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Newsletter
Summer 2005
As Advocates Prepare to Sue, Coastal Commission Issues
Cease and Desist Order Against Malibu Homeowners
 The
California Coastal Commission issued a Cease and Desist Order against
the Trancas Property Owners Association in Broad Beach, Malibu,
in August 2005, to prevent the continued use of illegal “private
property” and “no trespassing” signs, fencing,
and private security guards on all-terrain vehicles that harass
and prevent the public from reaching the public beach. The Cease
and Desist Order is long overdue, given the Broad Beach property
owners’ long history of fighting public access on Broad
Beach. In June 2005, property owners in Broad Beach took the utterly
astonishing step of using heavy equipment to remove sand from public
land and pile it onto their property.
In a letter to the Coastal Commission concerned California residents Bernard
Bruce, Carol Jacques, and Edwin Rosales, along with The City Project, Environmental Law Foundation, and the private law firms of Hadsell & Stormer,
Inc., and Kecker Van Nest, LLP, announced plans to file a lawsuit to enforce
the public’s rights under the California Coastal Act, the California Constitution,
and other California state laws if the Commission failed to issue the Cease and
Desist Order to stop illegal signs, fencing, ATVs, and public harassment.
Bernard
Bruce is the grandson of the original owners and developers of Bruces’ Beach
in Manhattan Beach, the only beach resort in Southern California that allowed
African Americans at a time when most parks, pools, hotels, and other recreation
facilities were off-limits to people of color. As coastal land became more valuable
and the Black population in Los Angeles increased – bringing more African
Americans to Bruces’ Beach – so did White opposition to the Black
beach. City officials pressured the Bruces to sell at prices below fair market
value and prevailed through condemnation proceedings in the 1930s. Mr. Bruce
has made a life-long commitment to ensure equal access to the beach.
Carol
Jacques was a child when her family was forcibly evicted from Chavez Ravine,
a bucolic Latino community near downtown Los Angeles through the 1950s. The City
of Los Angeles forcibly evicted the residents of Chavez Ravine and destroyed
their homes and way of life with promises of affordable housing. The City then
broke its promises and sold the land to the Dodgers, who drowned Chavez Ravine
in a sea of asphalt to build Dodger Stadium and 50,000 places for cars to park
with not a single place for children to play. Ms. Jacques opposes the privatization
of public space and is committed to equal access to public beaches for all.
Edwin Morales is a youth soccer coach with the Anahuak Youth Soccer Association.
Every Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, Mr. Morales takes his ten 14 year-olds
to the beach to exercise, train, and enjoy the ocean breezes and views. According
to Mr. Morales, the children who live in Koreatown, Pico-Union, and other inner
city communities did better in school, developed important leadership and interpersonal
skills, and exhibited less behavioral problems once they began participating
in organized sports. The weekly visits to the beach—which encourage the
youths to have fun while they train— contribute to the students’ improved
performance on and off the soccer field. Mr. Morales is committed to protecting
the right of the children he coaches and others to public beaches for recreation,
education, and fun.
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