Help Save Capitola

To:  To the Capitola Planning Commission

We, the undersigned, draw the attention of the Capitola Planning Commission to the Following:

-Our major concern we share with the academic community regarding the destruction and indefinite restricted access to the Paleontologic resources at the site of the Depot Hill Seawall project

-The inadequacy of the seawall to actually fulfill its purpose

-Alternative projects to fulfill the purpose

-Major loss of scientific information due to a proposed Seawall

The Seawall at the Depot Hill cliff area immediately east of Capitola City Beach has been proposed to halt erosion of the marine cliffs in an attempt to save private property on the top of the cliff from erosion hazards.

The proposed Depot Hill seawall will destroy significant amounts of fossils, as well as deny access to the Academics, Fossil Collectors, and Public of the United States, as well as any concerned foreign nationals.

The Marine Cliffs at the Depot Hill project area are an incredibly important source of scientific knowledge. Here are some points we wish to bring to your attention.

1. The Paleontologic resources are deemed as valuable as other sites like the La Brea Tar Pits.
2. The section of cliffs in the project area expose the only complete series of rocks spanning the three million years of California’s natural history between 3 and 5 million years ago.
3. The deposition type characteristic of the section are not found elsewhere on the west coast.
4. The fossil fauna present is not represented anywhere else on the West Coast, and the world for that matter.
5. The incredible quality of preservation is not found elsewhere.
6. The diversity of the fauna is not replicated anywhere else in the world.
7. Several species of animals are unique to the section.
8. Several species of invertebrates have yet to be named/described.
9. Vertebrate fossils are commonly encountered in incredible states of preservation. Vertebrate fossils are protected under Federal law.
10. Very few of the vertebrate fossils have been identified formally, and consequently many are undescribed species. These include many types of Baleen Whales, Seals and Sea Lions, Horses, primitive Walruses, birds, fish, and sharks. The evolution of the modern Great White Shark is being studied at this site.
11. Fossils are not as common at other sites on the west coast as they are at this site. The site is incredibly fossiliferous, and the amount of fossils at the site is in itself scientifically unusual.
12. No definitive work has been conducted or published on this section of the Purisima formation.
13. Due to these factors, the site is a major Scientific Asset.
14. The site is also a world renowned fossil locality that is sought after by fossil collectors across California, The United States, and the World.
15. The site is not only valuable for Scientists and Fossil Collectors. It happens to be very easily accessible, and as such is used as a teaching tool for schools around Northern California. Schools regularly conduct field trips to teach students about fossils and their natural occurrence. There is only one other comparable site in the world that is used for such a similar purpose. This site is the famous fossil locality Lyme Regis, along the coast of Southern England. (May it be noted that Capitola is not only more fossiliferous than Lyme Regis but also by far more easily accessed).

In the E.I.R. it is stated that the seawall will in fact protect Paleontological resources, as they will stay inside the cliff instead of being eroded. However, the wall will most likely be rebuilt without any access granted to concerned parties.

The Environmental Impact Report has recently been published, and in this there are several pieces of information inside regarding the construction that need be brought to your attention.

1. The wall’s objective is to prevent erosion from occurring at the site.
2. The height of the wall will not keep erosion from occurring above it. It is stated that the wall will slow erosion at the tops of the cliff, however it also states that a significant amount of cliff will still be lost.
3. The cliff face is estimated to erode as much as 30 feet in the next 50 years, and up to 100 feet in 100 years.
4. It states that the homes it would be helping would have up to 75 years until erosional damage occurs with the project. Also stated on the same page: “... subject to destruction by erosion of underlying soils within approximately 50-75 years if the proposed project is not built.”

Considering this information, it seems obvious that the wall or similar project will in fact NOT fulfill the project objectives.

There are some points not outlined in the E.I.R. that need be brought to your attention.

1. The majority of the erosion is in fact NOT caused by tidal action and marine erosional processes.
2. The major area where erosional processes are occurring locally is in the upper twenty feet of the cliff. Obviously this is not caused by tidal action, as it of course is 60-80 feet above sea level. It would be preposterous to hold tidal action responsible as the main contributor of erosion, as the E.I.R. has done.
3. The erosion towards the top of the cliff is caused by the exposure of the aquifer at the contact between the Purisima formation and the younger terrace deposits, approximately 20 feet from the top of the cliff.
4. A seawall will not prevent the aquifer from eroding the terrace, as it does not protect the upper twenty feet of the cliff. It covers the lower twenty feet of the cliff.
Considering this, it seems that a different type of project should be employed at the site.

Reviewing all of the above, we urge you to seriously consider these points.
- The project will eliminate a significant amount of scientific data.
- The project will not adequately fulfill the project objectives.
- Many alternatives exist that would be much better suited to fulfilling the objectives.
- With this project it is a lose-lose situation for the homeowners whose properties are at stake. Either way, their homes have 75 years as stated in the E.I.R.

We highly urge you to consider alternatives as stated in the E.I.R. such as:
-No project alternative
-Beach Nourishment
-Beach Nourishment with Rock Groins
-Revegetation and Surface Water Drainage control
-Planned Retreat
-Rip-rap Revetment

A note about Rip-rap revetments. Rip-rap is the piling of boulders against a cliff to disperse wave energy. It fulfills the same objectives a wall would, but allows access to the paleontologic resources. The single inferior aspect as stated in the E.I.R. is that the revetment will not look pleasing to the eye. However, this exact type of cliff protection is used only half a mile away, on the Opal Cliffs immediately to the west.

Any of these alternatives would gladly be endorsed by the concerned parties over the proposed project, as these will allow access to the paleontological resources.

We urge you to highly consider the points we have outline, the alternatives to the sea wall, and exactly what scientific resources are at stake here.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Help Save Capitola Petition to To the Capitola Planning Commission was created by Members of the informal and newly formed 'San Francisco Bay Paleontological Society' and written by Robert Boessenecker.  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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