"As long as I've been here, for 45 years, the boardwalk has had a particular character: It's rough, timbery, knotty, kind of rustic." That is Planning Commissioner Steven Kellenberg, speaking at the September 16 concept review for the Main Beach boardwalk, as Stu News Laguna reported. He was making the case for replacing the worn decking with pressure-treated Douglas fir, the same wood that is there now.
The boards he described have been in place for 18 years. In 1973 the boardwalk was decked in Kapur, a tropical hardwood, and most of that was replaced with Douglas fir in 2008. The look that reads as the boardwalk's lasting character is the second deck. The city's choice this time decides two things beyond appearance: how many years pass before Laguna has this argument again, and how much permitting stands between the decision and the first new board.
A deck that has already been swapped once
The strip of sand the boardwalk follows has been public for a shorter time than many people assume. On October 29, 1968, the city bought about 1,000 feet of beach frontage from various property owners for a recorded $3,135,000, cleared every structure off it, and opened the village to the water. The Laguna Beach Historical Society chronology records the park's dedication as "Window to the Sea" on June 22, 1974.
Walkways along that sand go back much further. The 1974 dedication program lists a first boardwalk in 1902 and a "new" one installed by the property owners in 1925. The version people walk today dates to 1973, and it started out in hardwood.
Year | What happened at Main Beach |
|---|---|
1902 | First boardwalk built along Main Beach |
1925 | Property owners install a "new" boardwalk |
1968 | City buys about 1,000 feet of frontage for $3,135,000 |
1973 | Current boardwalk installed with Kapur decking |
1974 | Main Beach Park dedicated on June 22 |
2008 | Most decking replaced with pressure-treated Douglas fir |
2026 | Planning Commission and City Council take up replacement |
Since 2008, crews have swapped out deteriorated boards one at a time as needed. Project Manager Yun-Yun Lee told the commission this has left the boardwalk with a mix of materials. The plan calls for replacing about 2,045 boards over roughly 1,200 linear feet, from Marine Safety headquarters to Laguna Avenue at 307 S. Coast Highway, along with the access stairs. Each board is about 3 inches by 8 inches and 10 to 12 feet long, tapered one by one to follow the boardwalk's curve and held to the framing with countersunk fasteners. That tapering matters more than it sounds, because some woods are much easier to cut than others.
Four woods, four replacement calendars
The September 16 Planning Commission staff report narrowed the field to four materials. It drew on pricing and availability from local and regional lumber suppliers plus manufacturer literature. Pricing is shown only as relative bands. Detailed unit and total costs will come during final design.
Material | Anticipated service life | Relative price | Main trade-off in the staff report |
|---|---|---|---|
Pressure-treated Douglas fir | 15–30 years | Low | Easy to cut and taper and fits the existing fasteners, but softer, so more prone to dents, splintering and warping |
Ipe | 40–75+ years | High | Exceptionally hard and decay-resistant, but heavy, hard to fabricate, and needs pre-drilling |
Balata, or bulletwood | 30–50+ years | Medium | Very dense tropical hardwood, but heavy, and availability in 3-by-8 sizes must be confirmed |
Accoya | 50+ years | Medium | Stable modified softwood that machines more easily than hardwoods, but large custom sections may be limited and could raise cost |
The fir row tells the story of the current deck. Boards laid in 2008 with a 15-to-30-year life would hit the low end of that range in 2023 and the high end in 2038. The boardwalk is 18 years in and, by Councilmember Bob Whalen's account, has been deteriorating for several years. Planning Commission Chair Pro Tem Jorg Dubin, the one commissioner not fully sold on fir, explained why. The wood has both hard and soft grain, and the softer grain wears faster and leaves the surface uneven. "This is a cool, rustic look…it's got that timeless beachy vibe to it, but it's also got some trip hazards and some splintering issues," he said, according to Stu News Laguna.
Even so, the commission majority favored fir. Commissioner Ken Sadler pointed out that it can be cut and tapered, weighs less, and makes single-board repairs cheaper. Commissioner Susan McLintock Whitin wanted to keep "the beachy, funky traditional feeling" and raised concerns that tropical hardwoods have to be shipped from overseas. Chair Steve Goldman said he "wouldn't see going to those, really, under any circumstance."
