SeeCalifornia.com

On May 20, 2016 the end of Seal Beach Pier (which had been closed since 2013 along with a shuttered Ruby’s restaurant,) caught fire. Seal Beach city council members had promised to find ways to fix the end of the pier and open it to the public once again–before the fire.  Many potential restaurant owners checked out the prospectus learning that they’d be saddled with a $4 million bill to replace infrastructure before a restaurant could ever open. There were no takers. Owned by the State of California and maintained by the City of Seal Beach the wooden pier affords spectacular views of sunrises over the Saddleback mountains and sunsets over the Pacific Ocean and hills of Palos Verdes peninsula. The city insures the pier with the Joint Powers Insurance Authority.

California’s public piers are beloved icons and symbols of freedom. Not only are they free to walk on, but they assure anybody can fish free, thanks to the State of California regulations permitting this activity without a fishing license. Among the public piers recently tackling repairs or seeking ways to fund future expenses are Ventura Pier, San Clemente Pier and Cayucos Pier.