Re Katie Cooper’s article [“Ball-field expansion out of the park,” May 14] , what do you mean the state is currently building trails on Bluffs Park to facilitate beach access along Malibu Road.
Are they also planning on hiring lifeguards and rangers for those beaches? will the state be responsible for educating the public? Will the state erect signs re the seals, re no dogs on beach, re don’t litter, take your trash with you, re don’t urinate on the beach, re private beach not for public use?
The state has made a mess of its present public access in West Malibu. The so-called “pocket beaches” are very much ignored and because they are out of view the public is very ignorant and irresponsible when using them.
El Matador and El Pescador sit between private beach on both sides of their access. There is still private beach in Malibu. As long as the state can’t condemn your property, you can own the sand in lot form. No thanks to the Coastal Commission or the state; some people have the beach as their front yard.
People who live anywhere near El Matador know that in one of the private beach coves, nudists, mostly men, like to cavort. It is obnoxious, and even though the sheriffs fly their helicopter over this beach they never land or use their loudspeaker.
There are no lifeguards or rangers on the beach all year long, with the exception of maybe two months in the summer. In the summer there is one lifeguard for two miles of beach.
The state cannot be allowed to continue opening accesses until it can guaranty long-term responsibility. They push hard to open accesses which affect the local community and then become invisible. If the state doesn’t have the money to hire people to maintain the beach then they should stop purchasing and stop opening them.
C. Ellis