Capitola resident Teresa Locke encouraged the council to move forward quickly with the development. 

“It would be nice to have a restroom, especially one at the end of the wharf for those of us who go fishing out there,” Locke said. Locke also hoped for the speedy development of a lifeguard station.

“We see jet skis coming from Santa Cruz to help with water rescue, which is a long trip to make in order to help those people. So it would be great if those two items could move forward as soon as possible,” she said.  

The most popular option in a June poll included a restaurant and enclosed boat storage on the Capitola Wharf. (Fuse Architects)

Capitola Mayor Joe Clarke agreed that the council should develop the restrooms and lifeguard station. Councilmember Gerry Jensen also expressed support for the new amenities.

In May, Capitola city staff floated seven potential ways to upgrade the wharf, ranging from a $600,000 plan for a new bathroom to a $6.2 million plan with a new restaurant, lifeguard station, stage and boat storage. 

A recent poll suggested that residents want permanent buildings such as a restaurant and a fishing shop, or flexible market space. 

Construction of a new restaurant likely would require a public-private partnership, where an investor pays for a building’s construction and the city leases the building to a business. The other options with lower costs could be paid through grants or the city’s General Fund.

Some city leaders and Capitola residents have questioned the financial feasibility of maintaining the wharf given recent severe weather.

Heavy winter storms in January 2023 uprooted pilings and ripped off part of the wharf’s deck. Another storm in December 2023 partially collapsed a bait shop and restaurant, and both buildings were demolished in February 2024. The wharf reopened with a wider deck and new pilings in September 2024. 

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