DATE: April 8, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: City Manager's Office
TITLE: AUTHORIZATION TO SUBMIT PUBLIC BEACH RESTORATION PROGRAM GRANT FOR THE RE:BEACH OCEANSIDE PROJECT
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the submittal of an application for a Public Beach Restoration Program grant in the amount of $22,950,000 to the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW), committing to a 15% matching funds contribution of $4,050,000, and authorizing the City Manager, in consultation with the City Attorney, to negotiate and execute all agreements and amendments necessary to comply with the DBW grant requirements.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Many factors contribute to the current state of Oceanside beaches, but the most significant is that the primary natural supply of coarse-gradation sand through the littoral drift is blocked by the Oceanside Harbor Breakwater, which supports the Camp Pendleton Boat Basin and City’s Small Craft Harbor (Harbor Complex). The sand that would otherwise be transported from the Santa Margarita River to Oceanside’s coastline is impounded up coast of the Oceanside Harbor Breakwater. Additional coastal management issues contributing to the eroded state of the beaches include the fact that Oceanside does not have any hard structures, either natural (i.e., natural reefs) or unnatural (i.e., groins) south of the Oceanside Pier. Without varied topography, Oceanside sustains a straight coastline, exposed to all swell angles and seasons, which results in erodible beach conditions and sand that leaves the shoreline more rapidly than other areas in North County San Diego.
In 2020, the City conducted a year-long, preliminary engineering evaluation and Feasibility Study to identify deficiencies in current coastal management actions as well as to determine a suite of solutions to mitigate the effects of the Harbor Complex and lessen long-term beach erosion. The Feasibility Study (Phase 1) concluded that 1) a high-quality source of sand, coupled with a beach nourishment program, needed to be identified to provide additional beach nourishment opportunities; and, 2) retention structure(s) are desirable as a means of retaining placed sand, since historical surveys and anecdotal data have shown that placed sand does not persist on many of Oceanside’s beaches.
In fall 2021, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for coastal engineering and consultant services to support further study and implementation of Phase 1 recommendations. The RFP sought proposals from coastal engineering firms to complete the design phase (Phase 2) of the Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project. The City received a bid from one team led by GHD Inc.
On January 25, 2023, the City Council approved a contract with GHD Inc. for the Phase 2 Project. The main tasks outlined in the Phase 2 scope include:
• Community and Stakeholder Engagement
• Baseline Monitoring Program
• Engineering, Analysis and Design
o Innovative, Preliminary Design through a Design Competition
o Final Design and Engineering
o Plans and Specifications
• Environmental Compliance and Permitting
To achieve an innovative sand retention concept that would provide the community with multiple benefits that extend beyond sustaining a sandy shoreline, the City hosted an eight-month long international public design competition, called RE:BEACH Oceanside Coastal Resilience Design Competition. Following the completion of the Design Competition, the City Council held a public workshop on January 31, 2024, approved the Jury recommended selection of the “Living Speed Bumps” concept, provided guidance and recommendations on next steps, and authorized City staff and GHD Inc., the prime consultant, to proceed with the subsequent stages of design, engineering, and environmental compliance of Phase 2 of the Oceanside Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project. This project is now commonly referred to as the RE:BEACH Oceanside Project.
On November 20, 2024, the City Council approved Segment 1 as the siting location of the pilot project, with the two headlands expected to be constructed at Tyson Street Park and at Wisconsin Avenue and an artificial reef constructed offshore between the two headlands.
The Public Beach Restoration Program grant being sought is funded under the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways, which assists in the planning and construction of engineered placement of sand on the beach or in the nearshore environment. This program can fund up to 85 percent of nonfederal project costs at nonstate beaches and is authorized in statute by Harbors and Navigation Code sections 69.5-69.9.
Staff has applied for this grant requesting financial support for the sand nourishment portion of the construction phase of this Project, to be completed in consultation with the RE:BEACH Oceanside sand retention elements. At present, approximately 900,000 cubic yards of material are forecasted to be needed to infill the Project area using sandy material that is located offshore of the coast of Oceanside. The estimated total cost of beach nourishment for the Project is $27,000,000, and the total cost of the entire project is estimated at $57,000,000. The City is requesting that the Public Beach Restoration Program grant cover a portion of the nourishment costs, equaling $22,950,000. Part of the DBW application process requires a formal Resolution of support from the City Council, authorizing the submittal of the grant application and committing to 15% matching funds contribution.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City is requesting $22,950,000 of funding from the DBW to cover 85% of the construction costs of the beach nourishment component of the RE:BEACH Oceanside pilot project. If a grant award is made by DBW to fund the RE:BEACH Oceanside Project, the City would be required to commit to the remaining 15%, providing $4,050,000 of matching funds and/or in-kind contributions for the sand nourishment component of the Project from the Beach Restoration Account 912134224501. The Beach Restoration Account has a current available balance of $484,318. The total cost for the entirety of the RE:BEACH Oceanside Sand Nourishment and Retention Pilot Project is currently estimated at $57,000,000, which includes construction of the artificial reef and two headlands and the associated beach and nearshore nourishment. The balance of the construction costs and grant match is expected to come from a myriad of sources that may include State and Federal grants, Measure X, bonds and/or City infrastructure reserves. These additional costs are expected to satisfy the City’s matching funds contribution for this grant.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been reviewed and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Jayme Timberlake, Coastal Zone Administrator
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
Attachments:
1. Staff Report
2. Resolution