Transfer of Beaches to L.A. County Is Proposed : Land use: Cash-strapped state would give up title for free to ensure upkeep. Environmentalists and some officials fear that less stringent coastal management would result.

State and county officials are trying to forge one of the largest transfers of public land in California history, a mega-deal that would give Los Angeles County ownership of a pearl-strand of beaches along Santa Monica Bay.

Encompassing such jewels as Malibu, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, the value of the real estate is estimated at more than $2 billion, but the deal being developed by the county and the state Department of Parks and Recreation would involve no exchange of money.

The county already handles maintenance and lifeguard services at the beaches and has asked the state to share in those costs. But the state says that in its current financial condition, it cannot provide funding without severely hampering other critical state park services.

The state and county have tussled over the funding issue in recent years, and now California parks officials think it would be more cost-effective to transfer title to the county.

There is growing concern among some environmentalists and elected officials, however, that the transfer could usher in a philosophical shift in approach to coastal development. Some worry that the county will be much more amenable to commercial interests, and they foresee attempts to duplicate Marina del Rey-like hotel and restaurant rows up and down the bay.

County officials scoff at that idea, noting that the state’s Coastal Commission maintains broad jurisdiction over the beaches and would have to approve any development plans.

But county officials also make no bones about the fact that the beaches represent an important economic asset and that the transfer would “eliminate some state oversight on potential revenue-generating sources,” according to a memo submitted to the County Board of Supervisors summarizing the proposed deal.

The board is scheduled to consider today whether to proceed with the plan. But any transfer would have to be approved by the Legislature, and some lawmakers are warning that the proposal may face rough going.

“At this point in time I would not support a transfer until all of my questions are answered about any proposed development, change in the use of resources and just how the county is going to approach this task,” said Assemblywoman Sheila J. Kuehl (D-Santa Monica.) “The state has done pretty well. Their attitude is that it is a public resource . . . whereas the county has demonstrated in the past a little bit more receptivity to (commercial interests).”

Kuehl noted that development could have a particularly severe impact on the overloaded Pacific Coast Highway. “It would be bad for the ecology of the beaches, but also for the human ecology,” she said.

State officials maintain that the transfer would bring stability to beach operations and downplay any negative impact from the transfer.

“I don’t think there will be any huge change in how business is done down there,” said Patricia Megason, deputy director of the state Parks and Recreation Department.

But according to documents submitted to the supervisors, the county is exploring several ways to “maximize revenue from parking and commercial concessions,” including:

* Increasing parking fees at some beaches to as much as $15.

* Developing a complex of restaurants at Topanga Beach.

* Converting parts of some beaches into parking lots.

* Restricting parking along PCH with the objective of forcing more parking at county-owned lots.

“I have a big concern that in order to make it economically favorable to operate and maintain these beaches, we would have to generate revenue--and the only way to do that is to exploit the beaches,” said Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

The county began consolidating operation of maintenance crews and lifeguard patrols at state and city-owned beaches in the 1970s, to bring uniformity to what had been a patchwork of services.

However, an impasse over beach funding has been brewing for years, with the cash-strapped county insisting that the state and beach cities should increase their share of maintenance costs. Service costs at all of the state beaches--including Topanga, Dan Blocker, Pt. Dume, Las Tunas and Royal Palms--amount to $4.3 million annually, with the state contributing virtually nothing for upkeep.

While the county has continued to negotiate over the issue, it has also threatened to pull its lifeguards and maintenance crews from some of the most popular beaches to get the state and beach cities to ante up more money.

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Officials see a number of possible drawbacks to a transfer plan. Officials concede that initially it will probably cost the county more money, and by taking ownership of the beaches, the county could also lose money that has been provided by the state in past years for capital improvements.

Some of the 22 beaches that the county operates generate enough revenue--mostly through parking concessions, food stands, marketing deals and permits for Hollywood filming--to offset maintenance costs. But nearly half of that total is derived from only three beaches--Santa Monica, Will Rogers and Venice. Beaches such as Las Tunas, Topanga, Manhattan and Dan Blocker bring in very little revenue. Kip Wiley, a consultant to the state Senate’s Natural Resource and Wildlife Committee, chaired by Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), said any legislation to approve transfer of the beaches is likely to include restrictions on development.

“We don’t want to see the state turn over these resources to a local agency only to have them turn it into a money-making operation,” he said.

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Land Swap State and county officials transferring ownership of a strand of beaches along Santa Monica Bay to Los Angeles County. The deal would involve no money. *

Proposed for transfer Point Dune Beach: State retaining the point and the Upland Terrace. *

Dan Blocker Beach: Including Latigo Shores. *

Surf Rider Beach: Except pier, Malibu Lagoon and Adamson House. *

Las Tunas Beach *

Topanga State Beach *

Manhattan Beach: State would retain pier. *

Redondo State Beach *

Royal Palms Beach *

Status under negotiation *

Robert H. Meyer Memorial Beach *

Will Rogers State Beach *

Santa Monica State Beach: Has operating agreement with city of Santa Monica. *

Dockweller State Beach: Has operating agreement with the city of Los Angeles.