Seven and a half months after Hurricane Harvey, the Horace Caldwell Pier sits vacant.
“I like to surf, and this is a great place to surf,” says Port Aransas resident Michael Oldani. “First thing in the morning it’s always fun to come out here and take a bike ride on the pier, check the waves and watch people catching fish in the afternoon.”
The occasional visitor stops by only to find the pier is closed.
“We’ve been wondering when it was going to open back up,” said Oldani. “I would think we would have had that within six months.”
The entrance to the pier is chained and locked, and has been since Harvey. This gate will stay locked until officials know the pier is safe.
On Wednesday, the Nueces County Commissioners Court takes the first step to re-opening the pier. Commissioners will consider spending nearly $83,000 on inspections to determine how damaged the pier really is.
“I don’t really see a whole lot of damage, and I paddle out next to it all the time,” said Oldani.
According to locals a day at I.B. Magee Park isn’t the same without the pier.
“ It just makes it quieter here, which isn’t bad, most of us locals like quiet,” said Oldani. “But it’s nice to have fish being caught and a little activity around the pier.”
