One of the most iconic spots in Pacific Beach is the Crystal Pier. An inspection report produced by an engineering firm hired by the City of San Diego says there are dozens of defects that need to be fixed within months, or risk the future stability of the pier.
The 96-year-old, 872-foot-long property is unique since it’s owned by both the city and the Allen family. Willis Allen’s father purchased the eastern portion in the 60s, which now has more than thirty Cape Cod-style cottages. He now operates the business.
“Well, our livelihood is here, so boy, I’ll tell you what, we're going to do anything to protect this pier,” Allen said.
The eastern part that does not touch the ocean is private property, owned by Willis’ family. The rest is owned by the city, which leases the middle section to the family.
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“Within the lease agreement, the public has access,” Allen told NBC 7. “And we have certain requirements that we need to maintain a portion of the part that we lease up to a certain amount of money, and we maintain ours 100%.”
Back in March, the western section of the pier was closed to the public after Allen said he noticed damage from winter storms. After that happened, the city hired an engineering firm to inspect the damage. That inspection happened in April.
NBC 7 Investigates obtained those records, which focused on the city-owned western section of the pier. During their review, the consultant Moffatt & Nichol noted that more than three dozen items on the pier need to be repaired or replaced. The report also stated that most of that needs to happen within six to nine months. Those issues included:
- Missing & broken horizontal braces
- Missing & broken cross braces
- Disconnected braces
The engineering firm estimated the price tag to fix these issues is $324,500. They also reported that the western section of the pier could remain open now and during repair work, but warned that "localized portions of the pier may become unstable" if:
- Heavy equipment like cranes or tractors go onto the pier
- Weather conditions that produce extreme surf conditions impact the pier
- Extreme seismic events impact the pier
- Additional braces are lost in areas that already have defects
- Loss of any structural piles
After getting this report, the closed section of the pier reopened to the public after the city concluded that “the pier was structurally sound and safe.”
Pacific Beach's Crystal Pier needs dozens of repairs
Another inspection of the pier took place this January. A different engineering firm, JILK Heavy Construction, took a look at the middle section of the pier. That’s also owned by the city but leased back to the Allen family. The report also noted dozens of defects including:
- 25 missing braces
- 4 broken braces
- 8 brace re-bolts
The firm says it would cost $122,229 to repair these defects.
That firm also examined the western portion of the pier, but NBC 7 Investigates is excluding their findings since the April inspection gives the most recent snapshot of the damage to that section. You can read both inspection reports in their entirety at the bottom of this article.
As for the eastern section that’s privately owned, Allen says his company has it inspected every two years. He says that was last conducted in May. While Allen wouldn’t share that report with NBC 7 investigates, he says his section also needs repair work.
The City of San Diego shared some information about plans to repair the work, telling us:
“The City is working to initiate this repair which will require design, environmental permitting and a contractor to complete. Currently, the project is being funded with operational funds from the Parks and Recreation Department. Once the total cost of repairs is determined, the funding source may need to be reassessed. The City is working with FEMA to determine if any of the repairs may qualify for reimbursement.”
“What we'll try to do when the city decides what firm they want to use to do the repair work, the contractor, then we'll team up with the same,” Allen said. “So, they come and do our stuff and theirs all at the same time.”
