Owner of Sea Castle Told to Raze Building

By May, all that will be left of the Sea Castle apartments is the land the building now stands on.

After two days of testimony, the Santa Monica Nuisance Abatement Board decided Friday that the seaside apartment building should be razed as quickly as possible.

The board gave the owner, Robert Braun, about three months to get the necessary approvals and permits to complete the work.

Testimony from firefighters, police officers, engineers and others convinced board members that the structure was unsafe.

“The longer we wait, the greater . . . the danger to the public,” said Suzanne Frick, chair of the Nuisance Abatement Board and director of planning and community development for the city.

Since the Northridge earthquake--which damaged the building to the degree that residents were forced to abandon their apartments--the Sea Castle has earned a reputation as a hangout for transients and drug users.

Sherman Stacey, Braun’s attorney, told the council that his client is willing to tear down the building.

Stacey objected to the board’s order that five guards be posted at the Sea Castle, but the board maintained that tight security is vital until the structure is gone.

Meanwhile, fencing around the property was scheduled to be erected this weekend.