MALIBU : Pier to Remain Closed Until Damaged Piles Are Replaced

The Malibu Pier will remain closed until 36 piles that were damaged in a January storm can be replaced, according to a state park official.

The structure has been greatly weakened and could collapse if another storm or earthquake were to occur, according to a March 20 report by a Long Beach marine engineering firm.

State Parks and Recreation officials are working on a three-way agreement with the city of Malibu and Los Angeles County to find funds to repair the pier. One proposal would allow the state to retain ownership of the pier with the city operating it and the county providing $2.9 million in funding for repairs and damage.

Russ Guiney, the Malibu area superintendent for the state Department of Parks and Recreation, said that the three agencies are working to reach an agreement so that repairs can be done as soon as possible. Guiney could not estimate how long repairs will take.

The state is also seeking funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recover some of the costs of damage caused specifically by winter storms. The closure affects only the portion of the pier seaward of Alice’s Restaurant, which is at the pier’s entrance.