California’s “hidden” beach will now be fully accessible to the public for the first time in 40 years, after the state approved an agreement for wealthy landowners to create a new path to the coastline.
Escondido beach, known for placid waters and golden sand, had been mostly inaccessible to the public since the 1980s, when homeowners in the area cut it off from the public. Though California law requires that land below the high tide line remain open to all, complicated legal and construction maneuvers had obscured access to the strip of coastline.
At a 7 June meeting, the California coastal commission finally brought an end to a years-long legal battle, approving an agreement to restore public access to the beach – paid for by the wealthy homeowners who live near the area.
“Beaches are California’s crown jewels and public access is a core mission of our law. Access is for everyone, whether you live down the street or in the Central valley or you’re visiting from across the globe,” said Donne Brownsey, the California coastal commission chair. “We hope this enforcement action sends a message to other property owners who may be hiding or blocking access to the coast that it’s time return those beaches to the public.”
The beach had lived up to its name – Escondido is Spanish for “hidden” – as, until recently, people could only access it by paying a fee to park at a lot a quarter-mile away or by entering by way of the restaurant Geoffrey’s, which is a half-mile away.
Direct beach access was obscured by two properties along the 27900 block of Pacific Coast Highway. The homes are owned by Frank Mancuso Sr, the former chief executive of Paramount Pictures and MGM, and the Wildman Family Trust, the heirs of Don Wildman, the late founder of Bally Total Fitness.
In the 1970s, a trail ran from the roadway down to the beach. But the homes’ prior owners made a number of moves to obstruct public access to the area. The former owners, Ken and Jeannette Chiate and Marilyn and Roger Wolk, had begun blocking access to the beach with un-permitted development, including private driveways, walls, mailboxes and palm trees. Wildman further choked off access to the easement.
Mancuso and the Wildman family argued that they inherited the violations, but had not committed any wrongdoings themselves. Still, they agreed to finance the restoration.
Under the agreement, the Wildman Family Trust will remove the illegal development that Don Wildman had installed and move the public access easement closer to the location it was intended for. They will also construct a public beach accessway from Pacific Coast Highway and install five public parking spots and a restroom, with an estimated cost of more than $3m, according to Robert Moddelmog, an enforcement analyst for the coastal commission.
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Mancuso will remove the illegal driveway built by the prior homeowner and move much of the easement on to his property. He will also assist the Wildman Family Trust in building a beach accessway, a public parking area and pay a $600,000 fine.
California has undertaken several high-profile battles with wealthy landowners who blocked public access to the state’s natural resources. In 2017, a California court forced a billionaire venture capitalist to restore access to a beach he had closed off for private use. Two years earlier, in 2015, the commission opened a new accessway to Carbon beach after a lengthy legal fight.
The area near Escondido beach is home to many of the state’s ultra-wealthy residents, including Jay-Z and Beyoncé and billionaire David Saperstein, the founder of Metro Networks.