Fix for Pismo’s ‘stairway to nowhere’ gets thumbs up from city

It looks like the “stairway to nowhere” in Pismo Beach will lead to nowhere no more. The city has tentatively approved plans for the abandoned spiral staircase to be rebuilt, with a new pedestrian bridge reconnecting it to the clifftop.

The renovation of the stairway, which was dismantled in November, will restore access to a small strip of beach that’s been virtually inaccessible by land for almost a decade.

Martin Resorts, which owns Ventana Grill near the stairway, asked the Pismo Beach Planning Commission for a permit to replace the spiral staircase, reconstruct an existing perimeter beach wall below it and build a new retaining wall above the structure. Martin Resorts also asked to build a new coastal trail and pedestrian bridge between the Best Western Plus Shore Cliff Lodge and Pismo Lighthouse Suites, both of which are owned by Martin Resorts.

The Planning Commission approved the permits at its meeting Tuesday night, though the project isn’t in the clear just yet. It can still be appealed to the city and then by the California Coastal Commission. Once the 30-day appeal period has closed, Martin Resorts can move forward on drafting plans. Those plans must then be taken to the city for final approval before construction can begin.

The staircase, which had been attached to the cliff via a pedestrian bridge, formerly provided access to Elmer Ross Beach, named for a former city building inspector. The staircase was dedicated to the city in 1979.

The bridge connecting the stairway to the cliff collapsed in 2007 during a storm, leaving the structure virtually inaccessible by land. The only way to reach it was by water, whether by swimming or kayaking.

Since it lost its bridge, the staircase has become a popular destination for locals and tourists, and it has shown up on numerous abandoned places lists and websites.

The staircase was temporarily dismantled in November because of worries that the structure could collapse from the weight of the existing steel staircase. Workers removed the staircase but left the concrete core.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 2:27 PM with the headline "Fix for Pismo’s ‘stairway to nowhere’ gets thumbs up from city."