“Maybe the state of California could take over the Long Beach Breakwater!” Fourth District City Councilman Patrick O’Donnell suddenly exclaimed (thus, the exclamation point) with equal parts enthusiasm and desperation as he cajoled the crowd for suggestions during the breakwater forum he sponsored at the Aquarium of the Pacific on Dec. 1.

A few days later, O’Donnell sounded a little chagrined when asked about the comment as he lingered outside the council members’ lounge after a meeting at City Hall. “That was me thinking outside the box,” he said with a half-smile. “That was me considering a non-traditional route to reach our goal. That’s probably what it’s going to take.”

Little measurable progress has been made in the nearly five months since the Long Beach City Council approved a $100,000 reconnaissance study to explore the cost-effectiveness of reconfiguring the Long Beach Breakwater. Most of the effort has been spent trying to find a way through the dense federal regulations that govern such a study—regulations that consider it the exclusive responsibility of the Army Corps of Engineers. Because Congressman Dana Rohrabacher refused to escort Long Beach’s request through the prescribed channels, however, local officials are faced with finding their own way.

So is it possible for California to assume ownership over a federally owned and maintained structure? If so, can Long Beach convince the money-starved state of California to pursue ownership of the breakwater, especially with major costs of potential reconfiguration looming?

“That would be a complex process,” said Tom Modica, manager of government affairs for the city manager’s office. “It would have to involve federal and state agencies. Relinquishing ownership means each agency has to oblige.”

A century-old piece of federal legislation (the 1896 River and Harbor Act) dictates what happens to the Long Beach Breakwater, explained Daniel Calderon, public affairs representative for the Army Corps of Engineers office in Los Angeles.

“The Corps built [the breakwater], owns it and maintains it,” Calderon said. “The land underneath it is state-owned. The city of Long Beach may have the deed, but it has no rights to the structure.”

When asked if state ownership is a possibility for the breakwater, Calderon said, simply, “No, not that I know of.”

Looks like O’Donnell is going to have to find another box to think outside of.

Tags: Breakwater Breakdown, Long Beach, patrick o'donnell, reconaissance study