Commission conditionally approves repair-and-replace pier at 1025 Rushmore, requires harbor-master lighting plan

The Harbor and Coastal Zone Management Commission voted unanimously July 15 to approve a marine-structures permit allowing a repair-and-replace project at 1025 Rushmore, provided the applicant agrees to a lighting plan acceptable to the harbor master. Chair (speaker 2) made the motion to approve the permit conditioned on resolving lighting concerns; the motion was seconded and carried without objection.

Andrew Spatz, representing the applicant, said the proposal is largely ‘like for like’ replacement of the existing pier — replacing decking with IPE boards, installing a cable-rail system and a sturdier overhang, and using eco-friendly materials that the applicant says will better withstand seasonal exposure. “It is a repair and improvement — in essence, like for like to the existing pier,” Spatz said during his presentation.

Harbormaster Jeff LaRusso told the commission he supported the construction details and recommended particular care on lighting so fixtures do not project outward. “It’s very important to make sure that those lights don’t project out,” LaRusso said, adding that diffused lenses and down-facing fixtures typically mitigate glare and minimize impacts to navigation.

Race Coastal Engineering’s Azure Desleiter, the structural engineer of record, explained the plan calls for low-level, down-facing LED fixtures on handrail posts and netting below the decking during replacement to prevent debris loss. Desleiter said most work is land-based carpentry and that materials would be staged upland to limit tidal exposure.

Counsel (speaker 9) confirmed the commission had authority to place reasonable conditions on a marine-structures permit, and said the code permits the commission to both open and close the public hearing and vote at the same meeting if the notice requirements are met. The commission opened the public hearing, heard no speakers, closed the hearing and then approved the permit conditioned on the harbor-master-acceptable lighting plan. The council directed the applicant to provide the finalized lighting and staging details to the planning department and the harbor master.

The commission’s approval covers the marine-structures permit only; Chair (speaker 2) clarified that full consistency reviews under the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) are separate and that this body’s evaluation focused on construction method, appropriateness of the structure and hazards to navigation. The applicant said it will email visuals and submit the lighting plan to staff as part of the record.

The commission’s vote was unanimous and the motion passed. The applicant team said it would return to the commission if material changes are required by subsequent reviews.