State Parks Offers Update on Projects as Summer Looms

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The beach access stairway at Point Dume, constructed between 1972 and 1980, has been in disrepair for years, as shown in this 2015 photograph.

Summertime in Malibu means a three-month reprieve on nonessential construction, both on Pacific Coast Highway and at various state parks and beaches all along our 21 miles.

Two such projects are repairs being undertaken by California State Parks, which have been in the works for nearly three years: the Adamson House and beach access stairs at Point Dume.

Adamson House roof repair nears completion

According to California State Parks Angeles District Superintendent Craig Sap, one exception to this rule includes repairs to the beleaguered Adamson House, which has been in dire need of repairs for many years.

In 2015, the governor’s office allocated $247,500 in the state budget to go toward necessary repairs in the house’s roof, where water was intruding and causing damage to the priceless, 80-year-old historic home. The money was split in two and used to both study and mend the roof leak.

It has been three years, but Sap said Tuesday he was optimistic the project would be winding up in the middle of June.

“[The] first phase of that was the investigation, we used that to find out what was the reason for the house leaking, because a lot of water intrusion, because water can cause a lot of damage, particularly in historic structures,” Sap described, adding that the second part of the money was spent on the work phase, though some setbacks meant the project was prolonged.

“It should have been done by now, but mother nature threw a couple curve balls,” Sap said. “No wonder, it rains in the wintertime, and that set us back a bit—much to the chagrin of weddings, because of tarps being up.”

There was also a delay due to “unknown existing conditions,” the superintendent described.

“More recently, they did uncover unknown existing conditions, so they did remove some things and they needed input from a restoration specialist, so it took about a week or two to get a response and have them make that repair that wasn’t anticipated,” he said.

In the end, Sap said, the original price tag of $247,500 just about covered both the study and the repairs at the house.

Point Dume stairway replacement set for fall

Though the budget for a replacement of the decades-old beach access stairway at Point Dume was already estimated at a whopping $2.7 million back when funds were allocated for the project in 2015, in the past three years the price has gone up a comparatively modest $200,000.

“They made some changes that necessitated additional geotech study so they rebid that,” Sap said when describing the change in dollar amount from $2.7 to “just shy” of $2.9 million. “That kind of delayed us, the additional geotech we needed to do.”

The staircase, located nearby the Point Dume Headlands, is designed to grant access to surfers at one of Malibu’s favorite surf spots—though many opt instead to make their way directly down the steep hillside toward the rocky beach. The current staircase is rusty, with some damaged or missing treads, and is about 40 years old.

The tentative start date for the stairs project is mid-November of this year, with a completion date expected around this time next year.

Alongside a new staircase, state parks has been working on projects to enhance the headlands, including a $50,000 boardwalk restoration and replanting of native vegetation along the trails in the area.