LAGUNA BEACH

Thousand Steps Beach may be spared more potential water contamination and beach erosion when the county denies a request from the state Department of Transportation to build a new storm drain on the beach. The county is expected to send a letter to Caltrans rejecting its request to build on the beach, which is county property and a marine preserve, to improve drainage during storms, said Patti Schooley, a county operations supervisor for the coastal facilities. Schooley said environmental concerns and Caltrans’ changing its original proposal were factors in the denial. Caltrans had originally submitted a request to the county to replace a 6-inch drain without enlarging it. However, when it applied for a construction permit and resubmitted its plans, the project was conceptually different than what had been agreed upon, Schooley said.