SANTA BARBARA – The Shoreline Park safety improvement project is one step closer to being completed as the City Council finalized a grant agreement at Tuesday's meeting.
In January 2008, a chunk of the park eroded into the ocean, taking with it a part of the sidewalk. A portion of the park has been fenced off for years but construction will start in late April.
"In these challenging economic times it's taken us a while to put together the funding to make the improvements," said Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Jill Zachary.
The project will cost $237,000. Most of the money will come from the city's general fund but a $40,000 grant from the Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund will pay for around 15 percent of the project.
A temporary fence protects park goers from the eroded cliff but the erosion isn't going to stop. The Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department has planned for the future.
"We actually spent a certain amount of time working with a geologist to determine where we thought the future top of the slope will be," said Zachary.
The new sidewalk will be put 30 to 35 feet from the edge of the bluff along with permanent fencing.
The old light fixtures from the 1960s will be replaced with new energy efficient lighting and there will be re-vegetation of the bluff top.
Zachary said she knows it has taken a while, but appreciates people's patience.
"In these times it does take longer to get things done but we are hoping with the completion of this project, everyone will be happy with the improvements that we make."
Park construction should start in late April and will take four to six weeks to complete.
