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What Will Pacifica Do About Its Iconic — but Deteriorating — Pier?

Pacifica residents reckon with the future of their coastal community in the face of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and climate change.
The Pacifica Municipal Pier on June 9, 2026, after severe structural damage and widening cracks forced its closure.

Last week, the Pacifica City Council approved an emergency declaration to demolish the beloved Chit Chat Cafe at the Pacifica Pier, as parts of the structure began to crumble into the ocean.

Plans for the rest of the pier are still up in the air, as Pacifica residents reckon with the future of their coastal community in the face of coastal erosion, sea level rise, and climate change.

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Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.

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