Unlikely culprit may have led to collapse of iconic California wharf

Seagulls may be to blame for the shocking collapse of California's well known Santa Cruz Wharf pier. 

City officials revealed that environmental orders meant to protect the seaside birds have hindered essential repairs to the 110-year-old structure, according to Mercury News. 

When a portion of the pier deteriorated and plummeted into the ocean during a major storm on Monday, the structure was still damaged from storms from two years ago. But those repairs were put off because of seagull protections. 

Mercury News reported that critical aspects of repair work, including fixing the pillars holding up the wharf, were delayed by environmental activism efforts. 

Due to rules implemented by the Coastal Commission, renovations and repairs can only be done between September and March to avoid seagull nesting season. 

But this has proven to be problematic, officials have said.  

Tony Elliott, director of Parks and Recreation, told the outlet: 'Our work window is a very narrow six months over the winter time when we tend to have storms and big waves.

'The wharf is a 110-year-old structure, and it requires a lot of work. … It takes more than six months out of the year to maintain it effectively.'

In February, the Commission lightened up on some of their restrictions and allowed for some supportive timber 'piles' to be worked on during nesting season, but Elliott said it 'didn’t change the dynamics.' 

These hardly-loosened limitations allowed for workers to repair the site for just four hours a day before 10 am. They also had to be at least 300 feet from any seagull nests. 

Former wharf manager Jon Bombaci asserted that these policies need to be changed to avoid future disasters.

He told Mercury News: 'There needs to be a reassessment of the policies that direct the Coastal Commission’s permitting process. 

'Their time restrictions were antithetical to getting repairs done.

'These birds are nesting in a manmade structure. If you don’t do the repairs in a timely manner, you’re going to lose the whole thing anyways.'

After the wharf collapsed, three construction workers had to be saved from the water. 

The workers were tearing down a restaurant on the Santa Cruz Wharf that was damaged in a storm surge last year when the collapse occurred at around 12.44pm, according to USA Today.  

'We had our engineer, our engineering team and our wharf crew on-site monitoring minute by minute,' city official Matt Huffaker said of the city's decision to renovate the wharf amid storm surges.

'We made the decision that based on our forecasting models, it would be safe to do so today with constant monitoring.' 

Two were rescued by lifeguards, while the last got out of the water on their own, police told KSBW. They suffered only minor injuries.

Video posted to social media showed two of the construction workers waving for help atop of drift wood as officials on jet skis rushed to the scene.

No members of the public were present when the collapse occurred, amid the $4million renovation to fix damages to the wharf. 

Still, the wharf was quickly evacuated as about 150 feet of the end of the wharf, including the Dolphin Restaurant and restroom, drifted off into the ocean. 

A crane and skid steer were also seen adrift in the water.

Footage posted online showed the structures floating away from the shore before sinking, as shocked Californians watched on. 

'We hear the pier cracking and it was swinging a lot,' London Ky recounted. 

'So my friend actually noticed that, but we kind of waved it off, and then probably within the next five minutes, the whole thing crashed into the water.' 

Docks were left severely damaged and became unstable in some areas and vessels were in danger of sinking as surge conditions continue, with wave heights of up to 26 feet high, according to KRON.

Those stormy conditions are expected to last through Thursday.

'Due to life-threatening conditions, please avoid all beaches, including coastal overlook areas such as rocks, jetties or cliffs,' a public safety alert read.

'Dangerous and powerful waves can sweep across entire beaches unexpectedly. Do not enter the water and do not cross the flooded streets along the coast.

'You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water.'

The National Weather Service also posted online that 'the ocean is not messing around today.

'There are life (and property) threatening conditions for the remainder of today and tomorrow.' 

The Santa Cruz Harbor and Wharf are now closed until further notice, and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk said it would close for the rest of the day out of precaution, citing 'extensive damage caused by storm surge.

'Though some landside businesses are open, access and parking may be severely limited,' it noted.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's Office said he was briefed on the pier collapse.

The Office of Emergency Services is now coordinating with local agencies and officials.