STATE OF CALIFORNIA - NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY EDMUND G. BROWN, JR., Governor CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION South Coast Area Office 200 Oceangate. Suite 1000 Long Beach, CA 90802-4302 (562) 590-5071 Sent via Email and Regular US. Mail June 6, 2015 Anton Dahlerbruch, City Manager City of Palos Verdes Estates 340 Palos Verdes Drive West Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274 Dear Mr. Dahlerbruch: Commission staff would like to thank you, Chief Kepley, and your staff for meeting with us on Tuesday May 10th, 2016 to survey Lunada Bay, discuss issues related to public access to the bay and coastline, and inspect the unpermitted stone fort located along the shoreline on City .property. We appreciate the time that you took out of your day to walk the site and discuss the issues at some length. Staff remains committed to working with the City in order to address the unpermitted development that has occurred at the site, which is described in more detail in our letter dated, January 21', 2016, and to improve access to Lunada Bay for both local residents and visitors alike. As you know, Lunada Bay is one of California?s dramatic coastal features and a treasure for all of the state?s residents and visitors to discover and enjoy. We feel there are measures, which are described in more detail below, available to the City to ensure that this happens. Commission staff are of course ready to assist the City with planning and permitting matters that arise over the course of resolving these issues. As discussed during our meeting, in order to resolve the issue of the unpermitted stone fort, the City must obtain a Coastal Development Permit to either remove or retain the stone fort. As we conveyed to you at the meeting, given the inconsistency with policies of the Coastal Act and related policiesvof the City?s local coastal program that restrict development immediately on the shoreline, it is not likely that staff could support approval of a private structure on the shoreline, such as in the location of the stone fort. Thus, in order for a request to retain the structure in place, even if the structure is reduced in mass, to be favorably considered, such a request should be accompanied with a proposal to institute a comprehensive public access program that clearly identifies, through signage at major streets, at the coastline, and on trail maps, the structure as a public amenity and open to all. We understand that the preparation of a local Coastal Development Permit will take some time, and for that reason, we are requesting that you begin this process by July 6, 2016 in order to as quickly as possible. start to resolve the issue of the unpermitted- stone fort and in, doing so eliminate any negative effect it may have ?as a quasi?private structure on public access to the coast. The second issue we discussed is the threatening behavior by certain individuals, that has unfortunately resulted in preclusion of public access to the coastline at Lunada Bay, and that is squarely within the City?s police powers to address. That said, Commission staff believes that the addition of public access amenities such as signage displayed on Palos Verdes Drive inviting the public to Lunada Bay, and the addition of picnic tables and benches, observation binoculars, and interpretive signage at the City bluff top park above Lunada Bay, should be installed in order to at least partly deter this behavior by increasing the public?s use and access to this area. We would be gladto also discuss any other suggested measures to clarify the public nature of this area and to discourage actions taken to discourage public use. We would like to ensure that the public may access Lunada Bay freely and that steps to ensure that this is the case are taken quickly in order to avoid any further loss of access to the coast. With that urgency in mind, and so staff may have a clearer picture of its options to address this matter, please submit plans to install the public access improvements mentioned above, to the Commission?s South Coast District Of?ce by July 6, 2016 for our consideration. In the interim, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this letter, and please contact me by June 21st, 2016 to discuss how the City intends to proceed to address the issues described above. We share your appreciation for the beauty of Lunada Bay, and we look forward to working collaboratively with the City to resolve the matter in a manner that preserves the aesthetic character of the bay and coastline and puts amenities in place that welcome the public to enjoy this resource as well. Sincerely, Jordan Sanchez Enforcement Officer California Coastal Commission cc: Lisa Haage, Chief of Enforcement, Andrew Willis, Southern California Enforcement Supervisor, Steve Hudson, Deputy Director, Teresa Henry, District Manager, Chuck Posner, Planning Supervisor, Sheri Repp-Loadsman, Planning Director, PVE Jeff Kepley, Chief of Police, PVE