Laguna unveils new stairway and viewing area at Agate Street Beach

Laguna Beach officials unveiled a beach access renovation project at Agate Street on Tuesday, the latest in a series of projects designed to make the coastline easier to reach.

Agate Street Beach is now disabled-accessible, with an overlook viewing area, a new concrete stairway to the sand, drought- and salt-tolerant landscaping of California native plants and new furnishings including benches and a bike rack.

The endeavor used about 190 tons of reinforced concrete, according to a city news release. The Agate stairway had been out of service since October 2015, when it partially collapsed due to high surf.

The Agate project, which cost about $1 million, follows another beach access project at Thalia Street, which was unveiled in April and cost $840,000.

“With the completion of each of these projects, we take another step toward safer, more beautiful beach access for our residents and visitors citywide,” Laguna Beach Mayor Pro Tem Rob Zur Schmiede said in a statement. “This investment ensures that current and future beach-goers will continue to be able to safely access our beaches.”

In addition to Thalia, city officials in the past decade have completed beach access projects at Oak Street, Mountain Road, Brooks Street, Circle Way and Diamond Street.

Upcoming rehabs include Pearl Street, set for completion in 2020, and Anita Street, scheduled for 2021.