NEWPORT BEACH : Encroachments on Beach to Be Aired
The issue of private encroachments into public, beachfront property is scheduled for review by the Planning Commission once again tonight.
At issue are two heavily debated proposals by the city: charging fees from property owners who have built onto the beach area and extending the existing oceanfront walkway as far as the Santa Ana River jetty. The boardwalk currently runs from E Street to 36th Street.
There are approximately 295 encroachments on the beach between the Santa Ana River entrance and the point of the Balboa Peninsula, where property owners have gradually extended up to 27 feet into the sand with small walls, landscaping, decks and patios.
In an effort to regulate the extensions, a special advisory committee to the City Council has recommended that permits be issued for beach walls that reach up to 15 feet onto public property. The permits would have fees attached ranging from $50 to $200 a year, and any encroachments more than 15 feet would not be permitted.
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