To Maintain a Heritage, Sponsorship Worth Considering

Restoration of the Ventura Pier following 1995 storm damage is temporarily halted while the city and Pier Into the Future seek additional grants to complete the project. The definition of “complete” has been the subject of a perceived debate between the City Council and our group. There is no debate.

The history of the Ventura Pier is that of a love affair between the community and a rich heritage dating back to an age when the city and county were in their infancies. Constructed in 1872, the pier has withstood the test of time, including nearly two dozen documented closures. It remains an integral part of the city for present and future generations to enjoy.

The Pier Into the Future campaign dates to 1992. A group of interested volunteers and representatives from the business community formed a steering committee to raise funds and community awareness. The group undertook an aggressive campaign to raise $1 million for an endowment to maintain and enhance the pier.

The campaign is and will continue to be a public-private partnership with the city: From the City Council to city manager to many of the very talented and dedicated staff, the city has totally supported our fund-raising activities.

To date, more than $650,000 has been raised. Most inspiring about this figure is that only $130,000 of it--a little more than 20%--has come from major donors of $1,000 or more, the largest donation being $15,000. The remaining 80% is from small donations from the purchases of commemorative pier planks, T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, note cards, calendars and for an array of epicurean delights from Pier Under the Stars food- and wine-tasting events.

The Pier Into the Future committee envisions itself as a microcosm of the community. The success of our campaign is a testament to the community’s love affair with the pier. We will continue to foster this relationship.

The pier is still considered a major tourist draw for the city. This was substantiated in spring 1996, when a informal survey was sent to Pier Into the Future contributors and was published for community response. The results indicated overwhelmingly that, long or short, the pier is an important resource and is valuable economically. But the suggestion of again restoring it using all wood materials was soundly rejected.

Based on an engineering study after the 1995 storm damage, Charles Rauw, the consulting engineer, said that the storm that caused the collapse of 425 feet should not be considered a rare event.

In fact, it was estimated that such a storm can be expected to recur about every five years. With this forecast, it would be wasteful to restore the pier to its 1,958-foot length, only to experience another catastrophic failure.

The currently perceived debate is over whether the structure should remain at or near its current length or should be extended to its previous length. The Pier Into the Future committee is on record as supportive of lengthening the pier. But what would one expect from a group of nostalgic idealists with a passion for preserving the past?

When I addressed the City Council earlier this year, it wasn’t an ardent plea for funds to fully restore the pier. It was a request that the city share a portion of its bed tax revenues, which seemed quite reasonable at the time. When my request was rejected by the majority of the council, we moved on.

It isn’t irresponsible to maintain a heritage. In the case of the pier, it just isn’t financially prudent any longer. The pier may never be a major revenue source for the city. But neither should it be a constant drain on city coffers. Private sponsorship might well be the vision for the future. It’s trendy and seems to be working in numerous venues. So why not here?

There are as many reasons to preserve and protect the pier as there are people with their own stories of the influence of the pier on their lives. From quiet personal moments of reflection and sharing to first fishing experiences to first dates and proposals of marriage, the list is endless.

In retrospect, had we elected to compile the stories shared during the past five years, we might have published a best-seller and reached our $1-million goal by now. But for the present, back to planning Pier Under the Stars ’98.