The California Coastal Commission delivered a longstanding answer to a longstanding question on Wednesday: The rock wall is the best way to protect Goleta Beach Park in the years to come, they unanimously stated.
In its ruling, spearheaded by Commissioner Jana Zimmer, the agency awarded a 20-year permit to the 1,200 feet of rocks installed on the western end of the beach. Regular monitoring will occur to track any possible effects of the revetment on the beach, and any changes would be strongly analyzed after the first 10 years.
The approval was a decisive win for the county, which charged to keep the rocks in place in 2014. When a mega-storm hit at the end of February 2014, the rock wall was credited with protecting Goleta Beach’s grassy park — and its many popular amenities, including the playground and picnic areas — but not at the expense of the sandy beach. Only a few weeks after that storm, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously — following 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf’s lead — to request that the Coastal Commission keep the rocks in place.
