An Oceanside advisory panel has recommended an Australian firm’s vision for preserving the city’s beaches.
The decision was announced by city officials on Jan. 4 after a third public workshop in December where final proposals from three candidates were covered.
International Coastal Management, based in Australia, proposed a “Living Speed Bumps” approach, which would involve the construction of two small headlands to stabilize sand on the beach and an offshore artificial reef to slow erosion.
The City Council will consider the advisory panel’s recommendation at a Jan. 31 workshop. Oceanside, in partnership with Resilient Cities Catalyst and GHD, announced the finalists last July after a global search for teams to take on the beach preservation project, called RE:BEACH.
“We are proud to have worked with all three finalist teams through the RE:BEACH process,” Samuel Carter, principal at Resilient Cities Catalyst, said in a city news release. “We see all the proposed solutions as contributing greatly to the conversation about how to build coastal resilience in these uncertain times.”
The finalists were SCAPE Landscape Architecture of New York, Netherlands-based Deltares, and International Coastal Management. Each firm, along with their respective partners, made proposals to city officials for novel ways to replenish and preserve Oceanside’s beaches.
Residents and other project stakeholders participated in three workshops during the second half of 2023 to share feedback on the design proposals created by the three finalists.
“This opportunity perfectly aligns with our deep passion for impactful projects, and we are confident that Oceanside will emerge as a shining example of coastal resilience in California,” Aaron Salyer, International Coastal Management’s principal engineer and director, said in the city’s news release. “Our commitment extends beyond design; we eagerly anticipate contributing our extensive expertise in implementation, monitoring, and management of dynamic coastal environments to ensure the success of this exciting project.”
Planning and environmental review is expected to take about two years, with construction starting by 2026.
As the feedback and decision process came to a close in December, Oceanside Coastal Zone Administrator Jayme Timberlake remarked that the process helped residents understand what is at stake for the city’s beaches.
“RE:BEACH brought awareness to the public and to the region about Oceanside’s coastal management needs, and allowed for an opportunity to capture meaningful feedback on the proposed solutions,” Timberlake said in a December city news release. “What we saw in all three public workshops was a prominent commitment by the community to be part of the process.”
Updates will continue to be available on the project’s website, rebeach.org.
“RE:BEACH is more than just a project; it’s a shared vision for a sustainable and vibrant coastal future that the City expects will be enjoyed by current and future generations,” Timberlake said in December. “At this stage in RE:BEACH, the solutions being provided by the Design Teams offer not only sand retention solutions, but also guidance on a long-term coastal management strategy that we will need to adopt.”
