Additional West Cliff projects in progress:
West Cliff Multi-Use Path Rehabilitation Project (2024 –2026) In progress Lighthouse Point Hazard and Engineering Analysis (2024 - 2030) In progress Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and Climate Adaptation Plan Integration & Update (2024 –2025)
Resilient Coast Santa Cruz 2.0 Shoreline Adaptation Management Plan (SAMP) Development (2025-2026)
Local Coastal Program (LCP) Update (2024 –2025)
Cowell and Indicators Stairs (2026-2027)
Since 2024, the City has initiated or completed approximately $30 million worth of projects along West Cliff, with approximately $17 million more needed to advance the prioritized projects in the Roadmap. This does not include ongoing funds required for maintenance, which are estimated to be approximately $500 thousand per year. As the City continues to integrate the forecasted impacts of climate change along West Cliff into planning and project implementation efforts, the City anticipates needing additional funding to recover from any future impacts of climate change and build resilience along West Cliff, and the entire Santa Cruz coastline.
Long-term sustainable funding for prioritized projects over the lifetime of the Vision continues to be a City goal and is critical to project success. The City’s General Fund budget, which supports the implementation of the Capital Investment Program (CIP), will likely only cover a few West Cliff projects or seed funding to support projects. The City can prioritize these projects
20.3 over others when pursuing grants and specialized funding sources specifically built for compliance, or specific types of infrastructure may be used to fund phases of projects.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) DETERMINATION: This agenda item is a simple status update, which is not a “project” under CEQA. (Pub. Resources Code, § 21065.)
HEALTH IN ALL POLICIES (HiAP): The Roadmap is consistent with all three HiAP pillars. Sustainability Pillar - The implementation of the Roadmap is a mitigation action specified in the draft final Local Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan. Public Health Pillar - The Roadmap has a nexus with public health in that it will help the City with recovery efforts along West Cliff Drive. Recovery efforts in this area will ensure continued emergency access, reduce risks to life safety from coastal hazards, and ensure accessible, safe biking and pedestrian access for future public use and recreation. Equity Pillar - The prioritization and implementation of individual projects within the Roadmap will continue to be weighed against other citywide priorities such as addressing homelessness, infrastructure needs in neighborhoods throughout the City, Council priorities and other service efforts citywide.
FISCAL IMPACT:
1. The recommendation in this report impacts the General Fund: No
2. This recommendation requires a budget adjustment: No
3. The recommendation creates an on-going expenditure commitment: No FISCAL IMPACT DESCRIPTION: There is no impact to the General Fund to receive a status update on individual projects included in the adopted 5-year Roadmap. Each of the proposed projects in the 5-year Roadmap have associated costs which are or will be detailed based on assessment of project scope and identification of grant funding, General Capital Investment Program (CIP) fund revenues, or other identified funding sources.
Prepared By:
Michelle Templeton
Assistant City Manager
Submitted By:
Nathan Nguyen, P.E.
Director of Public Works
Michelle Templeton
Assistant City Manager
Approved By:
Matt Huffaker
City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 5-YEAR ROADMAP FOR WEST CLIFF.PDF
2. 2026 ANNUAL UPDATE TO 5-YEAR ROADMAP FOR WEST CLIFF.PDF
20.4 5-year Roadmap for
West Cliff
M a r c h 2 0 2 5
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
20.5 Table of Contents
Introduction by the City Manager
02 5-Year Roadmap - Purpose and Context
03 Anatomy of a Project
07 5-year Roadmap - Prioritized Projects
09 Timeline for 5-year Roadmap
20 Funding for City Projects
21 Next Steps
23 Appendices
25 Relationship Between the 50-year Vision
for West Cliff and the 5-year Roadmap
05 20.6
Santa Cruz is known for its natural beauty, vibrant community, and deep-rooted connection to our dynamic coast. West Cliff uniquely stands as a place where coastal beauty, our commitment to environmental stewardship, and our focus on community converge.
To connect our approach to coastal management with the community’s aspirations for West Cliff, we worked with the community to develop the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff (Vision). Through this process it was reaffirmed that West Cliff is a wellloved community resource and that preserving access to this area for both residents and visitors is a strong community value. This process brought diverse and varying voices together and led to deeper collaboration and engagement around the future of West Cliff. We channeled this momentum into the next step of the visioning process - implementation.
To implement the Vision, we’ve developed this 5-year Roadmap for West Cliff which defines new projects, identified in collaboration with our community, that the City will work towards over the next five years. Throughout this process, the City worked closely with our community, leaning into difficult conversations around project prioritization, and confronted the very real constraints of funding availability, City staff capacity, coastal regulatory uncertainty, jurisdictional authority, and unknown future environmental conditions to narrow the list of projects the City is able to implement.
Over the next five years, we intend to take the first steps to realize the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff. We are focused on restoring West Cliff to its prestorm conditions, which includes the original two-way traffic patterns that were in place before the storms. Of course, we cannot control nature, and recognize that if conditions change, we will have to adjust our efforts to address those conditions.
We will continue to work together as a community and with the State of California to support adaptive management along West Cliff’s dynamic coastline. We are grateful to our community members, the City’s West Cliff team, the West Cliff Implementation Committee, and the Mayor and City Council who have all engaged with developing the 5-year Roadmap. Together, we will shape the next chapter of West Cliff and honor the legacy of our coast with foresight, dedication, and collective action. Each step will bring us closer to a future where West Cliff continues to inspire, connect, and serve our community today and for generations to come. We recognize this is only the beginning and look forward to moving this Vision forward together.
Introduction by the City Manager
Matt Huffaker
City Manager
20.7 After approving the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff (Vision) in April 2024, the Santa Cruz City Council directed City staff to prepare a roadmap as a tool to initiate implementation of the Vision. The City developed the 5-year Roadmap for West Cliff (5-year Roadmap) through a collective prioritization process shaped by input from community members, the City’s West Cliff team, the West Cliff Implementation Committee (WCIC), and the City Council.
The 5-year Roadmap outlines the top five priority projects (described on page 9, “5-year Roadmap - Prioritized Projects”) identified by the City and community for potential implementation between March 2025 and December 2030. The City recognizes that these projects may require review and permit approval under the City's Local Coastal Program, which is currently being updated to reflect both the City's Vision and the 5-year Roadmap. While the purpose of the 5-year Roadmap is to advance decisions made in the Vision, it also supports City implementation of adaptive coastal management and alignment of projects across City planning documents (e.g. the Local Coastal Program Amendment, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, and others). By identifying projects consistent with the Vision, the City is able to allocate resources to those projects and move them forward for analysis and consideration.
The 5-year Roadmap will position the City to successfully achieve the Vision for West Cliff while balancing existing projects, unplanned projects related to disaster recovery, erosion, or other impacts of climate change. While this effort aims to develop a strategic approach to projects along West Cliff, the City acknowledges that emergency projects following a disaster may supersede this list of priorities.
Both the Vision and 5-year Roadmap are initial steps to accommodating a dynamic coast while implementing the community’s priorities along West Cliff. 5- year Roadmap - Purpose and Context
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20.8 Figure 1. Jurisdictional bounds consider whether the City has the authority in a certain area. For example, any activities below the high tide line or overlapping with neighboring cities, the County of Santa Cruz, or the State of California would require engagement with, and possible approval from, these jurisdictions and could limit the feasibility of certain projects. Regulatory considerations include legal requirements imposed on the City (such as the California Environmental Quality Act), permit authorities, and whether the City needs to work with regulators such as the California Coastal Commission (CCC).
Environmental bounds acknowledge that ongoing sea level rise and forecasted increases in extreme storm event frequency and duration are projected to significantly increase future erosion rates, which could limit the applicability of certain projects. These will have both long and short-term impacts along the coastline. Financial considerations recognize that federal and State funding landscapes are likely to be more competitive with reduced funding as climate change related disasters become more common. The City's is also constrained by its capacity to develop and implement projects which can limit the number of additional projects the City can advance.
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
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20.9 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 0 5
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
From these many activities emerges a need for an inclusive community that comes together to build trust, solve problems, and fashion a collective future together for West Cliff that recognizes these many uses and the cherished landscape and community that exists. (Vision, page 14)
Over the next 50 years, the community pictures a resilient and accessible West Cliff for all – celebrating the beauty and awe of the coast, while balancing the varied uses of residents and visitors and keeping the community safe. (Vision, page 14)
PRIORITIZING PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ACCESS
The community requested the City prioritize pedestrian and bicycle access by converting one lane of traffic along West Cliff to separated pedestrian and bicycle lanes....Going forward, the City will preserve separated pedestrian and bicycle access as a priority when making decisions surrounding management of West Cliff. (Vision, page 15)
Relationship Between the 50-year Vision for West Cliff
and the 5-year Roadmap
In response to the January 2023 storms, the City initiated a process to develop a 50- year Community Vision for West Cliff approved by the Santa Cruz City Council in April 2024. The Vision, and its pillars below, represent the community’s aspirations for what West Cliff will look like and how it will be used in 50 years. This allows the City to move projects forward for analysis and consideration which may take many years to plan, fund, and complete, while also building disaster resilience along West Cliff to protect the community from the impacts of future extreme storms and other climate change stressors. The 5-year Roadmap contains a suite of prioritized City projects to advance the Vision. Each of the following Vision pillars is accompanied by an icon. These icons are referenced in the 5-year Roadmap proposed projects to identify how these projects tie back to the Vision.
