location of the pilot project, not to diminish it.

Surfing resource impacts are evaluated based on observed and modeled changes to existing surfing conditions over a designated time span and area. The Project Team has already conducted some baseline surf condition assessments based on historic Surfline camera analysis  and anecdotal data gathering from the surfing community (i.e. local surf clubs, user accounts). Based on this preliminary review of surfing conditions, a segment with high surf quality and a higher number of users would represent an area with a greater surf amenity and therefore greater potential for negative change (i.e. a greater impact to surf resources). Whereas a segment with an existing low surf quality and low number of users would represent an area with a greater potential for positive change.

The goal of the artificial reef will be to stabilize sandy beaches in the immediate vicinity. However, the reef may create surfing enhancements as a byproduct. For example, reef heights may promote wave breaking on the feature during certain conditions or may result in currents and sand deposition around the feature that may encourage favorable sand bars for surfing. This was the case in analogous projects in Queensland Australia.