Renowned Encinitas-based Zephyr, a housing developer, recently hosted two public outreach events at its stunning Resort project site on the bluff-top at the very northern end of the Del Mar, CA coastline.  The events were well attended by neighbors, visitors, and beachgoers alike, with Zephyr and its team of expert consultants fielding questions about the anticipated design features of a future luxury bluff-top resort.

To address coastal geologic and geotechnical matters associated with the project, Dr. Benumof has been retained as a Coastal Erosion / Bluff Stabilty expert based on his experience researching and publishing peer reviewed papers on coastal erosion in the area.  Over the course of the last several years, Dr. Benumof's published work in Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas has been recognized as a leading source by the California Coastal Commission ("CCC").

As highlighted in a recent CCC Staff Report, the "current published state-of-the-art study for establishing bluff retreat rates in [Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas] is a FEMA-funded study conducted as part of a nationwide assessment of coastal erosion hazards (Benumof & Griggs 1999).”   Likewise, Coastal Commissioners have recognized that the Benumof & Griggs (1999) study is the “best available scientific resource for establishing bluff retreat rates in this area."

The Benumof & Griggs (1999) investigation, published in part in Shore & Beach, the journal of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, covered the vast majority of the San Diego County coastline, from the Mexican International Border to Oceanside Harbor, including the entire Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas coastline, utilizing soft-copy photogrammetric and geographic information system (GIS) techniques and historical imagery from the Whittier Fairchild Collection dating back to 1932 to determine high-resolution recession rates by eliminating mapping errors arising from distortion of aerial imagery and ground-control data.  This investigation is unique to the San Diego County coastline in that coastal erosion rates have never been determined so extensively (both temporally and geographically) with high-precision techniques.

A recent article published in the San Diego Union Tribune about the Zephyr project can be accessed at Zephyr's website:

http://builtbyzephyr.com/press/