Built in 1940, Romeo Pier served as a place for Coastside fishermen to unload sardines and salmon for decades, long before the outer breakwater was built. During the pier’s heyday, fish trucks hauling six to seven tons of seafood moved along the structure.
The pier served fisherman well until it was closed down more than a decade ago, said Charlie Romeo. His father, Joe Romeo spent about $50,000 to build the pier to unload the fishing boats for the family’s canning business. That company, Romeo Packing Company is no longer in the seafood business, partly due to the depleted sardine stocks.
Charlie Romeo still continues the family business out of Princeton in front of his namesake pier, but today he mainly produces and sells fertilizer.
In 1996 Romeo Pier was purchase by the San Mateo County Harbor District for $185,000.
- Harbor District Resolution 2-96
A licensing agreement for access to Romeo Wharf allowed very limited vehicle access.
- Harbor District Resolution 3-96
1998 the Harbor District hired Moffatt and Nichol Engineers to conduct an underwater survey. The survey showed that many pilings no longer touched land and a truck fell partway thru the deck. Romeo Pier was determined unsafe and closed with a cyclone fence.