Renderings of what a proposed female surfer statue would look like in the Pleasure Point neighborhood of Santa Cruz. Photo: City of Santa Cruz
Residents of Pleasure Point on the East Side of Santa Cruz, California voiced opposition to the scope of a proposed female surfer statue. At a community meeting that 60 people attended on Thursday, March 12, residents in the neighborhood supported the idea of the statue, but expressed concerns about the proposed location, according to a report in the Santa Cruz Local.
The statue would mirror the iconic male surfer statue that has stood on the other side of town near Steamer Lane since 1992. The current proposal would place the statue on East Cliff Drive near the stairway access at 38th Avenue in an area known as the “dirt farm,” east of the iconic O’Neill house. The proposal’s creator, Kari Lochhead, says it will be a way to honor the legacy of women surfers in Santa Cruz.
According to the Santa Cruz Local report, residents at the meeting expressed concern that the installation would destroy one of the last unpaved sections of cliff at Pleasure Point, and that the benches could attract unwanted noise and create a nighttime congregation spot.
One resident recommended putting the statue at the Hook instead, which already has an open, paved area. The dirt farm is one of the last remaining portions of the exposed cliff around Pleasure Point.
The statue has gained the support of the region’s county supervisor, Manu Koenig, who created an online poll to gauge public support for the project.
In an email to Lookout Santa Cruz, Koenig acknowledged that public feedback has generally been in support of the statue, with criticism focused on the scope of the project and the location at the dirt farm — consistent with comments from residents on his Facebook page.
“How do the property owners across the street feel about a large statue in their ocean view?” asked Santa Cruz resident James Rosen. “Will the county do a study of the effect of constructing such a large structure on (the) stability of the bluff?”
“We already ‘shotcreted’ the entire cliffside,” said another Santa Cruz resident, Sam Smith, referring to the process of spraying concrete onto the bluffs. “Maybe just stop touching it?”
The proposal has already completed environmental and development reviews, and now faces review from the county zoning administrator on April 3.
