SeeCalifornia.com

Photo: To the average citizen, a huge wall running along the picturesque beach in Orange County’s gated Surfside (shown)  is reminiscent of the fence at the California-Mexico border. By law, the public can enjoy the beach, but many are kept away when they see the fence. All you have to do is walk around it on the sand.

Along the most populated areas of the California coast you’ll sometimes find roadblocks making beaches difficult or nearly impossible to access. To the average citizen, a huge wall running along the beach or posted signs that say “Do Not Enter”, may be all it takes to keep people out. But that’s unacceptable to the California Coastal Commission, a 12-member panel charged with monitoring public access policies at California’s beaches.

The public is increasingly becoming aware that they have rights, including the right to access the beach. That’s why the California Coastal Commission recently took a bus trip to Malibu to check out first-hand what’s going on and why the public isn’t gaining access to prime coastal beaches in front of wealthy homes in Southern California.

On the tour California Coastal Commission members sought to discover what’s keeping the public from some of the state’s most desirable beaches. One thing they didn’t see: 20 pathways that were set aside but have yet to be built. Commission members stopped to inspect gates, fake “no parking” signs and lack of access. The 12-member commission charged with overseeing laws designed to protect California’s desirable natural resources and keep the 1,100 miles of beaches open to the public, has its own hurdles in getting the paths built and access points open, especially in Los Angeles County.

The biggest sore spot in the patchwork of enforcement is in Malibu, described on road signs as you enter the city as “27 Miles of  Scenic Beauty”. The advertisements practically taunt the average tourist seeking a place to experience this coastal oasis.

Although 34 walkways and stairways for the public were part of agreements with landowners who were issued permits to build along the L.A. beaches as long ago as the 1970s, less than half the pathways in Malibu have ever been built.  Property owners manage to keep the issue tied up in the judicial system for up to 15 years! A lack of funds to put any teeth into the signed agreements with homeowners is cited by the California Coastal Commission as one main reason that many of the pathways have never materialized.

What to do? The Commission has begun looking for strategic partners in the beach turf battle, and has found a few such as Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Volunteer groups, local non-profits and local governments are being asked to pitch in and help make the beaches tourist friendly and accessible.

By the numbers:

• 60% of  public access points between San Diego and  San Luis Obispo counties have been built.
• 38% of access points have been built or opened in Los Angeles County with Dan Blocker Beach and Broad Beach being several hot spots for non-compliance.
• 85% are completed and open to the public in San Diego.
• 73% of required pathways and access points have been built in Orange County.  One of the current hot spots for compliance includes South Orange County where homeowners in new development lock gates to the beach to deny access.