FAILING GRADE : A Torrance Man’s Quest for View of the Ocean Leads Him to Angry Neighbors,Battle With Coastal Commission, Arrest Warrant

Lou Schreiber says he just wanted some minor grading on the bluff behind his home so he’d have a better view of Torrance Beach.

What he got was an angry neighbor, trouble with the California Coastal Commission and his name on a misdemeanor arrest warrant.

City officials say the grading Schreiber did in September, 1987, lopped off a big part of a natural bluff above Torrance Beach. Schreiber got a better view of the beach, but he increased the potential for excessive erosion, officials say.

A strong rain could cause a mudslide that could severely damage Schreiber’s home and the two adjacent houses, said Ralph Grippo, Torrance’s building and safety director. “The properties could be washed away.”

The homes, all on Paseo de la Playa, are each worth an estimated $2 million to $3 million.

Although Schreiber obtained a city grading permit, officials say the work was far more extensive than the permit allowed. They say Schreiber has not heeded repeated requests to repair the damage.

On Tuesday, Torrance Municipal Court issued an arrest warrant for Schreiber for allegedly violating city building codes. City Prosecutor J. D. Lord said he expects Schreiber to surrender to court officials to have an arraignment date set. Lord said he will ask the judge to fine Schreiber between $1,000 and $2,000 and to put him on probation for a year.

Arrest Warrant

An arrest warrant for alleged violation of a grading permit is unusual, said Peter Snodgrass, a court officer for the Torrance Police Department. “In the 25 years I’ve been doing this, this is the first one I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Schreiber, a professor at Los Angeles Harbor College, said he thinks he can straighten out the misdemeanor charge. He acknowledged that the work went beyond the scope of the permit, but he blamed the tractor operator he hired. Schreiber said the grading does not endanger his neighbors’ houses, but he acknowledged that he should have repaired the bluff months ago.

“I haven’t handled it as well as I should have,” he said in an interview. “It started off as a little project and ended up as a big headache.”

Schreiber said the project was to have cost “a little less than $1,000.” But now he said he expects to spend “10 to 20 times that amount” to regrade the bluff and install drainage pipes, which the city says are needed.

The city is not the only one concerned about the grading job.

Charles Posner, an inspector for the Coastal Commission, said Schreiber did not get the commission’s permission to do the work. Posner said that the grading creates a potential erosion problem for neighbors.

Special Approval

Any landscaping that involves grading near the coast needs the approval of the Coastal Commission, Posner said.

“My main concern is the bluff,” Posner said as he looked at Schreiber’s property this week. “You can’t do that to a bluff like this, especially with the rainy season coming.”

Posner said he is not sure if the commission will take any action. He said it can levy fines between $50 and $5,000 a day until the repairs are completed.

Roger Bacon, a developer who lives next door to Schreiber, said he fears for his home. “If we get a whole lot of rain, it could cause a whole lot of problems,” he said.

Bacon also blames the city for not forcing Schreiber to make the repairs earlier.

“I hold the city of Torrance liable for any damage that happens to my home,” he said. “They should have been on him a long time ago.”

Seeking Repairs

Bill Becker, a grading supervisor for the city, said officials have been trying to get Schreiber to make the repairs since they learned of the problem a year ago.

Becker said Schreiber has made attempts to get the work done but has not moved fast enough. Officials wanted the repairs completed before last winter’s rainy season began, Becker said. When Schreiber failed to meet that deadline, he was told he had until last month to complete the repairs.

On Nov. 29, city officials “used our last recourse” and asked the city prosecutor to obtain the arrest warrant, Becker said.

Schreiber, who learned about the warrant from a reporter, said he will cooperate.

“All I wanted was a view of the ocean,” he said.