As expected, the City of Los Angeles Water Board denied Silver Strand resident and lawyer Richard Lysle’s appeal at a hearing on May 8, 2015. This is a “not in my back yard issue.” The County didn’t want it on Via Marina due to the fact that so many large apartment complexes that it has approved on Via Marina are either in progress or soon will be and will conflict with further construction on Via Marina. They litigated against the City and lost on appeal. The City is worried about liability issues if the the current pipe line on the beach should fail. Despite years of City and County public hearings and litigation about the route, the bottom line is that, despite the fact that the evidence proves that Beach Route would be the shortest, least expensive and least disruptive route to residents, it would not receive approval from the California Coastal Commission most likely because, during the 20 months of construction, it would 1) possibly disturb the small, least tern nesting site 2) temporarily inconvenience visitors to beach between Hurricane and the Jetty, even though this is a lightly used portion of the beach. Next stop is the Coastal Commission hearing, date to be announced.
Richard reports that:
This administrative appeal was filed, on the last day for filing same, because no one else had filed an appeal and because, if you do not “exhaust administrative remedies”, no one can file a lawsuit under the California Environmental Quality Act. There are also short time limits to file under CEQA. Issues would include whether the City’s EIR included consideration of “reasonable project alternatives”, i.e., the Beach Route.
It seems pretty clear to me that our councilman, Mike Bonin, is not fighting for us.
It is true “‘ you Cannot fight City Hall” (or any other Commission)