As Southern California braces for incoming strong tides, some neighbors and city leaders in San Clemente are calling for voters to pass a ballot measure aiming to raise tens of millions of dollars to preserve their coastline.
In recent years, the sand that San Clemente is famous for has been swallowed up by the sea, according to city leaders. In one part of the city, where sand used to stretch out for 100 yards, there’s only ocean crashing against the railroad tracks.
“We have no beaches anymore, and that’s caused even a crisis because the tracks have been closed almost a year in the past six years,” San Clemente City Council member Victor Cabral said.
Experts say erosion could soon be an even bigger problem in the area as powerful tides are forecast to hit communities across Southern California in the coming days.
“It’s our identity. Having beaches is our identity,” San Clemente resident Cameron Cosgrove said. “It just felt like somebody needs to step up and put a voice to these situations.”
Cosgrove started a petition for a ballot measure to raise money for beach nourishment and protection, spending weeks standing outside grocery stores and asking for signatures to support the cause.
His passion paid off. In November, San Clemente voters will decide whether to pass Measure M, which would implement a 1% sales tax for 10 years. Officials say it would raise $15 million a year for the city and that money would be split 50/50 between beach restoration and wildfire prevention.
“We’re a small village by the sea, and we need our public beaches to have sand in order to have families and have visitors to support our local economy,” Cosgrove said.
Some people living in San Clemente are hoping Measure M passes, taking their town a step back toward the picture-perfect coastline they remember.
“This really is a beach community. It’s a surfer’s community,” Cabral said. “And if you don’t have a beach, then your community is essentially destroyed. So we do need the beach, and we’re going to work hard to restore it.”