Retaining Wall

On May 16, 2024, the California Coastal Commission issued a permit to Bower Limited Partnership for replacement of the failed retaining wall behind the Surf Market and directly above the Gualala River estuary. The Surf Market building was built too close to the bluff edge in 1983, in violation of coastal development permit CDP No. NCR-80-P-75, which is why the …

(CDP 55-2006) Proposed construction of a new 285-foot long concrete block retaining wall behind the Surf Supermarket parking lot in downtown Gualala, to connect to an old 105 foot long retaining wall behind the Surf Supermarket itself. May, 2010 updateThe old retaining wall behind the Supermarket failed in 2006, allowing sediment and debris to flow into the Gualala River estuary …

by Peter Baye This letter was published in the Independent Coast Observer on January 25, 2008. Editor: What’s in a name? Will something called a “soil retention system” rather than a “retaining wall” conserve the natural, mature coastal bluff vegetation along the river bank? In a word, no. Regardless of whether the scenic coastal bluffs along the Gualala River bank …

by Britt Bailey, Director Environmental Commons This Open Space article was published in the Independent Coast Observer on January 25, 2008. There are a myriad of opinions with respect to Mr. John Bower’s proposal to build a retaining wall or retaining structure on the bluff in Gualala. Speaking for Environmental Commons, I’d like to clarify our reasons for opposing and …

by Peter Baye This letter was published in the Independent Coast Observer on February 22, 2008. Editor: The ICO’s editorial on “The Surf project” (February 15, 2008) is right about the benefits of a new downtown building layout that opens up coastal views. But it misses the point entirely about the nature and problems of “piecemealing” the bluff project ahead …

by Karl Anderson This letter was published in the Independent Coast Observer on January 25, 2008. Editor: With his new proposal John Bower would seem to acknowledge that a large concrete wall in the Gualala River estuary would be an eyesore. But his “soil retention wall” ignores the fact that the bluff is stable and does not need to be …

Letter regarding CDP #55-2006 by Julie Verran Ms. Beddoe, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Hall, CDP #55-2006 should be denied. The only viable alternatives are No Project, or public use as a park with a bluff trail, parking and more native trees and shrubs planted to help shield Highway 1 and the rest of downtown Gualala from tsunami run-up. That would be …