LB Surfrider Hits it Outa the Park on Pedestrian Path Issue
With the help of the Coastal Commission and Long Beach’s own Commissioner Robert Garcia, Surfrider got way more than it was asking for in regards to the proposed pedestrian path. Originally, the City of Long Beach was proposing to add a new pedestrian path parallel to the existing dual use bike/pedestrian path on the seaward side of the existing path. After much flak from a whole host of environmental groups, the City and California Coastal Commission staff came up with a handful of modifications and special conditions that would move both paths landward in specific areas. This significantly reduced the likelihood that the new paths would interfere with coastal processes. In addition to these improvements, Garcia asked that the commission require that any new work take place on the landward side of the existing path and that the gap between the paths be minimized. On top of this, the commission asked that City staff work to minimize the loss of beach parking spots at the Belmont Pier. Long Beach Surfrider Foundation is extremely happy with the results of the Coastal Commission hearing and thanks all the other environmental activists that worked so hard on this issue. We still have more work to do in minimizing or eliminating the sandy gap between the paths and minimizing the amount of new pavement on the beach, but for today we’ll hoist a beer and celebrate a great victory for the beach. For more information, email volunteer@lbsurfrider.org