Local News in Brief : Renovation of Pier Approved by Council

A $2-million plan to renovate the Manhattan Beach Pier was approved by the City Council on Tuesday night. The council also agreed to resume maintenance and operation of the 68-year-old pier.

The city had to assume control to qualify for about $1.7 million in federal and state funds set aside for the renovation. An additional $25,000 has been raised in the community, and the State Coastal Conservancy has told city officials that more funds may be available.

The pier has been plagued by cracked and falling concrete, and exposed girders are rusting. Last year the county, which had been operating the pier, awarded a record $3.26-million settlement to a Redondo Beach man paralyzed from the rib cage down when a 150-pound chunk of concrete fell on him as he was exercising beneath the pier.

To avoid the estimated $4.5-million cost of rebuilding the pier and to keep its present look, the council endorsed a plan to strip and replace the concrete deck and repair most piles and girders. The work will take at least seven months, said city officials, who hope to start the repairs within a year.