BALANCING CHANGE AND A COLLECTIVE FUTURE
BEAUTY, RESILIENCE, AND CONTINUED USES
ONE-WAY VEHICLE ACCESS AND ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC
CONTROL
To create the space required to prioritize separated pedestrian and bicycle access, the City may consider a pilot program to explore a transition from twoway vehicle traffic along West Cliff Drive to one-way westbound vehicle traffic. (Vision, page 15)
20.10 LIMITED HARD ARMORING
Since armoring will be limited to those areas with critical infrastructure and to maintain pedestrian and bicycle access to West Cliff, the City can conserve the natural cliff-ocean interface which allows for some sand from natural erosion to replenish beaches. (Vision, page 16)
EXPLORING NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AND
ENGINEERED NATURAL FEATURE RESTORATION
To buffer against the impacts to beaches caused by hard armoring in some areas and to improve West Cliff’s resilience, the City will explore naturebased solutions and engineered natural feature restoration management strategies. (Vision, page 16)
PARK SPACE AS RECREATION AREA AND
BUFFER
Ensuring park and coastal access while minimizing built infrastructure in park space is a way to work with nature to preserve a natural coastline. (Vision, page 17)
PLANNED RELOCATION
In those areas where space is no longer available to support access by the community, the City will explore partnerships to develop a program to provide opportunities for private and public landowners to engage in optional buyout and/or lease back programs. (Vision, page 17)
COLLABORATION
Collaboration with the community, public partners, research institutions, non-profit, and private partners to identify effective pathways forward to advance the 50-year Community Vision is essential. (Vision, page 17)
CONSIDER THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE
OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS ABUTTING WEST
CLIFF DRIVE
The City recognizes the importance of engaging with residents in the neighborhoods abutting West Cliff Drive to hear their feedback on the impacts of climate change and the City’s efforts to implement the 50-year Community Vision, including addressing any traffic and safety concerns. (Vision, page 18)
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20.11 Developing, designing, and implementing a project requires a significant amount of City staff time, planning, and effort to bring a project from concept to completion.
To address this commitment of City resources, the City often delivers projects in phases (i.e. planning, design, permitting, construction). Depending on a project’s complexity and scale, the sum of these phases can take over five years to complete. This process takes even longer if the project is located along the coast due to additional regulations and resource protection requirements governing coastal projects. Throughout each step, City staff follow regulations and respond to community concerns while keeping projects on schedule and within the allowable budget. To learn more about the details of how a project is managed from start to finish, see Appendix A - Detailed Project Process.
Anatomy of a Project
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ANALYSIS AND
PERMITTING
(3 months to 3+ years)
Environmental Review
Regulatory Permitting
Property Permissions
IMPLEMENTATION
(1 to 5+ years)
Project Construction
DEVELOPMENT
(1 to 3+ years)
Project Description
Secure Funding
Evaluate Capacity
Design Project
MITIGATION AND
MONITORING
(1 to 5+ years)
Monitoring
Mitigation
20.12 The permitting process is important for ensuring that new development is consistent with the policies of the Local Coastal Program (LCP) and the California Coastal Act. However, during emergencies, there is often not enough time to address permitting requirements before action must be taken. The emergency permitting process for City projects can move quickly, as opposed to the longer time needed for a regular permit. Depending on the complexity of a project, it can take several years to secure non-emergency permits, and sometimes longer. After the 2023 storm damage on West Cliff, the City was able to take quick action to obtain emergency permits, stabilize the road, and secure funding due to the emergency nature of the damages.
What is an Emergency Coastal Development Permit:
The California Coastal Act requires a permit for all new development in the coastal zone to meet statewide policies to protects public access and recreation, sensitive habitats, and other important coastal resources. It also requires that local governments develop Local Coastal Programs (LCPs) (consisting of Land Use Plans and Implementing ordinances) to carry out policies of the California Coastal Act at the local level. Once approved by the Coastal Commission, responsibility for issuing coastal permits for development above the mean high tide is with local governments. The Coastal Commission retains permitting authority below the mean high tide. The Coastal Commission also keeps an appeal authority over certain locally-approved development, such as along the immediate shoreline or adjacent to wetlands and streams.
When there is an emergency along the coast (such as the one experienced on West Cliff in January 2023), a local government may be eligible for an Emergency Coastal Development Permit. This streamlined permitting process allows for the speedy authorization of some emergency-related coastal development activities. However, some emergency actions must still be authorized by a standard Coastal Development Permit within a certain timeframe after the emergency.
Additional Regulatory Permits:
In addition to the Coastal Commission, the City works with many agencies to secure both emergency and non-emergency permits. These agencies include, but are not limited to: the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Water Resources Control Board, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
Permitting Requirements for Coastal Projects
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20.13 5-year Roadmap - Prioritized Projects
To develop an initial list of projects, staff reviewed existing City planning documents for activities and projects proposed for West Cliff (see Appendix A for additional process details). With guidance from the WCIC, the City refined and condensed this list to eight projects that were presented during the October 21, 2024 Community Conversation for the community to consider for inclusion in the 5-year Roadmap. After this interactive meeting, the City and the WCIC reviewed the community’s feedback and project ranking and considered the capacity of each department to begin additional projects. This consideration resulted in a list of five projects that represent the community priorities for West Cliff over the next five years, and the start of implementing the Vision. A list of existing projects underway can be found in Appendix B - Existing Projects Underway Outside of 5- year Roadmap.
It is important to note that while regulatory agencies are open to hybrid approaches (e.g., grey/green solutions), the City does not have a guarantee that a project will be permitted by the agencies until the agencies have reviewed a full project proposal that includes detailed alternatives analysis. After review, regulators may approve the project, approve the project with mitigation requirements to offset the project impacts to the environment, or deny the project.
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20.14 Department Location Project Cost Emergency
Status Duration
Public Works
Department
West Cliff
coastline
Estimated cost:
$15,000,000/ Annual
maintenance funding:
$500,000/year
Not an
emergency
project
2025-2030
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BACKGROUND
The City has installed numerous revetments
along West Cliff Drive. Each revetment
includes armoring that acts as the primary
buffer against erosion, typically in the form
of large, loose rocks called riprap. Due to
their constant exposure to harsh conditions,
revetments require regular maintenance to
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
REVETMENT REPAIR PROJECT
SUMMARY
This project aims to enhance recreational uses and maintain the existing path while repurposing existing riprap if possible and minimizing the addition of new riprap.
What is a revetment?
Revetments are sloping structures
placed on shorelines or along the
base of cliffs to reduce coastal
erosion.
keep rocks and other armoring materials in position. It is crucial that design activities related to revetments are coordinated with other priorities, such as transportation, habitat restoration, and overlook improvements. This holistic approach minimizes the impacts of construction activities related to revetment armoring on coastal access and neighborhoods during operations.
PROJECT UPDATE
The City’s previous assessments have identified the following components of an armoring maintenance program: (1) implement new and replacement armoring projects zone by zone, (2) design and implementation phases, and (3) develop criteria for maintenance repairs corridor-wide. The City’s Public Works Department performs an annual inspection and assessment of all armoring movements.
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
20.15 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 1 1
PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS
City staff propose addressing revetments in the “Failed/Needs Repair” and “<10 Years of Existing Life” categories. These include Rip Rap Sites #3, #6, #25, #28, #33, and #48.
City staff propose retrieving and restacking escaped rocks where feasible (i.e., riprap that has moved out of place but could be reconstructed), restacking or repair of existing structures (which could include new rock) to minimize toe scour, maintaining revetment design profiles (when feasible) to reduce the footprint on the beach, and general maintenance to reduce the need for emergency repairs.
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
REVETMENT REPAIR PROJECT
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BACKGROUND
During the late December 2023 high surf event, and due in part to deferred maintenance, Santa Cruz experienced significant impacts from large waves and coastal flooding, including evacuations, area closures, and damage to beaches and infrastructure, and notably erosion of the recreational path near 800 West Cliff Drive across from Lighthouse Field State Park. The State Disaster Declaration (CDAA 2024-01), declared in response to the high surf event, provided access to funding and resources for immediate emergency response and long-term recovery efforts.
PROJECT UPDATE
After confirming emergency funding, City staff evaluated repair options and identified road relocation as the best solution. This approach aligns with local and State policies, ensuring regulatory compliance, and uses available space to move the pathway inland without encroaching on private property. Supported by State Parks staff, relocation offers a durable, resilient, and financially viable solution, avoiding the need for additional coastal armoring while supporting long-term sustainability.
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
LIGHTHOUSE FIELD ROADWAY
RELOCATION
SUMMARY
The proposed project would involve the design and construction of a 400-footlong section of two-way West Cliff Drive roadway and recreational path, shifted approximately 50 feet inland. Doing this would move the roadway and recreation path out of the projected erosion zone.
Department Location Project Cost Emergency
Status Duration
Public Works
Department
800 Block of
West Cliff
Drive
Estimated cost:
$2,000,000
Annual maintenance
funding: N/A
Is an
emergency
project
2025 - design
2027 - roadway
acquisition and
construction
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
20.17 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 1 3
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PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS
Project Scope: The scope for this project would include all necessary services to deliver the project, including engineering design, surveying, geotechnical engineering, right-of-way (ROW) negotiations, environmental review and permitting, and engineering and environmental monitoring services during construction.
Mitigation: This project is being proposed in part to address anticipated mitigation for the City’s infill walls approved under emergency authorizations.
