Capitola Wharf reopens as city considers next steps

The Capitola Wharf is reopening this morning after sustaining damage by powerful waves on New Years Day.

The damage included two support pilings that snapped underneath a hoist used to launch boats. The city stabilized the structure with a beam—but that’s a just a temporary fix. 

“It’s not affecting our business, per say,” Capitola Venetian Hotel Manager David Bondlow said. “But I do know that a lot of the locals are kind of disheveled about it. They’re wondering about when it’s going to be back open for business and there’s a big morning crew that goes out there fishing everyday. And I hope it gets fixed for them soon too.”

Other nearby residents echoed this desire to reopen and renovate the wharf quickly.

Willie Case, owner of the Wharf House restaurant, said that his business has been closed for about 7 days now. He is in the process of replacing all the product that’s gone bad intuit time. But he’s planning on opening in the morning, along with the wharf.

“The wharf is a landmark,” Case said. “And, of course, the community loves their wharf. And I believe that, you know, any measure that needs to be taken needs to be taken quickly.”

According to the City Clerk, City Council will be making decisions about repairing the root cause of the problem—the broken piles—at a meeting later today. During that meeting, Public Works will provide the total cost for repairs to the City Council. Based on the final cost, they could call it an emergency, meaning the work could get done more quickly.

The City Council meeting will be happening at 7:00pm in Capitola.