Iconic pier teardown underway

“There have been no significant injuries on the pier, but it’s been a constant challenge for our staff, ” said John Moren, director of operations for the San Mateo County Harbor District, adding that large pieces of lumber and other debris from the pier have to be removed from the ocean and beach a couple of times a month and paint chips flake off into the water daily.

This should be the final cleanup effort and Moren said the process has been an ordeal.

After years of obtaining permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, California Coastal Commission and National Marine Fisheries Service, the district completed in late May pre-abatement assessments, an avian survey and underwater dives to ensure marine mammals and fish would not be affected by the demolition.

Almost all of the 690-foot-long pier will be removed by water; a 250-ton crawler crane brought in on a 200-foot-long barge will handle most of the heavy lifting and debris will be collected in an additional hopper barge.

The most expensive part of the process is the proper disposal of hazardous materials, which include asbestos, timber treated with lead-based paint and creosote, mercury light tubes and other universal wastes. Those materials will be removed before the pier is dismantled, and netting will be installed to prevent debris from falling into the ocean. A biological monitor will also make sure the process is permit compliant. 

The once privately-owned pier was built by Joseph Romeo, president of the A. Romeo Fish and Oyster Company and reportedly cost $44,000 to construct. 

During its peak, it was used to support a bustling sardine and fishing industry that once occupied surrounding warehouses.

The Romeo Pier is in the outer harbor and was constructed a number of years before the neighboring Johnson Pier, which is in the heavily-used inner harbor where boats of the county’s main fishing fleet resides.

Years ago, there was talk of restoring the property, but ideas such as opening a restaurant or creating another type of attraction never materialized. 

The pier was sold to the district around 1996 before it officially closed to all traffic in 2002 due to safety concerns, which ultimately motivated the Harbor District to demolish the 74-year-old pier. Moren said wood piers normally last about 30 years, after which time it makes more sense to replace rather than maintain them.

“A lot of people have history with the pier and we’re all sad to see a historic pier like this go away but I think everyone is in agreement that it needs to go, it’s outlived it’s useful life,” he said.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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