The California Coastal Commission Thursday approved the Orange County Transportation Authority’s efforts to shore up the rail corridor through San Clemente threatened by beach erosion.
The commissioners voted 11-0 to approve the OCTA’s plan to keep 48,463 tons of riprap on the seaside of the rails, add 2,100 tons of heavy rocks and construction of a 1,223-foot seawall as well as dumping 690,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach.
Since 2021, commuter and freight rail through South Orange County has been shut down repeatedly due to shoreline erosion. Commission staffers recommended the plan to address climate change, which has led to rising seas.
Officials say the beach at Cyprus Shore has
Officials say the beach at Cyprus Shore has shrunk from about 200 feet to less than 80 feet over the past decade. The commission’s staff recommended approval to protect train traffic through the south shore.
Orange County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Katrina Foley told the commission at its meeting in San Francisco Thursday that delaying the hearing, as some officials from the county suggested, could lead to waiting another three years for a dredging company to install the sand.
Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge told the commissioners, “We agree the situation here is dire.”
Commissioner Ray Jackson said, Doing nothing is not
Commissioner Ray Jackson said, “Doing nothing is not a good option… There’s no perfect solution, not even a good solution… But we don’t want perfection to be the enemy of the good.”
The commission approved a 10-year permit for the work with a check-in on the project in five years.
