City of Capitola holds wharf town hall meeting to explore temporary uses

The City of Capitola brought the community together for a town hall Tuesday night to see what temporary uses the public wants for the Capitola Wharf, while the city finalizes its long-term plans.

“We put out a survey. In early April, we got over 1,000 responses from the public and we got new ideas that came out from the public," Capitola Community Development Director Katie Herlihy said.

Some of those ideas gathered included possible food trucks, recreation classes, and entertainment on the wharf.

“I would love educational classes and a focus on the boat and the beach and for people to enjoy the wildlife," Capitola resident and business owner Kathleen French said.

The meeting also included a workshop allowing attendees to rate some of the temporary uses and concerns most important to them. One key concern brought up, how temporary wharf vendors would impact current Capitola businesses.

“To add more businesses and restaurants for them to compete with, I'm not really sure if that's the best use of the war at this time. Not saying further down the line might not be an option, but maybe not currently," Capitola Village event organizer Mary Beth Cahalen said.

These temporary plans are scheduled to take place from Fall 2024 to Fall 2025. Given the city also discussed how severe winter weather and climate change could impact plans.

“We're definitely going to be looking at mobile improvements that can be moved off the wharf during storms," Herlihy said.

This topic is expected to be brought to city council to at their meeting on May 9 for coastal development permits.

The full town hall can be viewed on the City of Capitola YouTube page.