Scorpion Anchorage project deemed consistent with Coastal Commission policies

DANA POINT — National Park Services’ plan to update the primary access to Santa Cruz Island earned the blessings of California Coastal Commission members, as the quasi-judicial agency determined the federal project to be consistent with the commission’s policies, Dec. 13. Plans currently call for the removal of a 9-foot-wide-by-96-foot-long gangway from an existing structure and have it re-used at the new pier location. The existing pier, which is used as the primary access point for Santa Cruz Island visitors, is no longer safe, according to Coastal Commission staff. “The existing pier is in an area of exposed shallow waters to the north of the new proposed pier site that can often present conditions that are challenging or unsafe for navigation and passenger loading. Because the pier at Scorpion Anchorage provides the primary means of entry for public visitors to the eastern end of Santa Cruz Island (the portion of the island owned and managed by NPS), which provides camping and recreational facilities, NPS is proposing to replace it with a larger, more secure pier at a more southerly location,” according to Coastal Commission staff. “This new proposed pier would extend into deeper water, allowing it to be safely used by vessels in a...