Malibu : Singer Faces Permit Woes

The dirt and sand are off the beach, but singer Olivia Newton-John’s troubles with the state Coastal Commission involving a beach home she and her husband, Matt Lattanzi, are building in Malibu may not be over.

A spokesman for the Coastal Commission said this week that a decision on whether to cite the singer for alleged Coastal Act violations will likely be deferred until the couple returns to the commission for after-the-fact permits for completion of the home.

In December, environmentalists complained that tons of dirt and sand were piled on the beach illegally during construction of a sea wall on the singer’s property in the exclusive Paradise Cove area. They also said a permit to complete the work had expired Nov. 1.

The Coastal Commission has since issued an emergency permit to complete the sea wall, said Nancy Cave, the agency’s chief enforcement officer. However, the commission could decide to cite the couple for violations when they seek a regular permit for the work, as required by law, sometime in the next few months, she said.