CHP, Sheriff’s Deputies Warn Surfers: ‘Beach Is Closed, Touch The Sand, $1000 Fine’
Written by 991KBU on March 28, 2020
Zuma Beach, Surfrider Beach and other Malibu landmarks were no-mans-land, and no-womans-land, today, as deputies threatened $1,000 fines to hopeful surfers heading to the water.
Sections of Zuma were cordoned off with two-foot high screens, of illustrate the COVID-19 closure boundary. The parking lot and beachfront walk was off limits, and lone joggers running in the empty parking lots were told “no more.”
On Malibu Road, residents reported that deputies were also warning people to stay off privately-owned sand, unless it was their own property. All water in Malibu below the high tide line is off limits, to matter who owns a gate key or beachfront property.
By midmorning, there were no RVs parked on the side of PCH at Surfrider Beach, or along Zuma Beach. A tow truck was seen hooking up to the last RV parked at Corral Canyon, across from Malibu Seafood.
No parking signs were observed being carried by sheriff’s deputies near Guernsey Avenue, across PCH from the beachfront to the landward side of PCH. The north side of PCH was not covered in the official “no parking” ban yesterday, but deputies noted about a dozen cars parked there Saturday morning and took action.
Their drivers were contacted by the deputies and told to move on.
At Winding Way, near the Ramirez Falls tourist attraction, no cars were seen parked except about 20 crowding the driveway at a big mansion’s construction site, presumably workers. The various closure orders all exempt construction, which is deemed an essential service.
Workers were busy on this Saturday morning on Civic Center Way, in Winter Canyon, where the city has hired a contractor to replace a 70-year-old metal flood control pipe that began to collapse two months ago. That project will take a month, and in that time, Civic Center Way is closed from the top of the hill near the condo project to the Winter Canyon traffic signal.
Access to the Webster Elementary School driveway, where free “grab and go” breakfasts and lunches are distributed to any Malibu school children, is possible via Malibu Canyon Road to the signal at Pepperdine University only.
The parking lot at Ralphs and CVS had very few cars. Same story at Whole Foods, and at Vintage Market at Trancas. We did not check Pavilions.
Trails in the Santa Monica Mountains are now all closed. The MRCA closed their trails earlier this week, then the National Park Service. Today, the California State Parks-Angeles District will close public access to all trails, parks, and beaches within Los Angeles County.
To reinforce the beach closure at state parks in LA County, ‘No Parking’ signs will be posted to support the closures at Leo Carrillo State Park and La Piedra, El Pescador, and El Matador beaches west of Trancas.
This order will not be in effect for Ventura County, which has not yet issued a Public Health closure, so the Point Mugu State Park area is not included at this time.
But for the safety of the public, Caltrans will place ‘No Parking’ signs along both sides of PCH in the Point Mugu area, as well as the big sand dune at Thornhill Broome Beach.
