Ventura Pier reopening delayed after latest damage from heavy surf

The scheduled reopening of the Ventura Pier has been delayed until summer after December's heavy surf caused more damage.

The wooden pier had been set to reopen in March.

The cost to fix the pier, which has been closed for a year, also went up after last month's damage.

In January 2023, storms whipped up heavy surf and knocked out multiple support pilings. December's wave action knocked out more support pilings, bracings and brackets.

On Tuesday, Ventura City Council members unanimously approved a second agreement with construction company Jilk Heavy Construction Inc. for $1.75 million to repair the December damages.

The cost is on top of $1.45 million already approved for last year's damage. The total cost repair cost for both agreements is $3.2 million.

The city expects to pay about half that amount, or $1.58 million, after anticipated reimbursements. Monetary help includes funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the California Disaster Assistance Act and the Ventura County Community Foundation.

Council members said they were willing to pay the price to open the pier. They anticipate a summer reopening but didn't provide a specific date.

“The pier is extremely important to this community and the state of California,” said Council member Doug Halter.

“To be on the pier on a good day is humbling,” added Council member Mike Johnson. “I think what we see now, in particular with Mother Nature, again, is just how humbling it is.”

The Ventura Pier was built in 1872 and was once the longest wooden pier in California, said Mary Joyce Ivers, deputy public works director. The pier is 1,620 feet long and has 271 timber piles holding it up. The outward end is made of steel with 92 steel piles, she said.

The pier is built in a row of timber piles that provide structure support, Ivers said. Cross bracing and hardware also help hold it together, along with boards that provide a walkway and handrails for visitors.

“If any of those become loose or damaged, we lose the structural integrity of the pier,” Ivers said.

In the last 30 years, the pier has lost more than 300 piles, she said.

In December 1995, during El Niño storms, the pier lost 423 feet, or 237 piles, at the end deepest in the ocean, she said. The city, with help from grants and the nonprofit Pier into the Future, rebuilt the tip with steel.

Last year, there were a total of 34 damaged and 20 dislodged piles. Inspections occur annually, she said.

About half of the pier’s timber piles have been replaced in the last 30 years, Ivers said.

“With the type of pier we have, and the westward facing ocean and tides we have, that is expected,” she told the council.

On Jan. 2, the construction company and city staff inspected the pier for December's damage. They identified 19 missing or damaged timber piles, 20 dislodged piles that can be put back in place and 62 damaged or missing braces, said Barbara McCormack, fleet and facilities manager for the city.

McCormack, in response to a question from Council member Liz Campos about upgrading the pier, said replacing the entire pier with steel would cost between $30 million to $40 million. The number does not include design or other costs, she said.

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura Pier reopening delayed after latetest storm damage