Notification of Upcoming Film Activity – Big Sur Area
Date: Monday 3/11/2024
To: Big Sur Residents and Businesses
From: Jimmy Baldwin, permit coordinator, Little Minx Films
Re: Film Production Activity on Highway 1 in the Big Sur Area, on Monday 3/11/2024
In an effort to better communicate with Big Sur residents regarding upcoming filming activities, this is to notify you of an upcoming permitted aerial film shoot scheduled for Monday, 3/11/2024, between 7am and 7pm. Our work will require intermittent traffic control (ITC) at and near Bixby Bridge and Hwy 1 Mile Markers 50 to 70. As per our permit, a portion of the Bixby Bridge turnout will be used for parking of production vehicles, although No more than 50% of turnout will be used.
We will be hiring California Highway Patrol officers to facilitate the ITC – ensuring public safety and access with only brief traffic holds of 5 minutes. Most of our trucks and equipment will be stationed a few miles away on private property, and a small essential-only team will base at the Coast Road.
We have taken all steps to ensure that the required permits have been obtained from Caltrans and Monterey County and will comply with restrictions necessary for a safe and efficient shoot.
The production company would like to show its appreciation to the community with a donation to the Mid-Coast Fire Brigade.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. I hope this advance notice is helpful for you to plan your day.
Bree advises us to notice that the SB lane of Highway 1 is deteriorating and beginning to fall toward the ocean. And Bree is right. The slide has definitely gotten wider.
As Dave Nelson reminds me, all us OG residents call this spot where the slide is “Wing Gulch” as it is on my maps of the coastal slides. The young ‘uns at Caltrans are calling this Dolan Point. In reality, there is about 3/10ths of a mile difference in locations, Dolan Point being on the north end. Dave also reminded me that this terracing is what they did 20 years ago…so I guess that means this spot should be good for 20 years when completed, right? Here are the photos.
While it is predicted to be severe in the Sierras with up to 10’ of snow and major road closures, here it will be a bit milder, but still a possibility of significant rainfall and snow down to 2000’, A reminder, Daniel Swain of Weather West will be having Office hours on You Tube at 10:00 am. Tune in here: https://www.youtube.com/live/6-Epct0Ynx8?si=z0PjoucW9FtxqXxZ
From NWS/NOAA:
“We hate to be the bearer of bad news but the late week weather looks downright…unpleasant. Cold, windy, and cloudy with periods of rain. Dreary conditions will linger into Saturday. Clearing a bit for early next week but temperatures will remain chilly #cawx”
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the Coastal Commission will hold a public hearing to consider the consistency determination submitted by the U.S. Forest Service proposing to prohibit overnight camping and campfires for a two-year period at San Carpoforo Beach, in Big Sur. The hearing agenda, along with instructions on how to provide written comments and to participate in the hearing either in person or via Zoom, is available at this link:
The Coastal Commission’s staff recommendation on this proposal will be posted and available for your review at this link with Thursday’s Agenda Item 10a, along with correspondence received to date, including the letters and emails you’ve already provided.
Thanks, and please let me know if you have any questions,
Tom Luster
Senior Environmental Scientist
Energy, Ocean Resources, and Federal Consistency Division
It was so uplifting to have the sun shining and warmer temperatures for the weekend. It allowed me some time to continue clean-up from the last storm and the one before that. I did not build a single fire in the wood stoves this weekend. What a nice break. Now, that is about to change.
But this coming weekend, it looks as if snow levels could be lowered to 2000’ (I am at 3200’). John LIndsey of SLO. Good for the snow pack in the Sierras and for skiers, not so much for me. Although it is beautiful! Stay tuned as the forecast comes more into focus!
From Daniel Swain (Weather West) I’ll have my next live YouTube weather & climate office hours this Thu (2/29) at 10am PT. Topic will be the upcoming pattern shift toward much colder storms, including possibility of very heavy Sierra snowfall! #CAwx #CAwater
Monterey County is making every effort to make Zoom meetings available for the BSMAAC meetings. For those of us south of the slides, this would be a life-saver, to say the least. I have been attending these meetings since 1984, not too long after they started. In those 40 years, I have probably missed less than a dozen meetings, that’s how important I think they are.
Monterey County did a quasi “dry run” of this and recorded the meeting, which is now available on you tube for viewing. This is the meeting that was held on 2/9/24. Thank you, Alex Vetsula for making this available to me and to my readers. And thank you, Monterey County for taking BSMAAC into the 21st century. Please feel free to pass this along. This could be a game changer for many of us, especially those of us who have lived South of the slide for 14 months now.
MONTEREY COUNTY– Caltrans crews continue to respond to two recent slides on Highway 1 in Monterey County on the Big Sur coast.
Repairs
Crews have started repairs at the Dolan Point Slide which occurred on Thursday Feb. 8 at Post Mile 29.5. Concrete anchors have been set into the slope to facilitate the use of specialized spider excavators which are suited to operate in the steep terrain.
Initial plans to mobilize equipment from the south to make repairs at Dolan Point were changed after the Regent’s Slide closed the highway south of there on the evening of Friday Feb. 9. The repairs at Dolan Point are now being mobilized from the north.
Weather has caused some delays in the progress of repairs and may do so going forward. The current estimate for the reopening of Highway 1 at the Dolan Point Slide is March 8.
At the Regent’s Slide at PM 27.8, Geotechnical surveys are underway, and a recommended repair strategy is expected in the coming weeks. A more formal estimate for a reopening of Highway 1 at the Regent’s Slide will be available once the scope of the work is defined in greater detail.
The top of the Regent’s Slide is estimated to be approximately 450 ft. above the roadway. Assessments continue to indicate that, like the Dolan Point Slide, material will have to be removed from the top down. As with all Highway 1 repairs on the Big Sur coast, progress will be impacted by weather conditions. The recent slides have not changed the late spring estimate for a full reopening of Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide.
The northern closure point on Highway 1 moved today from above Dolan Point to just north of Lime Creek at PM 32.1. The movement of the northern closure was necessary to create stockpiling space in support of repair work at Dolan Point. It is expected that the northern closure will remain at PM 32.1 until both the Dolan Point and Regent’s Slide have been cleared. The southern closure point remains at PM 20 just south of Limekiln State Park making for a 12.1-mile closure on the coast.
The balance of Highway 1 remains open for travel from the Monterey/Carmel area to just south of the Esalen Institute, and from the Cambria/San Simeon area to just south of Limekiln State Park.
Convoys
With the conclusion of the most recent rain system, daily convoys have resumed through Paul’s Slide in the north and southbound direction at 8 am and 4 pm. These convoys allow for local residents living south of the Regent’s Slide and north of Paul’s Slide to travel south through Paul’s Slide to secure supplies now that travel to the north is blocked by the Dolan Point and Regent’s Slides.
Because passage through Paul’s Slide is by way of a dirt roadbed, convoys will continue as long as site conditions and weather make for safe travel.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
