Santa Cruz Wharf

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View underneath the wharf between wooden piles Under the Santa Cruz Wharf.JPG
View underneath the wharf between wooden piles
Sea lion under the wharf SantaCruzSeaLion.JPG
Sea lion under the wharf
Sea lions on a platform beside the wharf Sea Lions next to Santa Cruz Wharf.JPG
Sea lions on a platform beside the wharf

The Santa Cruz Wharf is a pier in Santa Cruz, California, United States, known for fishing, boat tours, viewing sea lions, dining, nightlife and gift shops. The current wharf was built in 1914, the most recent of six built on the site, [1] and is operated by the City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Office. The wharf is situated between Main Beach (which is adjacent to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk) and Cowell's Beach, on the westside of the city of Santa Cruz. With a length of 2,745 feet (836.68 m) before the 2024 storm damage, it was the longest pier on the West Coast of the United States. [2]

Contents

History

The Santa Cruz Wharf opened on December 5, 1914. [1] The original purpose of building the wharf was for shipping potatoes to San Francisco for mining camps in the Sierra Nevada during the Gold Rush. [1] After the innovation of motor vehicles and improved land routes, the Wharf's primary focus changed to be the base of the north Monterey Bay fishing industry. [3] By the 1950s as Monterey Bay's sardine and other fish populations dwindled, nearly every family owned a vehicle and had money to spend on recreation. As a result, the Santa Cruz Wharf became predominantly a recreational destination.

On October 4, 2014, the community celebrated 100 years of the Santa Cruz Wharf with a festival including a pop-up museum exhibit, historic photo stand, bocce courts, face painting, Mavericks surfboard display, photo booth, Economic Development's Wharf Master Plan model and the Surfing Preservation Society's surf shack. [4] The festivities ended with fireworks.

In late October 2014, city council approved an improvement plan, subject to environmental review, hoping to find grant money to offset some of the estimated $24-29 million in repairs and improvements. [5]

In fall 2020, a group called "Don't Morph the Wharf", led by Gillian Greensite, demanded changes in the updated plan, including lower building heights and removal of a western walkway and new Landmark Building. The council approved the plan on November 24, 2020. [6] Greensite's group sued the City under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), claiming the Environmental Impact Report was done improperly.[ citation needed ] The City was unable to secure state or federal grant money with the case in litigation, leading to further delays in improving and strengthening the wharf.[ citation needed ]

High surf in December 2023 damaged the wharf, forcing the temporary closure of the entire structure and leading to the demolition of a restaurant at its end. [7] [8] On December 23, 2024, an approximately 150-foot (46 m) section at the end of the wharf collapsed due to high waves. The wharf had accumulated a backlog of necessary repairs prior to the collapse, but engineers were unable to implement the repairs due to CEQA lawsuits. [9] [10] During the collapse, one city project manager and two contractors fell into the ocean together with equipment, two of whom were rescued while the third swam to shore. [11] The public restroom building was washed up onto the beach. [12] With the loss of some 300 pilings, debris washed up as far as 10 miles (16 km) away. [13] The pier, along with the businesses on it, was closed for inspection of the damage. [14] The pier reopened January 4, 2025, after it was determined the lost equipment did not pose a danger to the structure. [13]

Description and events

The wharf is a popular tourist attraction, nestled adjacent to the city's leading attraction, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Visitors flock to the wharf for a variety of restaurants, gift shops, wine tasting, candy stores, and just to stroll and peer down at the sea lions below. Annually, an estimated 1.5 million visitors come to the Santa Cruz Wharf to fish, shop, dine and sightsee. [3]

Woodies on the Wharf

The Surf City Classic "Woodies on the Wharf" is Northern California's largest woodie show that features more than 200 stylish, pre-1952 wood-bodied cars. [15] A free bike valet is available. [16]

Wharf to Wharf

First run in 1973 by a handful of locals, the Wharf to Wharf Race begins at the Santa Cruz Wharf and completes at the Capitola Wharf, in the neighboring town. Limited to 16,000 runners on a first-come-first-served basis, its field sells out months in advance. Each year, on the fourth Sunday in July, thousands of runners return for the 6-mile race (9.7 km) to Capitola-by-the-Sea. [17] [18] [19]

A fish market on the wharf is featured in scenes from the film Sudden Impact (1983). A restaurant on the wharf is seen in The Lost Boys (1987).

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Candelaria, Christine (October 9, 2013). "Santa Cruz Wharf Celebrates a Century!". SantaCruz.org. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  2. ↑ "California Pier Statistics". See California. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Changing History". SantaCruz.org. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Santa Cruz Wharf". City of Santa Cruz. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  5. ↑ Whittaker, Brynne (October 29, 2014). "City Council approves Santa Cruz wharf improvement plan". KSBW . Retrieved December 26, 2024. An engineering report found that the wharf is in fairly good shape despite its age, but will still need repairs such as new pavement and new timber piles that support the wharf. The additions and repairs could cost between $24-29 million. City council members made it clear that the city of Santa Cruz does not have the money to fund it fully.
  6. ↑ "Don't Morph the Wharf with Gillian Greensite". KSQD. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ Hamer, Cristal (December 29, 2023). "Santa Cruz Wharf reopens after being damaged by high surf". KSBW. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  8. ↑ Kinebrew, Brooke (October 24, 2024). "Demolition of Dolphin Restaurant at Santa Cruz Wharf is underway". KSBW. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  9. ↑ Schrupp, Kenneth (December 27, 2024). "Storm collapses Santa Cruz wharf after activists resist upgrades for nearly a decade". The Center Square.
  10. ↑ Ramos, John (December 30, 2024). "Retired Santa Cruz Wharf supervisor says wharf was breaking apart, collapse could've been prevented". CBS San Francisco.
  11. ↑ Medina, Madilynne (December 23, 2024). "3 people fall into ocean after California's iconic Santa Cruz pier collapses". SFGate .
  12. ↑ Vaziri, Aidin (December 23, 2024). "Santa Cruz Wharf partially collapses as storms pound California coast; fear of 'additional' losses". San Francisco Chronicle .
  13. 1 2 Lara, Juan Carlos (January 3, 2025). "Santa Cruz Wharf Set to Reopen Less Than 2 Weeks After Partial Collapse". KQED. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  14. ↑ Toohey, Grace (December 27, 2024). "Destructive waves keep thrashing Santa Cruz: 'Mother Nature holds the cards'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  15. ↑ Kearney, Neal (July 3, 2024). "Woodies on the Wharf". Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Woodies on the Wharf". Santa Cruz Woodies. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  17. ↑ Seimas, Jim (July 25, 2024). "Even in an Olympics year, elite fields are deep for Wharf to Wharf road race". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  18. ↑ Tovar, Ricardo (July 29, 2024). "Thousands participate in annual Wharf to Wharf race in Santa Cruz County". KSBW. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Wharf to Wharf" . Retrieved April 23, 2015.

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