Manhattan Beach : Repairs Begun at Pier

Work to replace handrails and curbs on the Manhattan Beach Pier began Monday and is expected to be completed by Sept. 25. The pier will remain open throughout the project, said Michael Daly, administrative analyst for Manhattan Beach.

The $202,000 project is being carried out by the county and paid for with Community Development Block Grant funds transferred to the county from the city. Daly said the county engineer’s office decided that the pier would have to be closed if the repairs were not made. The pier, built in the early 1900s, has deteriorated over the years. City, county and state officials have been debating who will be responsible for maintaining it. The state is studying the costs of replacing or restoring the pier. Daly estimated that it will be at least two years before any of that work is begun, no matter which option is chosen.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted in June to discontinue maintaining the state-owned pier as of Oct. 1, largely because of liability problems. The state has asked the city to take over these responsibilities, but the City Council has not yet voted on that issue.

City Manager David J. Thompson estimated that maintenance would cost the city $60,000 to $100,000 a year.