To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Works
Agenda Section: Time Certain Matter
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:title
1:00 P.M. - Storm Damage Repair Project for Centerville Road Near Post-Mile 4.62 and Centerville Beach County Parkend
RECOMMENDATION(S):Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive a staff report regarding the project developed to repair storm damage at Centerville Road along the coastline near post-mile 4.62 and Centerville Beach County Park; and
2. Receive comments from the public; and
3. Find that the proposed project to repair the Centerville Road storm damage site at the existing location is not in the public interest and not a prudent use of public funds, because (1) the special conditions in the coastal development permit from the Coastal Commission would create an excessive financial commitment to the county over the next 20 to 25 years, and (2) the physical condition of the coastal bluff south of the storm damage site has worsened in recent years and there is evidence of substantial risk that other segments of Centerville Road could be damaged by landslides in the near future; and
4. Direct the Department of Public Works to re-submit a Damage Assessment Form to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) with a revised scope of work and cost estimate for a project to replace the damaged segment of Centerville Road at a new location further inland, in order to provide a facility that is more resilient to coastal hazards and to reduce the risk of damage from future events; and
5. Direct the Clerk of the Board to provide the Department of Public Works with one (1) certified electronic copy of the Board order related to this item.
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
The recommended actions support the following areas of the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Plan:
Area of Focus: Safe & Healthy Communities
Strategic Plan Category: 1009 - Expand county infrastructure resilience
DISCUSSION:
Overview
Centerville Road extends west from Ferndale to Centerville Beach and then south along the coastal bluff to the Lost Coast Headlands, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and an agricultural and rural residential area with approximately eight private residences (Attachment 1). The total length of the county-maintained road is approximately eight and four-tenths (8.4) miles.
Centerville Beach County Park is a county-owned, two-acre parcel along Centerville Road near post-mile 4.62 which serves as the only public access point for the beach that extends north nearly five miles to the mouth of the Eel River. Historically, the park had an off-road parking area with capacity for up to 100 vehicles. The Eel River Area Plan of the Humboldt County Local Coastal Program describes Centerville Beach County Park as the most popular ocean shoreline access point in the planning area and identifies it as providing beach access for pedestrians and motorized vehicles. According to Humboldt County Code Section 271-14(b), vehicle use is allowed on county park beaches as specified by resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Resolution No. 03-56, adopted by the Board on May 20, 2003, states, “At Centerville Beach County Park, street licensed 4-wheel drive and licensed all-terrain vehicles are restricted to the waveslope, which shall be accessed only by the designated access route.” The term “waveslope” refers to the portion of the beach wetted by the high tide.
The Centerville Beach area has been subject to major landscape alterations over the last approximately 20 to 25 years associated with shoreline and dune erosion, coupled with landslides along the bluffs directly to the south. Attachment 2 contains photographs of the segment of Centerville Road near Centerville Beach from 1948 through 2026. In early 2017, Centerville Road and Centerville Beach County Park experienced significant damage during a series of storms that were a state and federal declared disaster. Centerville Road required clearing of sand and debris and emergency repairs in order to be re-opened. However, Centerville Road continues to be regularly inundated with water and sand during the winter season due to its low elevation relative to the runup zone of the surf. Centerville Beach County Park is currently severely compromised due to erosion and sand build-up and beach visitors are forced to park along the edge of the roadway where sight-distance is poor due to the curvature of the road. Under current conditions, the road and park are at substantial risk for flooding, erosion, interruption of service and further damage.
Federal and state funds were allocated from the 2017 declared disaster for a storm damage repair project on Centerville Road that would also re-establish a portion of the road-side parking area for Centerville Beach County Park. The Humboldt County Department of Public Works (Public Works) pursued the option of realigning Centerville Road to an inland location; however, private landowners along the logical alignment (based on topography and existing development) were not amenable to providing right-of-way at the time. Public Works proceeded with the studies, engineering design and environmental assessment necessary for repairs to the road and park facilities at the existing location. In addition to repairing the damage, the project was designed to add protective features to make the facilities more resilient to coastal erosion. The proposed storm damage repair project would include raising the elevation of the road and parking area, protecting the raised road and parking area with rock revetment (for a total length of 785 feet), burying the lower portion of the revetment with sand, establishing a parking area with 12 parking spaces that meets Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements and constructing a gated ramp down to the beach. Attachment 3 contains a visual simulation of the proposed project and Attachment 4 contains the draft engineering design plans, which are currently 95% complete.