The nature and extent of required mitigation will be considered during the regular permit review process with the Coastal Commission.
Next Steps: The City needs to secure emergency funding for this project, as well as assemble an engineering and design team to develop plans, conduct and consider any required environmental review, obtain permits and right-ofway permissions. After this the City can proceed with bidding and construction.
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
LIGHTHOUSE FIELD ROADWAY
RELOCATION
What is mitigation?
In the context of coastal development, the California Coastal Commission defines mitigation as measures designed to offset or compensate for adverse environmental impacts caused by developments, including seawalls or other armoring structures. These measures often aim to address the loss of public access, sand supply, and natural habitats that are affected by coastal armoring.
For example, mitigation for seawalls or other coastal armoring can include:
Sand Supply Impact Fees: Developers may be required to pay fees to compensate for sand loss caused by armoring
Habitat Restoration: Mitigation might involve funding or conducting habitat restoration projects to counteract damages to habitat caused by armoring.
Access Preservation: Mitigation may involve developing alternative public access routes if armoring impacts shoreline access.
The Coastal Commission generally prefers the following: 1) avoidance of new armoring; 2) imposition of strict conditions if armoring is deemed necessary to mitigate the environmental impacts of armoring; and 3) evaluation of armoring on a case-by-case basis.
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BACKGROUND
The Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Network is a decision support tool for coastal management by facilitating monitoring, analyzing and reporting of critical coastal conditions, such as cliff erosion, beach width, and sea level rise, as well as the condition of coastal assets (e.g., seawalls, stairways, etc.). Community science components can engage the community and visitors in coastal management efforts, fostering participation in science and environmental stewardship. Coastal monitoring is also required by the City’s Local Coastal Program.
PROJECT UPDATE
Previously, the City worked with thirteen local, State, and federal agencies, and nonprofits to design the network, which has been continuously refined through subsequent grant efforts.
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
SANTA CRUZ COASTAL CHANGE
MONITORING NETWORK
SUMMARY
The Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Network is designed to track and analyze coastal changes to provide updated data that can inform the City’s coastal management decisions. This project is critical for the long-term management of the coastline, including preparation for sea-level rise and storm impacts.
Department Location Project Cost Emergency
Status Duration
City
Manager’s
Office and
Public Works
Department
Entire City
Coastline
Estimated cost:
$350,000
Annual maintenance
funding: $20,000
Not an
emergency
project
5 years
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
20.19 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 1 5
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PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS
Project Scope: The project includes data collection through a tidal gauge, drone imagery, and camera stations, as well as a coastal asset management tool and dashboard to access and analyze data collected. These tools will allow real time analytics and tracking of beach erosion, flooding, wave overtopping, and other coastal conditions.
Community Science: Residents and visitors may participate in coastal monitoring via CoastSnap stations, where they can capture photos to contribute to beach and erosion data.
Data Integration: All data will be collected in a centralized decision support tool, enabling City officials to track and analyze coastal conditions and manage coastal assets through a comprehensive digital dashboard.
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
SANTA CRUZ COASTAL CHANGE
MONITORING NETWORK
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C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
BACKGROUND
There are a variety of funding and financing mechanisms the City could explore to generate funding for infrastructure along West Cliff that builds climate resilience.
One example of a potential mechanism is State Bill 852 which created specific climate resilience districts. These allow city, county, special districts or a combination of agencies to form a Climate Resilience District to fund projects to mitigate the impacts of climate change. However, the City needs additional information about this potential opportunity, and others, to determine the most appropriate method to generate revenue to fund infrastructure along West Cliff.
PROJECT UPDATE
The project would involve evaluating funding and financing mechanisms to fund infrastructure projects along West Cliff to build climate resilience. The goal of this project is to provide a report with recommendations on potential options for the City to consider. Reliable, ongoing sources of revenue will be critical to ensuring the City can continue to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
WEST CLIFF INFRASTRUCTURE
FINANCING FEASIBILITY STUDY
SUMMARY
The West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility Study project would involve evaluating all available funding and financing mechanisms to make recommendations on how the City could fund infrastructure projects along West Cliff. This project could include evaluating bonds, locally authorized financing mechanisms (tax increment financing, special tax district) or other mechanisms to determine the best options to fund infrastructure projects.
Department Location Project Cost Emergency
Status Duration
City
Manager’s
Office
Not Applicable
Estimated cost:
$400,000
Annual maintenance
funding: N/A
Not an
emergency
project
16 months
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
20.21 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 1 7
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS
Scope, Request for Proposals (RFP): Prepare scope of work, and conduct an RFP process to hire a consultant to evaluate funding and financing mechanisms.
Evaluate Financing Options: Work with the consultant to analyze funding and financing mechanisms based on geographic scale, governance, revenue potential, community support, and administrative requirements.
Engagement: Engage governing bodies, community members, leadership, and adjacent agencies for feedback on recommendations for funding and financing mechanisms.
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
WEST CLIFF INFRASTRUCTURE
FINANCING FEASIBILITY STUDY
20.22 BACKGROUND
A number of areas exist where the City needs to improve landscaping, amenities, way-finding, and overlooks. Developing signage and design standards will create consistency in elements installed along West Cliff and will improve the visitor experience. The City will integrate consistent design standards into future infrastructure projects, making these projects easier to implement.
PROJECT UPDATE
The Parks and Recreation Department intends to lead a West Cliff Drive standards project to specify design standards for landscaping, overlooks, railings, park signs, interpretive signs, and minor retaining walls. The City will consider incorporating habitat and landscaping improvements into these efforts. The recreation elements also include features such as bike racks, guide signs, and way-finding.
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Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
CORRIDOR-WIDE MASTER SIGNAGE
PLAN AND DESIGN STANDARDS
SUMMARY
The City’s Parks and Recreation Department would lead a West Cliff Drive standards project to specify design standards for landscaping, overlooks, railings, park signs, interpretive signs, and minor retaining walls. Consistent design standards will streamline City projects by making them quicker to implement as certain design decisions will already be made.
Department Location Project Cost Emergency
Status Duration
Department
of Parks and
Recreation
Along the
entirety of West
Cliff
Estimated cost:
$100,000
Annual maintenance
funding: N/A
Not an
emergency
project
18 months
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
20.23 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 1 9
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS
The elements considered for design standards may include: Way-finding (direction) signs for vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle access, recreational signage (i.e. stay off the cliff), interpretive and education signage, bench selections, bike racks, retaining walls and fences, color palettes, and planting palettes.
Project Steps: To advance this project, the City will need to hire a consultant/landscape architect, identify features for the design standards, host public working groups, conduct constructability and maintenance reviews, perform any required environmental analysis, and go through a permitting and public review process.
Prioritized 5-year Roadmap Project
CORRIDOR-WIDE MASTER SIGNAGE
PLAN AND DESIGN STANDARDS
20.24 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 2 0
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design
Standards
West Cliff - Bethany
Curve Culvert Project
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
and Climate Adaptation Plan
Integration and Update
Living shorelines,
Nature-Based
Solutions, and Sand
management
Feasibility Study
Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation
West Cliff, East Cliff and
Main/Cowell Beaches
Shoreline Adaptation
Implementation Blueprints
Revetment Repair Project
Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Network
West Cliff Infrastructure
Financing Feasibility Study
Lighthouse Point Hazard and Engineering Analysis, Permitting and Implementation West Cliff Storm
Damages &
Infrastructure Repairs
West Cliff Multi-Use Path
Rehabilitation Project
Local Coastal
Program
Update
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Timeline for 5-year Roadmap
Figure 2. The 5-year Roadmap timeline shows the duration of existing projects (white) and new projects (light green). For the new projects, these timelines are estimates which may change due to new natural disasters, changes in conditions, review and approval by California Coastal Commission, or other factors.
20.25 Funding for City Projects
The City currently has approximately $30 million worth of projects underway along West Cliff, with approximately $17 million more needed to advance the prioritized projects in the 5-year Roadmap. This does not include ongoing funds required for maintenance needs, which are estimated to be approximately $500,000 per year.
As the City continues to integrate the forecasted impacts of climate change along West Cliff into planning and project implementation efforts, the City anticipates needing additional funding to recover from any future impacts of climate change and build resilience along West Cliff, and the entire Santa Cruz coastline.
Long-term sustainable funding for prioritized projects over the lifetime of the Vision continues to be a City goal. While federal and State disaster recovery funds have been critical to support recovery and resiliency efforts along the coast, they still require a local match. Proactive projects may occur concurrently with disaster recovery efforts. However, the City must identify, develop, and implement disaster recovery projects quickly in order to receive emergency funding and obtain emergency permits. This creates a situation where disaster recovery projects take precedent over proactive projects due to the availability of project funding and streamlined permitting. With the City taking a more proactive stance on addressing risk and resilience in advance of disasters, previous funding sources the City relied upon will not cover the cost of projects intended to mitigate risks.
Changes in federal and State priorities increase the need to create a comprehensive funding and financing approach which includes a blend of federal, State, regional, and local revenue and financing options. 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 2 1
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The City’s General Fund budget, which supports the implementation of the Capital Investment Program (CIP), will likely only cover a few West Cliff projects or seed funding to support projects. The City can prioritize these projects over others when pursuing grants, and specialized funding sources specifically built for compliance or specific types of infrastructure may be used to fund phases of projects. Larger resilience projects tend to require funding stacks, which are multiple sources of funding and financing required for complex multi-benefit projects.