On the city's numbers, a fir deck finished before 2028 would reach the short end of its life in the early 2040s. Any of the other three is rated to last about twice as long or more.
What was ruled out before the woods made the shortlist
At the October 13 council meeting, Acting Director of Public Works Tom Perez said staff had also looked at materials designed to resemble wood. Stu News Laguna reported why none of them advanced:
- Synthetic and plastic decking raised concerns that sand and foot traffic could wear it too smooth, and that it could get too hot in direct sun for barefoot beachgoers.
- Thinner manufactured boards would require changes to the existing substructure.
- Stamped concrete with a wood-grain finish would be extremely expensive and would essentially mean rebuilding the whole boardwalk.
Mayor Pro Tem Hallie Jones closed that door from a different direction. "I'm not interested in exploring anything that is not sustainable. So anything that has a plastic base or anything like that, I think is not what we stand for, I want a natural wood product," she said. Every finalist is real wood, so the remaining argument is between fir's ease of work and the others' lifespan.
The wood also decides the permit route
The September staff report ties the entitlement path to the material chosen.
On design review, staff wrote that a repair-and-maintenance replacement may qualify as a de minimis capital project exempt from design review. A material that changes the boardwalk's exterior look may instead go to administrative design review, generally before the Zoning Administrator. Under either path, the report says, the project may not come back to the Planning Commission.
On the coastal development permit, the report says:
"Replacement of the existing decking in kind, using the same material and without alteration of the existing alignment, dimensions, framing, or foundations, may qualify for an exemption from coastal development permit requirements as repair and maintenance."
A different material, or changes to the stairs, framing, fastening system or foundations, or construction equipment on the sand, would mean a coastal development permit is required before work begins. The site is in an appealable area of the Coastal Zone, and staff will coordinate with the California Coastal Commission on jurisdiction. No exemption determination has been made yet.
That puts Commissioner Whitin's point in context. She said like-for-like fir would keep the process simple and efficient, including in dealings with the Coastal Commission. Fir is the familiar look, and it may also be the shortest regulatory path. A longer-lasting hardwood or Accoya probably adds a permit step. Whalen wants that longer-lasting deck and also wants the work finished before the 2028 Olympics. If the subcommittee picks a material other than fir, the schedule will likely have to make room for a coastal development permit before construction can start.
Where it stands heading into November
On October 13, the council voted 5-0 to name Mayor Mark Orgill and Whalen to a subcommittee that will work with staff on the material and explore a design-build approach. The council staff report asked only for a presentation and input. It did not authorize construction. No material has been picked, there is no total cost estimate, and there are no construction dates. Staging, phasing and any temporary detours will be worked out in final design, with the goal of keeping Main Beach Park walkable as much as feasible.
The Laguna Beach Independent's coverage adds the forces the new deck will face. Capital Improvement Program Manager Pierre Sawaya noted daily use that peaks in summer, along with moisture, wind and salt water. Councilmember Sue Kempf raised the need for a material that can stand up to the high surf events hitting Laguna Beach. Sawaya answered that recent tides had been more than expected and that the treated boards are designed for marine exposure. On whether hardwoods would hold up better over time, he said, "Likely. But that there are those trade-offs with as far as maintenance and costs as well." The Independent gives fir a 15-to-25-year life from his presentation. The city's written report says 15 to 30.
One more variable came up in public comment. A speaker raised damage from the Zamboni that drives on the boardwalk and suggested the council consider banning the heavy machine to extend the life of the new decking. Whether that machine keeps using the boardwalk will affect how long any new decking lasts, whichever wood is chosen.
Boardwalk decking and hillside decks face the same salt, sand, sun and coastal permit questions, and Marcus's background in architecture and construction makes weighing those trade-offs a familiar part of our work. If you're pricing a coastal remodel or wondering how a deck, a stair or another material change would affect your property's value, Marcus Skenderian Real Estate can talk it through with you, starting with a complimentary home valuation. Please treat this as general information rather than legal or permitting advice, and confirm the rules for your own project with the city and a qualified professional.
