Update: 4 p.m. Feb. 28
At its meeting Monday, Feb. 27, Coldstream council authorized administration to prepare the scope of work for a future request for proposal process that would seek out a consultant to assist with providing options for the replacement or repair of the pier at Kal Beach.
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The Kal Beach Rotary Pier is deteriorating significantly, and Coldstream council is looking to fix it.
A report to council dated Dec. 6 states the pier is due for $500,000 worth of repairs.
Staff presented council with four options, with the preferred option being to replace the existing wooden piles, which are rotting and falling apart, with steel piles that will last 60 years or more, as opposed to 14-to-20 years for wooden ones.
The recommendation is to also replace the decking, which is worn, cracked and splintered.
One of the piles has already failed, causing an area of collapse that has been temporarily repaired, the report notes. A dip in the deck of the pier was noticed in the summer, resulting from the failed pile.
Further investigation completed by Burton Marine Pile Driving identified multiple failing piles with the recommendation to replace all the piles as well as the supports and decking from the beach to the T portion of the pier.
This version of the pier was constructed in 2008. In 2019, the end T portion was repaired following damage caused by a major storm. No new piles were installed at that time.
It is expected that if nothing is done, significant repairs or replacement would be required within the next five years.
During construction, a work zone will need to be established and fish salvaged, along with environmental monitoring throughout the project.
Funding for the project would be through the gas tax fund, and the report notes that using gas tax funds for the project may require either the Lavington Sediment Basin or the Lavington Park Irrigation to be deferred by a year.
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