It’s the end of an era along the coastline in Pacifica. The historic Pacifica Municipal Pier, built more than 50 years ago, is crumbling under the pressure of the powerful and erosive Pacific surf, leading to a local emergency. The decades-old Chit Chat Cafe at the base of the pier is now be ing pulled apart as the pier separates from the shoreline, and on Monday night, Pacifica’s City Council unanimously approved its demolition. Pacifica Jun 6 Pacifica Municipal Pier remains closed as damage gets worse Pacifica Jun 4 City of Pacifica closes municipal pier, citing damage and public safety concern Pacifica May 20 Pacifica's Linda Mar Beach among dirtiest in the U.S. Pacifica residents said the community will lose parts of its very identity with the demolition of the iconic sites. “This is just really so sad,” Pacifica resident Pam Coppin said. “And it was a nice thing that people liked to come and hang out here.” The 1,100 foot pier was built in 1973 and became a popular attraction for tourists and fishermen. After winter storms damaged it two years ago, the City of Pacifica paid nearly $20 million for repairs to the pier. The city declared a public emergency and closed the pier last week after the new cracks formed. Pacifica has also spoken openly about possibly demolishing the pier, but it has not yet declared what it intendeds to do. As crews worked throughout the day Monday to assess the structural integrity of the pier and nearby cafe, city officials said serious damage was found near the pier abutment that anchors the pier to land. For Chit Chat Cafe owner Ginger Davis, the loss is deeply personal. Davis and her husband met while working at the cafe two decades ago and bought the business three years ago. “The whole fishing community is losing something gigantic,” Davis said. “We love them. Those are our customers. We would see some of them every day.” The local emergency declaration could help unlock federal funding, but that could still face turbulent waters. ...read more read less