20.27 Next Steps
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 2 3
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
With a variety of current projects already underway along West Cliff, the 5-year Roadmap serves as a tool to establish prioritized projects that align with the Vision. In the next five years, the City will make progress on existing and prioritized projects, while also responding to maintenance issues, ongoing disaster recovery, impacts of erosion, and other unplanned events that may occur along West Cliff. While all of the proposed projects in the 5-year Roadmap have been identified as priorities for implementing the Vision, it is important to note that the City is responsible for existing and directed projects across the entire community and priorities can change with City Council direction, changing conditions or other emergencies.
50-year
Community Vision
for West Cliff
Local Coastal
Program
Capital
Investment
Program
5-year
Roadmap for
West Cliff
Figure 3. The Local Coastal Program (LCP) is a planning and regulatory document the City is required to prepare by the Coastal Commission. This LCP directs all development activities in the coastal zone. Projects or activities in the City’s other planning documents must be consistent with the LCP. The City is incorporating elements of the Vision into the LCP. The Capital Investment Program (CIP) outlines a multi-year schedule of projects with cost estimates and potential funding sources.
Going forward, the prioritization of projects along West Cliff to guide the City to achieve the Vision will occur in this document. The Vision is not a regulatory document, but it does influence the projects included in the CIP and what is included in the LCP. Future updates to the Vision are intended to occur concurrently with the update to the LCP, thereby streamlining project prioritization and consideration through these three critical documents. The Vision informed the 5-year Roadmap, and is guided by the LCP and the CIP. The Vision provides opportunities for accessible public influence over the long-term vision for West Cliff, while the LCP provides the regulatory framework for Citywide activities, and the CIP provides the prioritized list of citywide capital projects for City investment.
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The 5-year Roadmap is the first step toward realizing the long-term Vision for West Cliff. Going forward, the City intends to integrate identification of the next set of priority projects along West Cliff into the City’s Capital Investment Program (CIP), leveraging the pillars of the Vision and the updated LCP. The City’s CIP is a multi-year schedule of projects with cost estimates and potential funding sources.
The CIP outlines and prioritizes major infrastructure projects like road improvements, sewer upgrades, storm drains, and other public facilities, detailing their funding and timeline for construction and maintenance across the City.
Integrating these processes will streamline and align the City’s efforts to advance the Vision along West Cliff by integrating the Vision into the fabric of the City’s prioritization process for projects. To further align City planning documents, the next update to the Vision will occur concurrently with the City’s next update on the Local Coastal Program. Following adoption of the next Vision update and LCP, the City will use the CIP process to develop prioritized projects specific to West Cliff.
As with all City projects, there will be additional opportunities to engage as the City works to advance the five prioritized projects. Each project would be subject to its own environmental analysis as part of delivering the project. By focusing the next five years of work with projects aligned with the Vision, the City is setting itself up to proactively meet the challenges presented by our dynamic coast with intention.
20.29 C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 2 5
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
Project Description: The City begins by defining the goal of the project, timeline, location, and how the project will address community needs. The City also identifies whether the City has capacity to advance the project or whether they need to hire consultants to support the project.
Secure Funding: Next, the City must identify potential funding sources, and either apply for grants or allocate funding for the project from the City’s budget, if such funding is available. If the City pursues grant funding, staff will need to identify grant funds, prepare an application, and be selected for funding. This process can often take upwards of two years from the time the City submits an application to when funding is received, if awarded the grant. If unsuccessful in securing grant funding, the City will need to identify other funding opportunities or apply for new grants.
Evaluate Capacity: If the City determines there is a need to hire consultants to support staff on a project or to provide specific technical expertise, the City begins a formal process to procure consultants. This includes drafting and releasing a public document requesting qualified consultants to submit applications to be considered to support the project. At this phase, the City may look to hire consultants for design and engineering and may hire consultants for community engagement and construction later in the project process. This process can take between three months to up to a year.
Design Project: City staff or the project team (City staff and consultants) work to design the project. This can include developing drawings or a project workplan.
ANALYSIS AND PERMITTING
Environmental Review: Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), some level of environmental analysis is needed for most projects that will result in a change to the environment. Some City projects that are not likely to have adverse environmental impacts can take advantage of CEQA exemptions. If no exemption applies, other CEQA clearance routes may include completing an Initial Study (IS) followed by a Negative Declaration (ND), Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), or an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Complying with CEQA ensures Appendix A - Detailed Project Process
20.30 that a project’s environmental impacts are considered before the City approves and implements a project.
Regulatory Permitting: The City will determine what permits are necessary to complete the project. The City works with the relevant agencies, such as the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the California Coastal Commission (CCC), and/or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to obtain the permits. Depending on the findings of the environmental review, this process can take multiple years.
Property Permissions: If the project involves accessing private or limited access properties, the City will need to acquire right of way permissions. As needed, the City may need to secure permission from private landowners to access a property as part of the project.
IMPLEMENTATION
Project Construction: Once the City has designed the project, completed appropriate environmental review, and secured permits, the City can begin construction either with City staff or using a contractor. Depending on how large and complex the project is, it could take upwards of five years to complete construction.
MONITORING AND MITIGATION
Project Monitoring: After project construction, the City will monitor the project for compliance with environmental regulations and to confirm it is operating successfully.
Decision Support Monitoring: Collecting and analyzing data to directly inform and align with decision-making frameworks to result in effective actions.
Mitigation: If the project requires mitigation - for example, rebuilding a wetland in a different location, if wetland was damaged in the project- then the City will monitor these mitigation areas.
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 2 6
20.31 With Santa Cruz being located along such a dynamic coast, the City is constantly working to maintain continuous access and public amenities along West Cliff for the community, while responding to coastal changes. The City has completed hundreds of projects along West Cliff over the past decades and is currently working to restore West Cliff to pre-storm conditions. With so many projects, it can be difficult to track the City’s progress toward completing projects or understand what projects the City already has underway. In 2024, there were multiple projects along West Cliff actively underway, including a number of projects with committed funding that were initiated under emergency approvals and funding, scheduled to begin prior to development of the 5-year Roadmap.
These existing and funded projects are scheduled to move forward and are therefore, not part of the prioritized list of projects in the 5-year Roadmap.
Including information on these existing projects provides an update to the community on the City’s progress on projects along West Cliff as of December 2024. With these projects underway, some available City staff resources are already committed. This limits the number of additional projects the City can begin along West Cliff, unless the City acquires additional funding to study projects, construct projects, and build staff capacity. Furthermore, building staff capacity requires ongoing funding which one-time grant opportunities cannot provide.
Appendix B - Existing Projects
Underway Outside of the 5-year
Roadmap
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 2 7
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
20.32 Department Location Project Cost Timeframe Status Public Works 1000 block of
West Cliff Drive $10,000,000 Summer 2023 -2027
Near completion.
Emergency
permits needed.
Existing Project Underway
WEST CLIFF BETHANY CURVE
CULVERT PROJECT
PROJECT SCOPE
This project involves replacing roadway sections and drainage structures and installing new culvert headwalls, elevating the road surface, and install new concrete guardrails to protect against wave overtopping.
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
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20.33 PROJECT SCOPE
To address storm damages and infrastructure repairs, this project includes constructing infill walls, repairing sinkholes, fixing pipe connections, and restoring pathways along sections of West Cliff.
Existing Project Underway
WEST CLIFF - STORM DAMAGES
AND INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS
Department Location Project Cost Timeframe Status
Public Works
900, 1000,
1100, 2100
blocks of
West Cliff
Drive
$18,000,000 Winter 2022 -
Spring 2025
Under construction.
Two-way vehicle traffic
restoration anticipated
Spring 2025.
Emergency permits
needed.
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 2 9
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20.34 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p
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Existing Project Underway
WEST CLIFF - STORM DAMAGES
AND INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS
P a g e 3 0
20.35 PROJECT SCOPE
The City is refinishing the West Cliff path’s asphalt surface from Natural Bridges State Beach to David Way to enhance safety and accessibility for all users, as well as enhancing crossings at multiple intersections between Swanton Boulevard and David Way.
Department Location Project
Cost Timeframe Status
Public Works
Swanton
Boulevard
to David
Way
$500,000
-
$700,00
Winter
2023 -
Summer
2025
2024 bid exceeded budget.
Cost reduction value
engineering underway. Rebid
early 2025, construction
planned for summer.
Existing Project Underway
WEST CLIFF MULTI-USE PATH
REHABILITATION
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 3 1
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20.36 PROJECT SCOPE
The City will study the condition of existing caves and rock formations surrounding Lighthouse Point and recommend options to protect, restore, and/or relocate infrastructure along Lighthouse Point, consistent with the City’s Local Coastal Program, as part of the City’s balanced approach to coastal management.
This project will inform the City’s next steps, which could include a capital investment project for Lighthouse Point once the study is complete.
Existing Project Underway
LIGHTHOUSE POINT HAZARD
AND ENGINEERING ANALYSIS
Department Location Project Cost Timeframe Status
Public Works Lighthouse
Point
$150,000 - $350,000
for the study
Winter 2024 -
2030
Procuring
consultant
team
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
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20.37 PROJECT SCOPE
The City is assessing the feasibility of using living shorelines, sand management techniques, and other nature-based solutions to address coastal hazards. The project will make recommendations for future nature-based solutions projects and prepare 30% of designs for up to three projects and identify ecological markers and monitoring methods for tracking coastal change.
