TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Quinn Barrow, City Attorney
Brendan Kearns, Assistant City Attorney
Alexandria Latragna, Policy and Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Status Report Regarding Bruce's Beach (City Attorney Barrow).
(Estimated Time: 30 Min.)
RECEIVE REPORT
Line
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the status report regarding the Bruce's Beach land transfer.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
In the early 1900s, several families purchased property in the area now known as Bruce's Beach Park, including Willa and Charles Bruce. In 1924, the Manhattan Beach Board of Trustees (predecessor to the Manhattan Beach City Council) exercised eminent domain to purchase the property for park purposes.
In 1948, the City transferred a portion of the property - Block 5, located between 26th and 27th Streets and the Strand and Manhattan Avenue - to the state of California, subject to a covenant ("City Covenant") that the property can be used only for public park or beach purposes. In 1995, the State transferred the property to Los Angeles County as part of a larger transfer of eight beaches, subject to statutory and deed restrictions (collectively "State Statutory Restrictions") limiting the use of the property. The County improved the property with a lifeguard-training center and governmental offices.
At the request of the County, the State Senate introduced and adopted Senate Bill ("SB") 796 to eliminate the State Statutory Restrictions. On September 30, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 796 into law.
On December 10, 2021, the State Department of Parks and Recreation modified the grant deed between the State and the County to remove its deed restrictions. On December 21, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Super...
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