Perspectives and opinions of residents who will be impacted by an Army Corps project are factored into the cost-benefit ratio, kind of like how “Recreation” is factored—in a really vague way. These concerns seep out in public forums hosted by the engineering firm. Moffatt & Nichol will host a similar forum in the coming months, although no date has been set yet.

Property on the Alamitos Peninsula—a region containing some of the most valuable residential real estate in Long Beach—will be physically affected by any coastal change. Where do residents stand on the breakwater reconfiguration issue? Well, not in any one place, really.

Rick Brizendine, chair of the Peninsula Improvement Committee and a director for the Peninsula Beach Preservation Group (PBPG), argues against reconfiguration, saying that it will not cure the pollution problem in Long Beach.

“My position is that the money is not being well spent,” he says. “We have to stop pollution at its source, which is the LA River, not the breakwater.”

Brizendine also says the PBPG has a few priorities: “To stop pollution, to preserve the beach for public use, to preserve the environment, and to protect property”—in that order.

In the PBPG’s 2008 survey, peninsula residents were asked if they support breakwater reconfiguration. Only 164 people responded to the survey, but 141 of them said no. This was the question they were asked: “There has been discussion of modifying or removing the breakwater. Such actions may leave homes on the peninsula unprotected from flooding. Do you support the PBPG’s position against modifying the breakwater?”

The question is little misleading, though. The peninsula has a long history of flooding, even with the breakwater in place. In fact, parts of the bay side of the peninsula are already below sea level and incredibly vulnerable to flooding—flooding that is usually caused by southern swell storm surges that enter through the gap between the breakwater and Alamitos Jetty.

Yes, reconfiguring the breakwater will let in more open-ocean energy, but the Army Corps—not wanting to endanger those coastal homes—would probably recommend storm damage reduction measures outlined in “Flood, Storm and Coastal Protection.”

Avalon Hill, a 24-year resident of the peninsula, thinks there is some middle ground for reconfiguration. “It will be a very divisive issue among residents,” she said. “But I think there’s a compromise between taking the whole thing down and putting up with the putrid water that we have here. I don’t swim on the ocean side. The ocean side is nasty, especially after storms.”

Tags: alamitos peninsula, breakwater, Long Beach

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good govt 4 all 1 month ago 1 point
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Rick is a good lawyer, and pal of some of ours from Wilson, but not an Architect or Engineer last we checked ?. We will never stop pollution at the source and from all 100 square miles of the L.A. basin in our lifetime, will we ?

Or are we contemplating sending all of L.A.s runoff water to a series of huge, multi Billion dollar treatment plants ? Next comes the complete elimination of all litter upstream? and the removal of hundreds of miles of contaminated river bed soils also leaching out heavy metals and other toxics, for decades to come as well ? We would like to swim,surf, and boogie board in our own ocean again some day , while we still have the horsepwer? Or at least give surf lessons to the lineal descendants, and friends during our lifetime? LOL

The best experts we have known or know, many of which helped build out, maintain, or improve a lot of L'A's infrastructure, have seen the breakwater as an overbuilt, overdesigned trash collector since the 60's. One which does little to address a true need, capturing, filtering and storing an ample portion of the wasted rainwater flloding the LA River every Winter as it too, senselessly pollutes the ocean. The breakwater concentrates these pollutants as it impedes outbound flow while acting like a settling basin. Yukk ! Then it collects trash, thus pollutants, as specked out by the Navy and the Army Corp, post WW2. Sadly they left. But they forgot their rocks.

A retired Mayor and Vice mayor are there and in the maintain the breakwater crowd too? We need more dialog,for sure, because there is a lot of false fear down there. This beach is a Coastal Resource, for any and all, not just 164.

We recall Gary saying while running,' The Feds say no money...next issue''. Where does he allow his little one's to swim? In a pool or from Sunset Beach South, like many of us?

Long Beach, where fine kids run from as: ''Where the sewers meet the sea". What a shame. We used to have some of the best surf in So. Cal !!

Leave a piece for the Peninsula, fine, but make long stretches of it an artificial reef through lowering it, and testing it, in steps, or phases.. Dozens of us could begin rolling off the top boulders by pick and plank in places. At least if lowered to the low tide line in a few areas, with warning buoys of course, it could act like a skimmer in a pool on a test basis?

As soon as some of this stuff starts ending up on the neighboring beach communities, see how fast political momentum mounts for a global resolution.!! We have singularly born this burden far too long.

This breakwater lowering, in spots, will absorb most of the swell energy far offshore anyway, and allow it to largely dissipate long before it reaches the shore. Similar to Waikiki quite possibly. Key will be the return of much needed aeration in the foam and whitewater. That really helps break down a lot of bad stuff, like the fecal bacteria at Mothers Beach and elsewhere.

If the shore is worried about areas under the tide line, ask the independent experts. Request our PHD Study on file in Building and Planning. Oil extraction has caused subsidance exceeding an inch a year, on average, for many decades. Over 43 Inches or so. Don't blame the breakwater for inadequate water recharge in District 3. Isn't that on Bixby A, and B, The THUMBS Islands, and now the new owners of the Wetlands? Please, help us understand and correct us if we are wrong? We'll talk soon friends.

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