Existing Project Underway
LIVING SHORELINES, NATURE-BASED
SOLUTIONS, AND SAND MANAGEMENT
FEASIBILITY STUDY
Department Location Project Cost Timeframe Status
City Manager’s
Office
City of Santa
Cruz Coastline $550,000 June 2024 -March 2025 Ongoing
What is a nature-based solution?
According to the California Coastal Commission, a nature-based solution is a coastal adaptation and/or erosion control method comprised of natural elements, which contributes to the persistence and enhancement of coastal processes and ecological benefits while also offering protection services to inshore areas.
Nature-based Adaptation strategies include both “soft solutions”, which avoid fixing the shoreline with hard structures and instead rely on the use of dynamic systems to attenuate coastal hazards, such as dune or wetland restoration, or sand replenishment and “hybrid armoring”. Hybrid armoring refers to stabilizing the shoreline using a combination of hard armoring or protection devices, such as a buried revetment, as well as nature-based solutions like dune restoration. This approach provides both structural stability and ecological benefits.
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 3 3
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
20.38 PROJECT SCOPE
Through this update, the City will inventory potential hazards and risks, and assess risks to the City’s residents, buildings and critical facilities. From this, the City will develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to implement over five years. Outreach for this project included community surveys and discussion at community meetings and events.
Existing Project Underway
LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN AND
CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN
INTEGRATION AND UPDATE
Department Location Project Cost Timeframe Status
City Manager’s
Office Citywide $210,000 2024-2026 Ongoing
The LHMP can be found on the City Website by going to
www.cityofsantacruz.com, selecting “City Manager”, and then “Climate Adaptation Planning”. or click HERE to access.
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 3 4
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20.39 PROJECT SCOPE
The Local Coastal Program (LCP) Update spans the entirety of the City’s coastline.
The City will assess its Coastal Change Monitoring Systems by evaluating existing geophysical triggers and monitoring technology, evaluating community science data collection sources and geophysical data systems. The City will integrate triggers with the Local Coastal Program Policy and implementation framework to understand when the City needs to make certain coastal management decisions.
The City will develop a locally adopted Beaches and Bluffs Chapter of the LCP and Land Use Plan.
The LCP can be found on the City Website: www.cityofsantacruz.com, selecting “Long Range and Policy Planning”, and then “Ordinance and Policy Updates”.
Existing Project Underway
LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM UPDATE
Department Location Project Cost Timeframe Status
Planning and
Community
Development
Citywide $227,100 2024-2025 Ongoing
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 3 5
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20.40 PROJECT SCOPE
The goal of the project is to develop and deliver accessible, communitysupported, Shoreline Adaptation Blueprints for three subareas of the City’s coastline - West Cliff, East Cliff and Main/Cowell Beaches. Shoreline Adaptation Blueprints provide both planning and implementation outlines for the sites considered to accelerate investment in implementing coastal resilience visions and projects and comply with State Bill 272.
Department Location Project Cost Timeframe Status
City Manager’s
Office
City of Santa
Cruz
Coastline
$550,000 January 2025 –
December 2027
Contracting with
the California State
Ocean Protection
Council - grant
funded
Existing Project Underway
WEST CLIFF, EAST CLIFF AND
MAIN/COWELL BEACHES SHORELINE
ADAPTATION IMPLEMENTATION
BLUEPRINTS
What is included in a Shoreline Adaptation Blueprint?
The Shoreline Adaptation Blueprints will provide detailed implementation plans for three coastal subareas—West Cliff, the Main and Cowell Beaches, and East Cliff—integrating adaptation pathways with policy, planning guidance, and community engagement. These blueprints will build on prior studies, technical and equity advisory input, and innovative engagement to document prioritized projects, funding strategies, and recommended Local Coastal Program (LCP) policies. Designed to be accessible and visually compelling, they will serve as fundable, community-supported roadmaps for coastal resilience and implementation.
Connection to 50-year Vision Pillars:
5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 3 6
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
20.41 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 3 7
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PROJECT LIST DEVELOPMENT
To collect data on the City’s projects, the City developed a project factsheet, based on the City’s previous Capital Investment Program form, to compile all projects potentially relevant to the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff and highlight key information. Activity information was gathered through existing activity files as well as interviews with City staff to address information gaps. The initial data collection resulted in a list of approximately 155 potential activities previously identified in the following City documents:
West Cliff Drive Adaptation and Management Plan;
City of Santa Cruz Climate Emergency Resolution;
City of Santa Cruz 2030 Parks Master Plan;
City of Santa Cruz Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan - 2021 Amendment Public Review Draft;
City of Santa Cruz Active Transportation Plan;
City of Santa Cruz Arts Master Plan;
City-wide Creeks and Wetlands Management Plan;
City of Santa Cruz Beach Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategy; City of Santa Cruz 2030 Climate Action Plan;
Santa Cruz, California Street Tree Master Plan;
Resilient Coast Santa Cruz - City of Santa Cruz - Synthesis Summary of Outreach and Engagement;
Urban Climate Adaptation Policy Implication and Response Strategy Technical Report;
Santa Cruz Mid-County Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan; City of Santa Cruz Homeless Response Action Plan;
Resilient Coast Santa Cruz Progress Report;
Storm Water Management Plan Guidance Document; and
Capital Investment Program 2024-2025.
The City removed activities located outside of the West Cliff corridor, projects the City already completed, and duplicate projects which refined the list to approximately 82.
The City further refined the list of potential activities for inclusion in the 5-year Roadmap to approximately 41 by removing projects already underway in the City.
Appendix C - Data Collection Process
and Project Evaluation
20.42 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 3 8
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A project that is already underway is defined as a project with secured funding. To demonstrate the breadth of projects underway along West Cliff, these projects are highlighted in Appendix B - Existing Projects Underway Outside of the 5-year Roadmap.
The City then condensed activities that were actually components of a larger project (i.e. transportation and signage striping in Zone 1, and Transportation signage in Zone 3 are components of a larger project - Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design Standards). The condensed list of about 16 projects was then reviewed by City staff, considering project urgency, need, and if the activity was consistent with a balanced approach to coastal management. This resulted in the list of eight projects.
REFINE
City removed
activities not
located along West
Cliff, duplicate, and
completed
activities.
82 41
CONDENSE
City combined
smaller efforts into
larger projects, and
removed projects
underway.
City brought projects
forward based on
urgency, need, and a
balanced approach
to coastal
management.
CONSIDER
16 PRESENT
INITIAL LIST
OF ACTIVITIES
Activities collected
from existing City
plans and documents.
155
8 FINALIZE
5 Presented projects
to the community
to help prioritize
for inclusion in
Roadmap.
Community feedback
and staff assessment
of projects brought to
the WCIC to finalize
top priority projects
for proposed
Roadmap.
Figure C1. The City developed a project list to present to the community by first reviewing an initial project list, then refining, and condensing the list by removing projects not located along West Cliff, removing duplicated and completed projects, and by condensing small activities into larger projects. The City brought a shortened project list to the community by considering urgency, need, and a balanced approach to coastal management. This updated project list was provided to the community for review during the October 21, 2024 Community Conversation.
20.43 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 3 9
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a balanced approach to coastal management. This public and city review resulted in the list of eight projects. Then, these projects were brought to the public and ECIC for review and prioritization. This final step brough the project list to five projects.
PROJECT EVALUATION
After collecting project data using the City’s project factsheet, the City developed prioritization criteria to score the projects. Prioritization criteria were developed through many iterations by City Staff and the community, originating from the 10 pillars of the Vision for West Cliff. The initial criteria were found to be overly complicated and too lengthy. Through several iterations with community feedback, the City refined and simplified prioritization criteria to increase clarity. The finalized and streamlined criteria are designed to assess projects on their ability to address emergencies, minimize impacts to access and habitat, prepare West Cliff for coastal changes, and align with the Vision, while preserving recreation opportunities, safety and public health. Projects were evaluated by the community at a community conversation held October 21, 2024. Participants submitted their evaluations in both paper and virtual form.
Once community evaluation of the projects was complete, the City reviewed results to better understand where communication around different projects or priorities reflected in the criteria could be strengthened and to better understand how the community views the potential impact of different projects. The following list highlights a few key findings.
Projects which received the most votes for “unsure / need more information” were the Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation (162 ”unsure”), Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Network (120 “unsure”), West Cliff Sea Cave Stabilization (119 ”unsure”) and West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility Study (119 “unsure”). The City will increase communication with the community about these projects which are included in the 5-year Roadmap by providing additional community updates to improve understanding.
The City also noted that of the evaluation criteria, the most frequently marked section for “unsure / need more information” was “Does this project align with the Vision for West Cliff?” The City will renew communication efforts around the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff to ensure the community feels clear on the principles of the Vision, providing further clarification at the November 19, 2024 meeting,
The City also learned that clearer communication regarding what constitutes an emergency project may be needed.
20.44 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 0
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Beyond the scope of this work, the City is also gaining insights into what the community considers to be projects that add to the safety and enjoyment of West Cliff. The West Cliff Stormwater Outfall Rehabilitation, Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design Standards, and West Cliff Parking Management plan all scored highly across criteria evaluating the project’s potential to improve safety and enjoyment on the coast.
The City will use this community feedback to inform communication strategies and future project work in the West Cliff neighborhood.
