Some South Mission Beach residents are perturbed by a beachfront fence around the construction of a new lifeguard tower, which one homeowner calls unnecessary. NBC 7’s Steven Luke reports.
Some South Mission Beach residents are perturbed by a beachfront fence around the construction of a new lifeguard tower, which one homeowner calls unnecessary.
The more than $4.6 million project was proposed in 2003, and now it’s fully funded and underway near the North Jetty. The new tower will replace the old wooden one currently near the site.
"Why is it necessary? They have a lifeguard station down there now that they say is useless, but it could be refurbished for maybe $100,000,” said Mission Beach resident Charles Boyd.
He was among a group of people who voiced their concerns Wednesday evening at a Mission Beach Town Council meeting. They said a door hanger warned them of the future construction, but it did not explain the scope; in the end, it will be about 3,900 square-feet.
Boyd is frustrated by the project’s price tag -- money he believes could be better used to repair the crumbling seawall or cracking sidewalks in the area.
“If you walk along the boardwalk near Belmont Park, boy, the sidewalk and concrete is coming apart,” said visitor Bob Templeton.
While Boyd, among others, do not think the area is busy enough to warrant such an expensive project, the city planners disagree. According to numbers from City Councilwoman Lorie Zapf’s office, lifeguards rescued 22 swimmers from a strong rip current there on the same day.
The city says the exisiting tower, built in 1974, was meant to just be temporary, and now it is ridden with a cracking foundation and rusty pipes.
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The new, three-story tower will have dual observation areas, a first-aid room and storage for rescue vehicles and equipment. It’s expected to be complete around September 2016.