Coastal Commission Permitting
The environmental permitting and compliance requirements for the project include the need for a coastal development permit because the project area is situated within the coastal zone. Because the project area spans both local and state jurisdiction, the Coastal Commission processed a consolidated coastal development permit. On Dec. 4, 2024, Public Works submitted the initial coastal development permit application for the storm damage repair project. Public Works did not propose any change to the County’s current policy related to motorized vehicle beach access. Over the course of 2025 and into January 2026, there was correspondence back and forth with Commission staff requesting additional information and County staff providing responses. The proposed shoreline armoring for the raised road and off-road parking area was a primary issue of concern. On Jan. 20, 2026, Public Works submitted its final response letter (Attachment 5) providing information and analysis related to the shoreline armoring and the negligible effect on sand supply in the vicinity. On Feb. 26, 2026, the Coastal Commission provided their staff report for the Commission's March 12, 2026 meeting in Ventura. The staff report recommended issuance of a permit with 16 special conditions. On March 4, 2026, Public Works requested that Commission staff pull the item from the agenda because several conditions were identified as problematic and because the expedited timing and distant location would hinder public input from local residents. On April 20, 2026, the Commission sent revised permit conditions which addressed several of the issues identified by County staff. Public Works intended to bring the proposed conditions to the Board of Supervisors for consideration before the permit was placed on the agenda at a Commission hearing; however, competing priorities and scheduling conflicts precluded this from happening before the item was placed on the agenda for the Commission’s Sept. 9, 2026 meeting held in Eureka.
Attachment 6 contains the Coastal Commission’s decision document for the coastal development permit which includes the 16 special conditions and the Commission’s findings supporting these conditions. The special conditions include, without limitation, all of the following:
• A requirement to keep the beach access ramp closed to motorized vehicles except emergency and maintenance vehicles (Condition 1a).
• A requirement to include physical measures such as barriers along the edge of the roadway to prevent motorized beach access (Condition 1b).
• A requirement to remove existing structures, including a historic landmark cross, concrete blocks (k-rail), fencing and remnants of agricultural structures within the project area (Condition 1d).
• A requirement for additional public access amenities, to the extent feasible (Condition 1f).
• A limited authorization period of 20 years with the option to apply for an extension not to exceed five years and potentially an additional extension request if good cause is demonstrated (Condition 4). The authorization for the project would be interim and temporary in order to provide a period of time for the County of Humboldt to develop a long-term adaptation plan for this segment of Centerville Road and the Centerville Beach County Park parking facilities. At the end of the authorization period, the County of Humboldt would need to submit an application for a coastal development permit amendment to relocate or remove the authorized development and restore the affected areas to natural conditions.
• A requirement to prepare a detailed and robust Adaptation Planning Study within five years that would identify strategies to provide maximum public beach access while relocating road and parking facilities threatened by coastal hazards without the use of shoreline armoring (Condition 5).
• A requirement for monitoring and five year reporting of the performance of the shoreline armoring and unauthorized vehicular access (Condition 6).
• A prohibition against future construction of additional shoreline armoring to protect the improvements authorized by the coastal development permit (Condition 9d).
• A prohibition against motorized vehicular access use of the beach access ramp or beach except for emergency and maintenance purposes (Condition 10). Condition 10 requires preparation of a Public Access Management Plan at least 60 days prior to commencement of construction. According to Condition 10, “All public access areas, improvements and amenities shall be available to the general public 24 hours a day free of charge. Only passive recreational uses and no motorized vehicle use shall be allowed.”
• Condition 10 specifies that if the County develops a vehicular access management plan for Centerville Beach County Park that provides for controlled motorized vehicular access use and ensures confinement of vehicles to the wave slope, the Commission may consider such a proposal under a permit amendment. The management plan would need to demonstrate the ability for the County to ensure that motorized vehicle use will be managed to protect public safety and coastal resources consistent with the Coastal Act. The plan would need to include, at a minimum, details on any timing restrictions for such access, measures to identify motorized vehicle use areas, and provisions for dedicated enforcement.
• If the shoreline armoring is retained longer than 20 years, then additional mitigation to offset impacts to coastal resources may be required (Condition 12).
For the prohibition against allowing access for motorized vehicle use on the beach, the California Coastal Commission cites their authority under Section 30240(b) of the Coastal Act, which states, “Development in areas adjacent to environmentally sensitive habitat areas and parks and recreation areas shall be sited and designed to prevent impacts which would significantly degrade those areas and shall be compatible with the continuance of those habitat and recreation areas.”
Bluff Erosion
The bluffs located south of the project area have experienced major landslides in the last few years, destroying portions of BLM’s parking facilities and trails and forcing Public Works to relocate the portion of Centerville Road located near the former Naval Facility further inland. According to a paper published in May 2022 in the journal Geomorphology titled “Spatial and temporal trends in California coastal cliff retreat,” the bluffs south of Centerville Beach have one of the highest erosion and retreat rates statewide. In February 2024, major landslide activity caused further bluff retreat. Attachment 7 contains a series of vertical aerial photographs from 1998 through 2024 showing the progression of bluff erosion, along with oblique aerial photographs collected in 2025 and 2026 showing current conditions and the proximity of the landslide face to Centerville Road. For approximately 1,500 feet, the distance between Centerville Road and the crown of the nearest landslide is less than 100 feet, and as little as 25 feet in two locations. These landslides have moved very recently and further sliding could be triggered by earthquake, sustained rainfall and saturation of the slopes and/or erosion near the toe.