PROJECT RANKING
In addition to evaluation of each proposed project, the community was also asked to rank the list of eight projects from lowest to highest priority. Votes for ranking of projects were taken at the same community meeting as the evaluation on October 21, 2024, and participants were able to submit responses either virtually or in person. The final rankings of projects were determined by calculating the average of ranking assigned to each project. The results show that the community appears to prioritize infrastructure projects needed to minimize erosion and improve or relocate the roadway and placed less priority on less physical projects or those with less immediate protection benefits. These results indicate that the community is understandably ready for immediate action on West Cliff. The project evaluation results also help contextualize the rankings, showing that some of the highest ranking projects, such as the Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation and the Sea Cave Stabilization still left participants with questions, as these projects also had some of the highest “unsure / need more information” votes. On the other end of the rankings, the evaluations show that even though many participants ranked projects like the West Cliff Parking Management Plan lower, they still had a high amount of “yes” votes in the evaluation, showing support for these projects despite them being ranked at a lower priority (Table B1 below).
20.45 Table C1. Results of community vote ranking West Cliff projects - the following table shows the final results of the community’s votes on October 21, 2024 to rank projects from highest priority one (1) to lowest priority eight (8).
The City incorporated this feedback to inform which projects will be prioritized for implementation, while also considering the timing and staff capacity within City departments needed to advance projects. Using these two input streams, the City then adjusted the project timeline accordingly. This process resulted in a condensed list of five prioritized projects: Revetment Repair Project, Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation, Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Network, West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility Study, and Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design Standards.
Ranking Project Name
1 Revetment Repair Project
2 Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation
3 West Cliff Drive Sea Cave Stabilization
4 West Cliff Stormwater Outfall Rehabilitation
5 Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Network
6 West Cliff Parking Management Plan
7 West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility Study 8 Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design Standards 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 1
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
20.46 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 2
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
The City convened community meetings and utilized the West Cliff Implementation Committee (WCIC) to seek feedback on the 5-year Roadmap. City staff also met internally across City departments to inform the development of the 5-year Roadmap. The City also used surveys to collect community feedback. The City used community feedback to identify where to improve communication efforts and to better understand the community's preferences.
September 16 West Cliff Implementation Committee Meeting Topics: Introduction to Farallon Strategies (consultants) and the 5-year Roadmap During the first WCIC meeting, participants introduced themselves, and the City established ground rules for the group, reiterated the purpose of the WCIC is to “review and advise on implementation priorities, plans (and associated outreach), and funding capacity for the City’s West Cliff area for the next 3-5 years as guided by the Vision. Discussions and advice will also be informed by the City’s other climate and resilience work”, and shared the purpose of the first meeting. WCIC members shared about their backgrounds and connections to Santa Cruz. The City provided background to the WCIC on the current 5-year Roadmap project to identify priority projects along West Cliff for the next five years. The WCIC received an update from the City on progress for updating the Local Coastal Program (LCP), and the next steps in the process.
September 26 Community Conversation
Topics: Kick off for the 5-year Roadmap Project
In the first Community Conversation for the 5-year Roadmap Project, participants were introduced to the 5-year Roadmap Project. The City provided an overview of what led the City to developing a 5-year Roadmap, including the Resilient Coast Santa Cruz work, and the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff. The 5-year Roadmap will include a prioritized list of near-term projects to implement along West Cliff over the next five years, which are aligned with the Vision. The City sought feedback from the participants on the draft project prioritization criteria to inform how to prioritize projects for the 5-year Roadmap. Participants provided feedback on the draft prioritization criteria and they also shared feedback on the meeting itself. Going forward the City committed to using less technical jargon during meetings, reducing the use of technology, and providing materials in advance, when possible.
Appendix D - Community Engagement
20.47 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 3
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
October 7 West Cliff Implementation Committee Meeting
Topics: Presentation by the California Coastal Commission (Commission) and review of revised criteria for the 5-year Roadmap
During the second WCIC meeting, members received a presentation from the Commission about coastal issues facing communities along the California coast due to erosion and sea level rise, and the role of the Commission. The Commission shared they want to see communities become proactive when addressing coastal issues, and develop specific, and implementable projects. The Commission’s presentation ended with a question and answer session with the WCIC. For the remainder of the meeting, participants reviewed revised criteria for the 5-year Roadmap process. The WCIC reviewed an example project fact sheet and then used the revised criteria to score the example project. The City asked the WCIC to provide feedback on whether the revised criteria were missing anything, and if the City was providing sufficient information in the example project for the WCIC to use the criteria. After receiving comments from the WCIC, the City updated the criteria by adding an option for community members to select “unsure/need more information” when evaluating projects during the upcoming October 21 Community Conversation.
October 21 Community Conversation
Topics: Reviewed potential projects for inclusion in the 5-year Roadmap During the second Community Conversation for the 5-year Roadmap Project, the City shared eight potential projects for the community to consider for inclusion into the 5-year Roadmap in a town-hall style presentation. The City had posters for each project: Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Network, Revetment Repair Project, Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design Standards, West Cliff Sea Cave Stabilization, West Cliff Stormwater Outfall Rehabilitation, 800 Roadway Relocation (later renamed Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation), West Cliff Financing District (later renamed West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility Study), and the West Cliff Parking Management Plan. The City provided participants with prioritization questions, and a ranking table. Participants were asked to review each project, complete the questions and rank each project. The City also opened an online survey with the same information and questions as those presented during the in-person community conversation. The online survey was open between October 21 to October 28. The City collected 91 responses from the in-person and online surveys.
20.48 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 4
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
During the October 21, 2024 community conversation, the City also collected general comments from the community for topics and category areas not covered in the proposed projects, which are summarized listed below.
Pedestrian/Bike Pathway
Separate paths for pedestrians and bikes on West Cliff (+9 additional comments on this topic)
Additional striping, scramble (all way crossings) at key intersections, sharrows (speed humps), signage to share the path, keep right, and flashing pedestrian crossing signs (+4 additional comments on this topic)
Pedestrian route on Pelton (+3 additional comments on this topic) Fix sidewalks and add sidewalks where missing (+2 additional comments on this topic)
Elevated bike lane
Wider multi-use path for safety and access
Improve maintenance
Prioritize bike/pedestrian access
West Cliff is not safe for pedestrians and electric bicycles Add one-way bicycle lanes and larger pedestrian paths as part of the Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation Project
Cars/Roadway
Bring back the one-way pilot to make more space for people Study circulation of West Cliff
Less cars and pollution along West Cliff
No paid parking
Two-way access for West Cliff
Reducing the speed limit
Install a roundabout at the State Park parking lot or at Columbia Other
Native landscaping
Incorporating nature-based solutions
People should be able to access West Cliff
Involve non-surfers more in the process
OTHER COMMENTS FROM
OCTOBER 21, 2024
20.49 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 5
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
October 28 West Cliff Implementation Committee Meeting
Topics: Debrief and update from 10/21 Community Conversation During the third WCIC meeting, the City shared the results of the October 21 Community Conversation, and the subsequent online survey. The City also shared a draft project ranking using the average of the responses by project (see Appendix C). The WCIC discussed the project ranking, project evaluation tables, and comments received during the public meeting. The WCIC noted that none of the selected projects had a nexus with bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure and commented on the lack of nature-based solution projects. The City reminded the WCIC that the City is evaluating potential nature-based solutions along the City’s coastline as part of the Living Shorelines Project. Since the Living Shorelines Project was already underway, it was not eligible to be included in the 5-year Roadmap. The City also shared an updated timeline and next steps for development of the Roadmap, including bringing the Roadmap to Council in March 2025 instead of January 2025 to allow for an extended community comment period on the draft Roadmap, and additional review by the Committee.
November 18 West Cliff Implementation Committee Meeting Topics: Feedback on the November 19 Webinar and 5-year Roadmap During the fourth WCIC meeting, the City sought feedback on the presentation planned for the November 19 Community Webinar. This included an update to the community about existing projects along West Cliff, and the five projects prioritized for inclusion in the 5-year Roadmap based on community feedback received during the October 21 meeting and survey. With many prioritized projects falling under Public Works Department, the WCIC and City staff discussed and concluded that due to limited staff capacity, the Public Works Department would only be able to undertake two additional projects, unless more staff could be hired. The WCIC suggested elevating the Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan, led by the Department of Parks and Recreation, to the prioritized project list to be able to move another project forward without overburdening the Public Works Department. The WCIC provided guidance on a clear outline for the public detailing the process needed to bring a project from idea to implementation, and describe the City's constraints for implementing projects. The WCIC also shared feedback on the draft purpose of the 5-year Roadmap.
20.50 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 6
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
November 19 Webinar
Topics: Update on existing projects along West Cliff and the 5-year Roadmap Process
During the November 19 Webinar the City provided an update to the community about existing projects along West Cliff including West Cliff 2023-2024 Storm Damages and Infrastructure Updates, West Cliff - Bethany Curve Culvert, West Cliff Multi-Use Path Rehabilitation, Lighthouse Point Hazard and Engineering Analysis, Living Shorelines, Nature-Based Solutions, and Sand Management Feasibility Study, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and Climate Adaptation Plan Integration and Update, Local Coastal Program Update, West Cliff, East Cliff and Main/Cowell Beaches Shoreline Adaptation Blueprints, and the Active Transportation Plan Update. The City clarified that the Active Transportation Plan, and the West Cliff, East Cliff and Main/Cowell Beaches Shoreline Adaptation Implementation Blueprints, cover the entire City, not just West Cliff. The City also shared the list of five prioritized projects the City intends to include in the 5-year Roadmap: Revetment Repair Project, Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation Project, Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Program, West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility Study, Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design Standards, while acknowledging that an emergency could change the City’s ability to complete the prioritized projects. The City shared the results of the October 21 Community Conversation and survey, as well as the capacity concerns which limit how many additional projects along West Cliff the City’s departments can begin.
