On Tuesday, Aug. 9, the State Lands Commission voted 3-0 to issue the Broad Beach Geologic Hazard Abatement District a 10-year lease — thus moving the project forward.
The staff report for the lands commission meeting on Tuesday said that “price and terms” were under negotiation between the state and the Broad Beach homeowners, a group that formed the Broad Beach Geologic Hazard Abatement District.
The land leased to the project, “state sovereign lands,” will not have rent due until Jan. 1, 2020, according to information from Broad Beach attorney Ken Ehrlich. The lease came to $500,000 — $50,000 paid to the state per year over 10 years.
“The project intends to restore Broad Beach’s natural dune system and dry sand beach, including a significantly expanded public access area,” Ehrlich described.
Ehrlich, speaking on behalf of the district, said they were “pleased” with the approval.
“We now have the primary state approvals needed, and we are continuing our pursuit of the federal and Water Board permits, which are anticipated this fall,” Ehrlich wrote in an email to The Malibu Times. “The SLC’s approval shows the agency’s understanding that beach nourishment is one of the only proven tools to fight the coastal effects of climate change and sea level rise. The [district] has stepped up to create a public beach at 100 percent private expense, and we hope to implement the project as quickly as possible.”