Malibu Pier reconstruction begins, reopening targeted for late January Play

California State Parks has begun reconstructing the Malibu Pier, just as El Niño waves are thundering ashore.

Superintendent Richard Fink told the City Council Monday night that, unless there is bad weather or high surf, the pier will be made safe and fully reopened by the end of January.

The pier will remain open to visitors most days, despite the presence of cranes and heavy equipment on the wooden pier.

The other big questions: Malibu Lagoon and the adjacent Adamson House museum. The state has everything inside packaged up and ready to move out should waves threaten.

But the state will not lessen the danger to the Adamson House by breaching the lagoon more often to let the water out into the ocean. Why won't State Parks allow the city or the county or anyone to breach the sand berm to alleviate wave danger to the historic Adamson House? The state parks superintendent says it's not in their policy book.

Right now that is pretty much an academic argument, as high tides are washing into the lagoon every day, moving Surfrider Beach around dramatically and allowing ocean water to rush in and out.