Manatt Land Use Partner Susan Hori represented the family and heirs of Don Wildman, the founder of Bally Total Fitness, in reaching an agreement that would create a new direct path from Pacific Coast Highway to Escondido Beach, California.
At the center of the matter are two adjacent properties that block public access to the beach, one of which is owned by Wildman. The agreement restores a long-obscured public access point from the highway to the beach in Malibu, California by removing various encroachments on the properties. This marks the first new direct path from the highway to a beach in Malibu since 2015. The easement could be open to the public as soon as 2024, pending necessary permits and construction.
Hori was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article about the California Coast Commission’s unanimous approval of the agreement, saying. “We are very happy that commission did support and approve the resolution, and we’re very appreciative of the time that it took from staff to come and work with us on that resolution.”
To read the full Los Angeles Times article, click here.