Crystal Cove restoration gets a $2.9 million boost from new state budget

Restoration work underway on 17 historic cottages on the north end of Crystal Cove State Park received $2.9 million in funding from the new state budget.

Crystal Cove Conservancy, the nonprofit that has spearheaded the massive restoration project, worked with Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris to secure the funding for the remaining cottages from this year’s general fund budget, approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom late Thursday, June 27.

The cottages are a unique slice of California’s coastline, a stretch of State Parks land tucked between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach that reflects what life was like along the beach decades ago, when a tight-knit community once lived here.

These days, the cottages are among the most sought after “camping” spots in the State Parks system, open to the public with overnight stays quickly gobbled up each month, even during rainy winters.

“Drawing two million annual visitors, Crystal Cove is a gem on the California coast,” Petrie-Norris, a Laguna Beach resident, said in a statement. “I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I was able to secure state funding for the final phase of this historic renovation project.”

The news comes as longtime Crystal Cove Conservancy leader Laura Davick, who founded the group in 1999, plans to step down from her position as vice-president.

As of Monday, July 1, Davick will be joining the board as co-chairwoman for the Heritage Legacy Project for California. She plans to focus on strategic state and government funding partnerships.

“Its been 20 years, I am really excited about the next chapter,” Davick said, noting she’s looking forward to traveling more.

Davick is a third-generation “Coveite,” a longtime resident who has dedicated decades to preserving the area’s history.

The area became a community in the 1920s and ’30s, when tent campers started building houses with whatever they could find on shore. Some homes were built with wood that washed up after a boat capsized in 1927; some people starting hauling supplies in from elsewhere.

There was no master plan, no architects. Each cottage had a distinct personality and character, a style dubbed “early vernacular architecture” once common along the coast. It was the last of its kind, and a reason many consider this area a historic district worth preserving.

In 1979, the state purchased the 3,000-acre Crystal Cove area from the Irvine Co. for $32.6 million. Davick and others fought against a luxury resort planned for the area.

The cottages were occupied by families until 2001, when their leases expired and the state evicted them to make way for planned public lodging.

To date, 29 cottages have been restored. The remaining cottages on the north end have been empty for 18 years, tucked behind a wire fence, many falling apart from weather and age.

Davick said in her new role she will continue to work on securing funding for the ongoing restoration.

The Conservancy, in October, secured the first $19 million to start the infrastructure portion of the project, which began in January with work on roads, sewer lines and retaining walls, to make sure the area is secure before work on the dilapidated cottages could be done.

In addition, workers have carefully taken down four cottages and put them in storage.

The infrastructure is expected to be completed by June 2020. The entire project is expected to take five years.

Restoration of the cottages is no easy task, with every item analyzed by experts to determine if it reflects the era from 1935 to 1955, to maintain the historic significance.

Initially, the project was estimated at about $19 million, before the second and final portion of the fundraising campaign was launched through private donations, grants and public funding, as well as funding from government agencies.

Davick said she expects the cost will rise, and the Conservancy is working with State Parks for the final estimate.

Crystal Cove is touted as one of the few lower-cost accommodations along the Southern California coast, with per person, per night rates as low as about $19 in a dorm-style lodge and $38 in a private cottage that can sleep up to nine people.

But nabbing a spot isn’t easy, with occupancy rates consistently at 98.8 percent throughout the year.

An estimated 24,000 guests stay in accommodations annually, and once the restoration of the final 17 cottages is complete the occupancy potential will double to 48,000 a year.