During the webinar, the City answered questions from the community including questions about existing projects, as well as questions about the 5-year Roadmap process itself. The City shared an updated timeline for the 5-year Roadmap and asked the community to stay engaged in the process, as the City will be sharing the draft 5-year Roadmap for the community to review in December.
20.51 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 7
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
December 9 West Cliff Implementation Committee
Topics: Final draft review and discuss + next steps for the Roadmap work During the December 9 WCIC meeting, the City shared the preliminary draft 5-year Roadmap for the WCIC to review. The Committee shared their overall impression of the document, including specific feedback on the structure, edits to the timeline, and restructuring the project section. The WCIC also guided additional updates to the draft 5-year Roadmap including adding definitions of key terms within the text, rather than at the end.
The City released the draft 5-year Roadmap along with a survey to collect public feedback from December 16, 2024 to January 26, 2024. The survey included opportunities to provide feedback on each section of the 5-year Roadmap. The City reviewed all survey responses and sorted them into actionable items, and made edits to the 5-year Roadmap accordingly. The results of the feedback survey were synthesized under the following most common themes, in order of frequency of public responses.
Prioritize pedestrian and bicycle access and safety
Expressions of approval of the 5-year Roadmap and/or the 5-year Roadmap development process
Support for making West Cliff Drive one-way
Concerns about the feasibility of trying to control natural forces Requests to de-prioritize cars on West Cliff Drive
Frustration with the 5-year Roadmap and/or the 5-year Roadmap development process
Concern over traffic issues
5-YEAR ROADMAP FEEDBACK
February 10 West Cliff Implementation Committee
During the February 10 WCIC meeting, the City shared high-level themes from the survey to collect feedback on the draft 5-year Roadmap, and edits made to address feedback. The City also shared next steps for the 5-year Roadmap process including the upcoming City Council meeting.
20.52 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 8
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
Appendix E - Quick Reference Table for
Projects and the Vision
Existing Projects and their Connection to the 50-year Vision 1 West Cliff - Bethany Curve Culvert Project
Replaces roadway sections and drainage
structures and installing new culvert headwalls,
elevating the road surface, and install new
concrete guardrails to protect against wave
overtopping
2 West Cliff Storm Damages and Infrastructure
Repairs
Addresses storm damages and infrastructure
repairs
Includes constructing infill walls, repairing
sinkholes, fixing pipe connections, and restoring
pathways along sections of West Cliff
3 West Cliff Multi-Use Path Rehabilitation Project
Refinishes the West Cliff path’s asphalt surface
from Natural Bridges State Beach to David Way to
enhance safety and accessibility for all users, as
well as enhancing crossings at multiple
intersections between Swanton Boulevard and
David Way
4 Lighthouse Point Hazard and Engineering Analysis
Study to understand the existing conditions of
caves and rock formations surrounding
Lighthouse Point and recommend options to
protect, restore, and/or relocate infrastructure
along Lighthouse Point
20.53 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 4 9
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
5 Living Shorelines, Nature-Based Solutions, and
Sand management Feasibility Study
Assessment of the feasibility of using living
shorelines, sand management techniques, and
other nature-based solutions to address
coastal hazards
Includes recommendations and 30% designs
for future projects
6 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and Climate
Adaptation Plan Integration & Update
Inventory and assessment of potential hazards
and risks to the City’s residents, buildings and
critical facilities, and develop mitigation and
adaptation strategies to implement over five
years
7 Local Coastal Program (LCP) Update
Required by the California Coastal Commission
Assess City’s Coastal Change Monitoring
Systems by evaluating existing triggers,
monitoring technology, and community science
data collection sources and geophysical data
systems
Triggers will be integrated with the LCP Policy
and implementation framework to understand
when certain coastal management decisions
need to be made.
8 West Cliff, East Cliff and Main/Cowell Beaches
Shoreline Adaptation Implementation Blueprints
Develop and deliver accessible, communitysupported, Shoreline Adaptation Blueprints for three subareas of the City’s coastline
Shoreline Adaptation Blueprints provide both
planning and implementation outlines for the
sites considered to accelerate investment in
implementing coastal resilience
20.54 5 - y e a r R o a d m a p P a g e 5 0
C i t y o f S a n t a C r u z
Prioritized 5-Year Roadmap Projects and their Connection to the 50- year Vision
1 Revetment Repair Project
Involves the design and construction of a
400-foot-long section of two-way West Cliff
Drive roadway and recreational path, shifted
out of the projected erosion zone
2 Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation
Involves the design and construction of a
400-foot-long section of two-way West Cliff
Drive roadway and recreational path, shifted
out of the projected erosion zone
3 Santa Cruz Coastal Monitoring Network
Designed to track and analyze coastal
changes to provide updated data that can
inform the long-term management decisions
on the City’s coastline
4 West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility
Study
Involves evaluating all available funding and
financing mechanisms to make
recommendations on how the City could fund
infrastructure projects along West Cliff.
5 Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and
Design Standards
Specify design standards for landscaping,
overlooks, railings, park signs, interpretive
signs, and minor retaining walls.
20.55 5-year Roadmap for
West Cliff
5-Year Roadmap for West Cliff
2026 Annual Update
Purpose
The 5-year Roadmap advances the 50-year Community Vision for West Cliff by guiding priority projects, aligning City planning efforts, and supporting adaptive coastal management. Developed through extensive community input, West Cliff Implementation Committee guidance, and coordination with regulatory agencies, the Roadmap identified five key projects for implementation. This annual progress update highlights progress on these five City Council–approved projects, including key milestones and next steps, along with a brief summary of projects and planning efforts outside the Roadmap that are in progress or have been completed in the West Cliff area.
Context
By identifying projects consistent with the Vision, the City is able to allocate resources to those projects and move them forward in the next five years.
The City will make progress on the existing projects and the prioritized projects, while also responding to maintenance issues, ongoing disaster recovery, impacts of erosion, and other unplanned events that may occur along West Cliff.
Going forward, the City intends to integrate identification of the next set of priority projects along West Cliff into the Citys Capital Investment Program (CIP), leveraging the pillars of the Vision.
Project Process
After the 2023 storm damage on West Cliff, the City took quick action and secured expedited permits and funding due to the emergency nature of the damages.
Developing, designing, and implementing a project requires a significant amount of City staff time planning to bring a project from concept to completion.
It can take the City between two and five years to construct or complete a project, depending on the projects complexity, and scale.
At each step, City staff follow regulations and respond to community concerns while keeping projects on schedule and within the allowable budget.
Analysis & Permitting
(3 months to 3+ years)
Environment Review
Regulatory Permitting
Property Permissions Implementation
(1 to 5+ years)
Project Construction
Development
(1 to 3+ years)
Project Description
Secure Funding
Evaluate Capacity
Design Project
Mitigation &
Monitoring
(1 to 5+ years)
Monitoring
Mitigation
The graphic below outlines the project process:
20.56 Project Status Update
Revetment Repair Project
Advanced planning and coordination for revetment
repairs, including funding strategy, design scoping,
and priority site assessments. Additional State
funding opportunities are being actively pursued to
support next phases of work (estimated completion:
2030).
Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation
Completed 30% design and under review, with
CEQA process underway and Coastal Permit
submittal planned for 2026. Right-of-way acquisition
in progress, and the project remains on track for
2027 construction (estimated completion: 2027).
Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring
Network
Refining cost-effective methods and piloting new
technologies such as drone mapping and camerabased analysis. Regional coordination through the Coastal Accelerator is underway, with initial
monitoring anticipated to begin in spring 2026
(ongoing).
West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility
Study
Through the Coastal Accelerator, baseline data has
been compiled. Currently scoping the study to
assess asset risk, project costs, and funding
strategies across key coastal areas. Initial analysis is underway with recommendations anticipated by
2027 (estimated completion: 2028).
Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design
Standards
Project scope and priorities have been defined to
support cohesive design standards for the West Cliff
corridor. Staff are preparing for consultant support
and public engagement, with funding now targeted
for FY28 (estimated completion: 2028).
5-Year Roadmap: Project Updates
20.57 Project Update
Bethany Curve Culvert Project
Repairs at Bethany Curve were completed in 26, restoring critical coastal infrastructure and improving community safety. Work included removing damaged seawalls and
armoring, filling a sea cave, and rebuilding seawalls,
drainage structures, sidewalks, railings, and roadway.
The total project cost is approximately $10 million, with
88.5% funded by federal disaster relief.
West Cliff Dr. Stabilization Project
Completed in early 2026, this project included construction of new seawalls, replacement of armoring, and repair of railing, roadway and multiuse path. It is expected that nearly 90% of project costs will be covered by federal
disaster relief funds. The total cost, estimated at
$17,000,000 including design, construction, and
restoration including native plant restoration.
West Cliff Multi-Use Path Rehabilitation
Following additional storm damage in December 2025, the City is advancing design plans to realign sections of the pedestrian path near Getchellʼs and potentially Its Beach.
Project scope, budget, and funding are currently being
updated to reflect these improvements.
Lighthouse Point Hazard and
Engineering Analysis
This 12-month study is underway to assess bluff erosion and sea cave activity at Lighthouse Point, addressing longterm safety concerns. The $387,032 effort, led by Environmental Science and Associates with local partners.
