“Through that process, that’s where this coastal engineering project with UCI was born and we started working with the school of engineering.” “We had to go back and redo the engineering plans,” Wheeler said. The 650-foot-long boardwalk that fronts the first row of cottages was the biggest hurdle, needing to be built in a way so it didn’t act like a seawall, which could contribute to coastal erosion. And 17 more are now undergoing a massive makeover, with details down to the doorknobs reflecting the time period they were built between the ’30s and ’50s. Today, the first of the restored cottages are used for a mix of educational programs and overnight stays – they are the most sought after in the State Parks system. “And realize that it’s not going to be easy.”įor decades, the beachfront community known as “coveites” enjoyed a laid-back lifestyle living in a cobbled together collection of cottages, many built from wood that washed ashore, having Saturday night martini parties, beach bonfires and eating fresh fish and abalone plucked straight from the sea. “Crystal Cove is a unique State Park in California because it is a place where we can contemplate the challenges of balancing environmental needs against cultural needs, against today’s recreational needs,” said Brett Sanders, a UC Irvine professor of civil and environmental engineering. Along with the painstaking detail going into preserving the past, much thought has also been given to the future of the cottages – from building to ensure they can withstand future climate challenges to educating a new generation of engineers to document and plan for rising seas.
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