Status of Federal-aid Funding
The Caltrans serves as the administrator of funding provided by the FHWA. According to Caltrans staff, if the County determines that the proposed project is not justifiable, then FHWA would likely approve shifting the storm damage repair funding to a project that would replace the damaged road segment at a new location. The most likely location for a new road alignment is to improve and extend the existing Poole Road, connecting to a new junction with Centerville Road near post-mile 6.0. The County would need to acquire right-of-way to extend Poole Road, either through a voluntary purchase and sale agreement or eminent domain, to enable the road connection.
Staff Recommendation
The cost of complying with the coastal development permit conditions for the proposed project at the storm damage site would be substantial. The County would need to prepare an Adaptation Planning Study within five years and then remove all improvements and re-locate the road within 20 to 25 years. Accepting the coastal development permit would commit the County to expend future funds for these major undertakings. The availability of state or federal funding to support the Adaptation Planning Study and/or the road removal and re-location project is uncertain. In addition, the road further south situated near the edge of the bluffs is vulnerable to damage or destruction due to landslides. Landslide movement within the last few years demonstrates the instability of these slopes and the potential hazards for road damage in the near future.
Public Works recommends that the Board of Supervisors find that the proposed project to repair the Centerville Road storm damage site at the existing location is not in the public interest and not a prudent use of public funds because (1) the special conditions in the coastal development permit from the Coastal Commission would create an excessive financial commitment to the County over the next 20 to 25 years and (2) the physical condition of the coastal bluff south of the storm damage site has worsened in recent years and there is evidence of substantial risk that other segments of Centerville Road could be damaged by a bluff landslide in the near future.
Further, Public Works recommends that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to re-submit a Damage Assessment Form to the Caltrans, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and FHWA with a revised scope of work and cost estimate for a project to replace the damaged segment of Centerville Road at a new location further inland, in order to provide a facility that is more resilient to coastal hazards and to reduce the risk of damage from future events.
If the Board adopts these recommendations and chooses to shift to pursuing the inland retreat approach rather than proceeding with the storm damage repair project along the beach, Centerville Road will likely continue to be subject to temporary closures and require regular clearing of sand and debris following high surf and storm events, and the level of impact may worsen over time. The parking area for Centerville Beach would not be improved with the funding associated with the 2017 declared disaster and beach access would continue to be limited. Public Works would not accept the coastal development permit and the conditions of that permit would not take effect.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Funding for the proposed storm damage repair project is available through the FHWA (88.53%), the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (8.60%) and Measure O (2.87%). The Humboldt County General Fund (1100) provides funding for management, operation and maintenance of County Parks.
The funding sources for implementing the conditions of the coastal development permit, if accepted, are uncertain but would likely include the Humboldt County Road Fund, Measure O, federal and state grants and/or the Humboldt County General Fund.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
|
Expenditures (1200321) |
FY26-27 Adopted |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$3,932,893.00 |
|
Total Expenditures |
$3,932,893.00 |
|
Funding Sources (1200321) |
FY26-27 Adopted |
|
State/Federal Funds |
$3,820,019.00 |
|
Fees/Other |
$112,874.00 |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$3,932,893.00 |
The cost for re-locating the affected portion of Centerville Road to an inland location is unknown at this time, but is likely comparable or less than the cost of the storm damage repair project that was designed along the beach.
The total project cost including preliminary engineering, right-of-way, construction and construction engineering for the repair project at the storm damage site is estimated at $4,837,793. The construction cost for the proposed project is included in the fiscal year 2026-27 budget under Public Works - Roads Engineering budget (1200321) and listed in the capital asset allocation table with an estimated construction cost of $3,932,893. The Measure O portion of the construction cost is approximately $112,874, with the majority of the project funded through the FHWA (88.53%) or the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (8.60%).
Caltrans staff believe that the pre-construction costs already expended for the storm damage repair project would still be reimbursable through FHWA, with the potential exception of the expenses associated with right-of-way acquisition.
STAFFING IMPACT:
The recommended actions will not impact current staffing levels.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
California Coastal Commission; Caltrans; FHWA; California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board could choose to accept the coastal development permit and proceed with constructing the proposed storm damage repair project on Centerville Road along the beach. This alternative is not recommended for the reasons provided in the staff report.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Site location maps
2. Centerville Beach photographs (1948-2026)
3. Visual simulation of proposed storm damage repair project
4. Draft Engineering design plans
5. Letter from Public Works to Coastal Commission Dated Jan. 20, 2026
6. Coastal Commission Adopted Findings
7. Centerville Bluff photographs (1999-2026)
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: None
File No.: None