See drone video — and before-and-after photos — as crack grows at Pismo Beach cliff
As storms hammered the Central Coast in January, the community kept watch on the beloved bench sitting on a cracked cliff in Pismo Beach.
It started on Jan. 7, when Arroyo Grande resident Dan O’Donnell alerted Pismo Beach police to the crack, which has grown significantly since then. But as of Sunday, Jan. 29, the bench remained perched on the cliff Margo Dodd Park in the Shell Beach portion of Pismo.
While the cliff remains cordoned off, people have gathered on the street nearby to get a look.
“It’s like saying goodbye to a friend,” Arroyo Grande resident Tom Gore told The Tribune on Jan. 10.
Another visitor recently shared that to her, the bench represents friendship, happiness, laughter and peace.
Here’s what to know about the bench, and click on the video above to see drone video of the cliffside crack.
Shell Beach cliffside crack grows through January
Photo from 2016
Jan. 7, 2023:
Jan. 9, 2023:
Jan. 10, 2023:
Timeline: What to know about the bench
History: The bench is along the cliff, north of Dinosaur Caves park at Margo Dodd Park in Shell Beach. It’s dedicated to Ralph Clement, who was born May 12, 1939, and died Jan. 19, 2018. He was a teacher in Fresno for nearly 40 years.
Jan. 7, 2023: Pismo Beach police first closed a cliffside section of Margo Dodd Park on Saturday, Jan. 7, after a large crack was discovered in the ground. Arroyo Grande resident Dan O’Donnell went to the park to take pictures of the sunset around 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6., and noticed a crack.
Jan. 14: By the following Saturday, the crack that caused the city of Pismo Beach to block off the bench grew significantly. “People like to go look at the bluff and, you know, take a look,” said Ben Fine, director of the Pismo Beach Public Works Department. “There’s no need, stay home. Stay safe. Stay away from the bluff. You know, there’s just there’s no need to put your life in danger.”
Jan. 17: About 30 people gathered at Margo Dodd Park to pay tribute to the bench poised to tumble into the ocean. As local resident Ted Gillan put it, “It’s an icon.” The bench holds a special place in the hearts of many community members, including Denise Smart, Kristin Smart’s mother, and “Your Own Backyard” podcast creator Chris Lambert. Kristin Smart went missing in May 1996 after an off-campus party.
Jan. 19: Despite heavy rain that continued to saturate the soil, drone video (click on the video below) taken by Tribune visual journalist David Middlecamp shows a widening crack on the ground and down the side of the cliff, but the area had not collapsed. It remained off limits to visitors.