Guadalupe’s beach once again has bare feet on the sand and fishing poles in the water.

Closed for more than a year because of storm-related road damage, the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve reopened Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a steady stream of visitors making the trek along the repaired route to the parking lot near the water.

For Guadalupe resident Mike Roberts, the beach represents serenity.

“This is my happy place,” Roberts said, adding that he typically rides his bicycle to the beach every other day and enjoys looking at the ocean and listening to the waves. “It’s nirvana.”

Officials from Santa Barbara County, Guadalupe and Santa Maria joined with Santa Maria Valley residents at the entrance on West Main Street to mark the milestone reopening of what’s informally known as Guadalupe beach.

Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavangino recalled a contentious meeting last year as residents learned that the beach wouldn’t reopen for months. 

“I think one of my comments was, this job isn’t always ribbon-cuttings and high-fives. Well, today it is,” Lavagnino said. “The people I want to thank the most for making this happen is the community. You held our feet to the fire. This is the No. 1 phone-call-generating item in my office. You guys lit up our phones and told us what you needed.”

A January 2023 storm washed out the narrow road, with rain weeks later damaging another segment, making the pristine beach inaccessible and cutting off the closest coastline for Santa Maria Valley residents. 

Emergency repairs to re-establish access occurred in three phases, adding up to about $1.9 million, according to Lael Wageneck, a public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department.

“A project to re-establish the road and open the park had a higher degree of difficulty due to the need for full damage assessment and the location of the road in an extremely sensitive wildlife habitat area,” Wageneck said.

“Rebuilding the road in this area required permitting and coordination with federal, state and local officials.”

It took a similar length of time for the park’s reopening after damage in 2011, he said.

Repairs were done by R. Burke and Seamair Construction. Local landowners and Gordon Sand Co. helped out by providing alternative access during the repairs.

More work remains — both in the Santa Maria riverbed and for the road to the beach. One segment of gravel remains, with plans to pave it later. 

“This is what government is supposed to be, right? People working together to get the job done, working for the people to make it happen,” Lavagnino said. 

The beach receives roughly 200,000 visitors each year, and sometimes more. 

“Phenomenal, don’t you think?” county Community Services Director Jesús Armas asked.

Nearby Guadalupe counts on visitors stopping at their restaurants and visiting the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center to learn more about the unique site where Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 movie “The Ten Commandments” was filmed and huge film set pieces have been rescued from the sand and put on display.

“You can’t ask for a better day, and we’ll see everybody at the beach,” Guadalupe Mayor Ariston Julian said. 

The pristine beach also hosts important habitat for sensitive or endangered species. That includes the western snowy plover with nesting continuing until Sept. 30, with County Parks staff adding the fence line for plover season. 

Beach-goers will notice areas roped off to protect the tiny shorebird, and should be mindful to remain out of those sections.

In addition to cleaning restrooms and parking lots, preparations for reopening included installing a new gatehouse, an entry gate and equipment to keep the road clear since sand from the nearby dunes routinely covers the route.

Lavagnino directed that Roberts and another resident, Melanie Backer, should wield the oversized scissors for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

Standing at the beach after the ceremony, Backer and Roberts recalled politely pushing politicians to keep the beach’s reopening a top priority.

“We were the fly in the ointment, but they were receptive,” Roberts said. 

“But we were respectful flies,” Backer added. “The main thing is the county did something.”