Hermosa Beach Pier future questioned following costly replacement estimate
by Kevin Cody “You have two options. A cycle of constant repairs or replacement,” Hermosa Beach Public Works Director Joseph SanClemente told the City Council during his presentation about the Hermosa Beach pier. He said pier repairs could extend the 60-year-old pier’s life another 45 years. The cost of those repairs would be $210 million, according to an analysis by JMC2 Engineering, which SanClemente presented to the Council at its Tuesday night meeting. The pier replacement option would cost $58.6 million, according to the JMC2 report. Following SanClemente’s presentation, a third pier option was suggested by resident and council watchdog Anthony Higgins. And subsequently by Councilmember Michael Keegan. The third option was no pier. JMC2’s pier replacement estimate omitted financing costs, Higgins pointed out during the public comments portion of the meeting. He estimated financing costs at $45 million. “You’re not going to build a new pier out of existing funds. You need a bond measure. 30 years at six percent is $515 per year per property,” Higgins said. “Residents might not think it’s worth rebuilding. You owe it to the public to explain the costs.” Reaction to Higgin’s…
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