A project to fix a crumbling stairway at La Jolla’s Whale View Point took a step forward last week when representatives of the city of San Diego met with local volunteers to discuss possible repairs.
San Diego senior heritage preservation planner Suzanne Segur and senior planner Mayra Medel met at the site with La Jollans who were involved in getting the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Coastal Historic District encompasses places such as La Jolla Cove, the Children’s Pool, Casa de Mañana retirement community and Red Roost and Red Rest cottages. The area, based on an 1887 map of what was called La Jolla Park, includes eight acres of coastal parkland roughly between Torrey Pines Road and Coast Walk in the north and nearly the end of Coast Boulevard in the south.
The district was listed on the National Register in spring 2024. At a celebration ceremony in November, the volunteer group said it would raise funds to repair the beach access stairs at Whale View Point as an initial project. Originally, the goal was to raise $34,000, but the final number is still being calculated, especially now that the city has weighed in.
“The purpose of the [Aug. 8] meeting was to review the final concept plan for improving the stairs at Whale View Point because they are very eroded at this point and can hurt you if you don’t step right,” said volunteer Jim Neri, who will prepare additional renderings for the city.
In discussing options such as pouring new concrete over the existing stairs or patching them as needed, Neri said “We [with the city’s input] landed on placing precast concrete pavers onto the steps that are already there and allow them to become the new stairway.”
He said that method would preserve the stairs but make them safer to use.
Mayra Medel, Suzanne Segur, Seonaid McArthur and Jim Neri examine concrete samples during a visit to the Whale View Point stairs. (Bob Evans)
With the city representatives’ blessing on the pavers, discussion shifted to color, texture and process, Neri said.
“Precast concrete pavers and stair treads … have high compressive strength and offer different colors that change according to the texture applied, which is usually with sandblast,” he said. “We’re going to use precast concrete pavers that have an integral color and a light sandblast, resulting in an almond color.”
The city determined that because the stairway historically has had one handrail, the team will not need to add a second one as part of the repair and can leave the existing handrail in place. However, Neri said, the handrail is to be repainted as part of the work.
Once Neri’s renderings are complete, “we will finalize project costs, ensure sufficient funding, raise additional funds if necessary and then hand the project over to the contractor,” who is expected to be Rip Patton, according to project volunteer Seonaid McArthur.
“Rip has indicated the work should take only a few weeks to complete,” McArthur said.
However, Neri said the process is “just beginning” and that there is no timeline for when the work will begin.
“We’re optimistic we are going to get the help we need to get this done,” he said. “I’m really excited. We have had several meetings there, and it’s amazing just how used those stairs are. It doesn’t matter if it is cold and rainy or bright and sunny, there is a need there. This project is very needed.” ♦