Another 20 feet of coastline lost in Pacifica

PACIFICA, CA

His is right next to the endangered apartments ABC7 has been covering since December. There is a scenic path along this cliff side, but if you go beyond the orange fence, you'll fall to your death.

Residents at the Land's End apartments are closer to the land's end then they care to be. Wednesday, the ocean swallowed up a 100 foot by 30 foot stretch of cliff side real estate that used to be a dog park.

Before Wednesday, there was winding path along a scenic route. Now the last post is all that is left of the path.

"I used to live down the road and I was worried about my apartment going," said Land's End resident Judith Rosenberg.

When the cliffs began falling at 330 Esplanade, last December, Rosenberg moved about 50 yards down the street to the Land's End apartments.

"I thought life would be calm after I moved," said Rosenberg.

Meanwhile the apartments at 320 Esplanade are very close to being evacuated like their next door neighbors.

"Yeah that's the same four feet and that's the ocean after that 4 feet," said Betty Sue Lukins, a 320 Esplanade resident.

The edge of the cliff drops 200 feet to the ocean. A coastal planning consultant, says a 540 foot seawall will be built in front of the rock wall at the base of the cliff. Total cost for the apartment owners will be about $4 million. But Lukins is not counting on that sea wall.

"So I packed these things every day so when the cliff falls, I can move out easily," said Lukins.

The storms are escalating the erosion everywhere. Nearby, Caltrans closed a half mile stretch of The Great Highway. The waves at Sloat Beach have undermined the great hwy and now the southbound lanes will be closed until the summer.

ABC7 was told an emergency permit has been filed to build a seawall in front of the Land's End apartments, but they will have to move fast because they quickly losing ground quickly in their battle against nature.

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