The study does not propose construction or physical
changes. Future projects would require separate
environmental review and public input, with community
engagement opportunities expected later this year as part of broader shoreline planning efforts.
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and Climate
Adaptation Plan Integration and Update
Adopted in March 2025, the Cityʼs 2025–2030 LHM-CAP is
the first FEMA approved, combined hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plan in the nation. Implementation is underway, with staff coordinating quarterly to track
progress and funding for 27 mitigation actions, 24 of
which are already in progress or complete.
Update on Projects Outside of the 5-year Roadmap
In addition to the five projects identified in the 5-year Roadmap, the City has implemented various improvements to the West Cliff corridor and continues to respond to the dynamic conditions along this stretch of coastline. Some of these projects are highlighted below.
20.58 Project Status Update
Resilient Coast Santa Cruz 2.0- Shoreline
Adaptation Management Plan (SAMP)
Development
The City is advancing a long-term plan for shoreline
adaptation across West Cliff, Main/Cowell Beaches, and
East Cliff. Current work focuses on identifying 20–30 year projects, costs, and implementation strategies. Community engagement is underway through 2026, with anticipated
recommendations going to City Council in Fall of 2026.
Local Costal Program (LCP) Update
After coordination with California Coastal Commission and incorporation of responses to community feedback, the
City Council approved the new Beaches and Bluffs
Hazards chapter of the LCP. Updates to other LCP
chapters are underway and staff will re-engage with the Coastal Commission and the community later this year.
Living Shorelines, Nature-Based Solutions
and Sand Management Feasibility Study
The Living Shorelines, Nature-Based Solutions, and Sand Management Feasibility Study, completed in August, 2025, resulted in a technical report with recommendations, and a bilingual interactive virtual reality tour of the project recommendations guided by Otter 841. Staff are currently working on furthering design, feasibility, and funding
options of recommended concepts.
Cowell and Indicators Stairs
The Cowell and Indicators stairs have been inspected. No urgent safety issues were found and minor repairs for
stair treads and railings (Cowell) are planned for 2027.
Update on Projects Outside of the 5-year
Roadmap
C o w e l l a n d I n d i c a t o r s S t a i r s
V i r t u a l R e a l i t y ,
S e a L e v e l R i s e
W e s t C l i f f M u l t i - U s e
P a t h R e h a b i l i t a t i o n
L I g h t h o u s e P o i n t H a z a r d &
W e s t C l i f f D r . S t a b i l i z a t i o n P r o j e c t E n g i n e e r i n g A n a l y s i s
20.59 While Federal and State disaster recovery funds have been critical to support recovery and resiliency efforts along our coast, they still require a local match. Proactive projects may occur concurrently with disaster recovery efforts. However, the City must identify, develop, and implement disaster recovery projects quickly in order to receive emergency funding and obtain emergency permits. This creates a situation where disaster recovery projects take precedent over proactive projects due to the availability of project funding and streamlined permitting. With the City taking a more proactive stance on addressing risk and resilience in advance of disasters, previous funding sources the City relied upon will not cover the cost of projects intended to mitigate risks. Changes in Federal and State priorities increase the need to create a comprehensive funding and financing approach which includes a blend of Federal, State, regional, and local revenue and financing options. The Financing Feasability Study included as one of the five projects in the Roadmap aims to address this need.
The City’s General Fund budget, which supports the implementation of the citywide Capital Investment Program (CIP), will likely only cover some West Cliff projects or seed funding to support them. The City can prioritize these projects over others when pursuing grants and specialized funding sources specifically built for compliance or specific types of infrastructure may be used to fund phases of projects. Larger resilience projects tend to require funding stacks, which are multiple sources of funding and financing to execute complex multi-benefit projects.
To read the entire 5-year Roadmap, scan the QR code to the left or visit:
https://www.santacruzca.gov/Government/
Climate-Initiatives/Resiliency/Resilient-Coast-Santa-Cruz/West-Cliff Funding the 5-Year Roadmap and 50-Year Vision
While Responding to Changing Conditions
20.60 5-year Roadmap
for West Cliff
2026 Annual Update
Santa Cruz City Council
April 28, 2026
1 20.61
• Background on 5-year Roadmap
• 5-year Roadmap Projects
• Other West Cliff Projects Underway
• Questions
Agenda
2 20.62
5-year Roadmap Launches West Cliff
50-year Community Vision
www.santacruzca.gov/westcliff 3
50-year Community Vision for West Cliff
• Adopted spring of 2024
• A shared expression of community values and aspirations for the future of West Cliff. 5-Year Roadmap
• Adopted spring of 2025
• Tool to kick-off implementation of 50-year Community Vision with priority projects collaboratively identified with the community and West Cliff Implementation Committee. • Roadmap projects advancing 50-year Community Vision (March 2025 -December 2030) • Supports City implementation of adaptive coastal management and alignment of projects across City planning documents.
20.63 50-year Vision Pillars in 5-year Roadmap
Balancing Change and a Collective
Future
Beauty, Resilience, and
Continued Uses
Prioritizing Pedestrian and Bicycle
Access
Limited Hard Armoring
Park Space as Recreation Area
and Buffer
Planned Relocation
Collaboration
4 20.64
5-Year Roadmap Projects
Project Department 50 Yr Vision
Revetment Repair Project Public Works
Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation Project Public Works Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Program City Manager’s Office
West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility Study City Manager’s Office
Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design
Standards
Parks and
Recreation
5 20.65
Department Project Cost Status Timeline
Public
Works
Estimated cost:
$15,000,000
Annual
maintenance:
$500,000
Advanced planning and coordination for revetment repairs, including funding strategy, design scoping, and priority site assessments. Additional State funding opportunities are being actively pursued to support next phases of work.
Estimated
Completion:
2030
Summary
The Revetment Repair Project aims to enhance recreational uses and maintain the existing path while repurposing existing riprap if possible and minimizing the addition of new riprap.
Revetment Repair Project
Connection
to Vision:
6 20.66
Summary
The Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation Project includes design and construction of a 400-foot-long section of twoway West Cliff Drive roadway and recreational path, shifted approximately 50 feet inland. This would move the roadway and recreation path out of the projected erosion zone.
Lighthouse Field Roadway Relocation
Connection
to Vision:
Department Project Cost Status Timeline
Public Works
Estimated cost:
$2,000,000
Annual maintenance:
N/A
Completed 30% design and under review, with CEQA
process underway and Coastal Permit submittal planned
for 2026. Right-of-way acquisition in progress, and the project remains on track for 2027 construction.
Estimated
Completion:
2027
7 20.67
Summary
The Santa Cruz Coastal Change Monitoring Network is designed to track and analyze coastal changes to provide updated data that informs long-term management decisions on the City’s coastline.
This project is critical for long-term coastline management, including preparation for sea-level rise and storm impacts.
Coastal Change Monitoring Network
Connection
to Vision:
Department Project Cost Status Timeline
City Manager’s
Office
Public Works
Estimated cost:
$350,000
Annual
maintenance:
$20,000
Refining cost-effective methods and piloting new
technologies such as drone mapping and camerabased analysis. Regional coordination through the Coastal Accelerator is underway, with initial
monitoring anticipated to begin in spring 2026.
Ongoing
8 20.68
Summary
The West Cliff Infrastructure Financing Feasibility Study project involves evaluating all available funding and financing mechanisms for funding coastal infrastructure projects and providing recommendations on how the City could fund projects along West Cliff, and potential all City coastline.
West Cliff Infrastructure
Financing Feasibility Study
Connection
to Vision:
Department Project Cost Status Timeline
City
Manager’s
Office
Estimated cost:
$100-400,000
Annual
maintenance:
N/A
Through the California Coastal Accelerator, baseline data has been compiled. Currently scoping the study to assess asset risk, project costs, and funding strategies across key coastal areas. Initial analysis is underway with recommendations anticipated by 2027.
16 months
Estimated
Completion:
2028
9 20.69
Summary
The Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan and Design Standards wil specify design standards for landscaping, overlooks, railings, park signs, interpretive signs, and minor retaining walls. Consistent design standards will streamline City projects by making them quicker to implement as certain design decisions will already be made.
Corridor-wide Master Signage Plan
and Design Standards
Connection
to Vision:
Department Project Cost Emergency Status Timeline
Parks and
Recreation
Estimated cost:
$100,000
Annual
maintenance:
N/A
Project scope and priorities have been defined to support cohesive design standards for the West Cliff corridor. Staff are preparing for consultant support and public engagement, with funding now targeted for FY28.
18 months
Estimated
Completion:
2028
10 20.70
Communicating
Progress
11 • Individual 5-year Roadmap projects
brought before City Council
• City newsletter updates on Roadmap
projects
• Email subscription lists and social media
posts highlighting updates
• Media releases regarding project
milestones
20.71 Additional West Cliff Projects
12 • Completed
• Bethany Curve Culvert Project
• West Cliff Drive Stabilization Project
• Living Shorelines, Nature-Based Solutions and Sand Management Feasibility Study
20.72 Additional West Cliff Projects
13 • In Progress
• West Cliff Multi-use Path Rehabilitation
• Lighthouse Point Hazard and
Engineering Analysis
• Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and
Climate Adaptation Plan Integration
and Update
• Resilient Coast Santa Cruz 2.0-
Shoreline Adaptation Management Plan
• Local Costal Program (LCP) Update
• Cowell and Indicators Stairs
20.73 Questions
14 20.74
21.1 21.2
21.3 21.4
21.5 21.6
21.7