At Crystal Cove, the Beginning of an Old Era

When the last residents left the seaside El Morro trailer park this week, state officials returned their attention to their ongoing work just up the coast -- renovating the historic beach cottages at Crystal Cove State Park.

The state park, which includes the old trailer park and the cove where the homes stand, is undergoing a $14-million revamp. State officials expect to have 22 of the 46 cottages open to guests by this summer.

Rental rates are expected to average $165 per night for a family of four.

When done, a new road will lead visitors into the state’s only version of a 1920s-era California beach colony. The cottages are on the National Register of Historic Places.

“We can’t wait to furnish the cottages and add landscaping. It’s going to be incredible,” said park Supt. Ken Kramer.

The state bought the 3.5-mile stretch of coast from the Irvine Co. in 1979 and opened it as a park the next year. But the project was slowed by a long-running dispute with the nearly 300 tenants at the El Morro Village mobile home park, who fought the state’s efforts to evict them.

The state plans to clear away the trailers and turn the area into a campground with hookups for RVs and public access to the beach.

El Morro Village Assn. President Rolly Pulaski and other residents said they had long felt there was little reason to vacate the trailer park because the state was moving so slowly on renovating the historic area, which had been mostly vacant since 2001.

The renovation work was detailed and time-consuming, and couldn’t be rushed, Kramer said.

“Anybody that has taken the time to take a look at the historic district would be really amazed,” said Laura Davick, president of Crystal Cove Alliance, a preservation group that is in final talks with the state to operate the historic district.

During the last two years, the state put in retaining walls, underground pipe and a sewer system, said Davick, 46, who grew up at Crystal Cove.

Aficionados will recall the old dirt road that led into the place and the turnout next to Los Trancos Creek. Overnighters would park, walk down along the eucalyptus trees and be greeted by a postcard panorama of the Pacific Ocean.

But changes are already evident. Besides the new road, restrooms have gone up, and the smell of fresh paint permeates the once-dilapidated cottages.

Workers have built a bridge over the creek and added subtle lighting, and the wooden steps leading to the terrace have rope railings, adding to the early California ambience.

Some of the simple, wood-frame cottages are being upgraded with fresh wood shingles, new roofs and decking.

They will have period furniture, window dressings and knickknacks to help “tell a story in a subtle way about what it was like living here,” Kramer said.

Of the 22 cottages expected to be available by summer, only 13 are for overnight use. A cafe will open for day visitors.

The one- to five-bedroom cottages will be themed, Kramer said. For example, the plein-air artist cottage might have replica artifacts, perhaps an easel and paintbrushes.

The state and Crystal Cove Alliance are negotiating a 20-year contract that includes food operations and lodging. Reservations will be handled by ReserveAmerica, the contractor for the state’s campgrounds.

People will be able to reserve a stay seven months in advance when the cottages go online with ReserveAmerica. Davick said the alliance has information about the project at www.crystalcovealliance.org.

So far, interest has been intense, Kramer said.

“Everyone wants to know when they can reserve a cottage,” he said. “Everyone will have exactly the same opportunity to get a place.”