When the seas rise, Balboa Island will be ready. Or at least, a plan being mulled by the city council and its engineers would prepare the city by reinforcing or rebuilding its sea walls.
Without the plan calling for the improvements to the sea walls, officials worry that waves could wash into streets and homes.
The price tag, expected to be about $60 million, would raise the existing sea walls from 9 feet tall to 10 feet. The sea level could rise by 4 feet by 2100, inundating the island that sits between 4 and 8 feet above sea level. But the $60 million is just a fraction of what Newport Beach is considering spending to upgrade its 14 miles of sea walls – some $500 million.
From the Los Angeles Times:
As people stroll Balboa Island’s picturesque waterfront, some wonder how much one of those cozy cottages costs.
City officials think about another price tag: how much it will take to defend those homes against rising sea levels.
City engineers revealed last month that it could cost about $60 million to replace Balboa Island’s aging seawalls; otherwise, residents could risk more high tides washing into their streets and homes.
Read the full article here.