Mancuso and the Wildman family argued that they inherited the violations, but had not committed any wrongdoings themselves. Wildman further choked off access to the easement. 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. But the homes’ prior owners made a number of moves to obstruct public access to the area. In the 1970s, a trail ran from the roadway down to the beach. 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. 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.ĭirect beach access was obscured by two properties along the 27900 block of Pacific Coast Highway. “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.” 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. “Beaches are California’s crown jewels and public access is a core mission of our law. 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.Īt 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. 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.
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