Cottages almost ready

Beneath the towering mini-mansions and swank shopping promenade of the modern Crystal Cove, there remains a small slice of beach life from a bygone era.

The Crystal Cove Historic District, now finishing its first phase of reconstruction, will soon be an open portal for visitors and residents to take a trip back in time.

The $14-million project, which includes 10 cottages and three dorm-style cottages, is set to open to the public this summer. For California State Parks and its partner, the Crystal Cove Alliance, it’s been a long process. All that’s left now is the little stuff.

“We’re very excited to show off the hard work,” said park superintendent Ken Kramer.

Throughout the restoration, every measure possible ? down to the light fixtures and window trimmings ? has been taken to preserve the cove’s period look, from 1935 to 1955. Some of the cottages still have their original siding.

To garner the cottages’ true paint color, historians conducted “paint cratering” ? a process by which a small square of wall is sanded away until all the layers of paint are visible.

“The goal is that when people come to stay here ? they’re going to literally step back in time,” said former cove resident and founder of the Crystal Cove Alliance, Laura Davick.

Keeping with the original look and feel, the cottages will be no-frills and without televisions.

“It’s really kind of what we’re calling rustic indoor camping,” Davick said.

“It’s going to be the best bargain, probably along the coast of California,” Davick said.

The rental price for the cottages hasn’t yet been determined, Davick said. But one thing’s already for sure: There will be no waiting lists to stay at Crystal Cove, Davick said. Just like most state park rentals or campsites, reservations will be made through Reserve America, the state parks reservation system. Vacationers can contact Reserve America up to seven months prior to the date they want to stay, Davick said.

“Everyone’s going to have an equal opportunity of reserving the cottages,” Davick said.

In addition to the cottage accommodations, the historic district will also feature a marine research facility and interpretive center. One of the beachside cottages will be a cafe, to be named the Beachcomber and operated by Ruby’s restaurant Chief Executive Doug Cavanaugh.

“It’ll very much replicate what was there at one time,” Cavanaugh said.

The Crystal Cove Alliance is working with the state Parks Department to complete the project. The alliance is also awaiting final approval of its contract with the Parks Department to be management company for the historic district.

“The alliance has assembled what we’d like to call the dream team for managing the historic district,” Davick said.

When the contract goes through, the alliance will create the Crystal Cove Management Company to oversee the district, which also includes the popular Shake Shack.

Closer to the opening date, the Parks Department will begin a massive recruitment for volunteers and docents needed to staff the historic district, Kramer said. Jobs such as gardeners and tide pool educators will be in demand, Kramer said.

When the historic district opens this summer, the project’s not over, Davick said. The alliance, along with the Parks Department, is evaluating how to finish the second half of the project, which includes cottages on the northern beach and the famous “Beaches” cottage, featured in the 1988 Bette Midler film.dpt.12-crystalcove-3-kt-CPhotoInfoEI1OS3HS20060312ivzkvcknKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)A new wooden stairway climbs to a renovated beachfront cottage at the Crystal Cove Historic District. dpt.12-crystalcove-1-kt-BPhotoInfoEI1OS3JC20060312ivzktzknKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)The first phase, which cost about $14 million, of renovations at Crystal Cove is nearly complete.