Laguna Beach begins reopening of beaches in phases after receiving approval from state agencies
Laguna Beach was all set to do a limited reopening of its beaches Monday, following a unanimous vote by its City Council at an April 28 meeting.
Then, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a “hard close” of all Orange County beaches.
On Monday, state officials announced that the cities of Laguna Beach and San Clemente would be allowed to reopen their beaches. Both cities submitted their plans on how to safely provide public access to their beaches, which were determined to be consistent with the statewide stay-at-home order.
“We appreciate the governor’s willingness to work with us to provide a responsible, gradual approach to reopening all beaches in Laguna Beach for active recreation,” Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen said in a statement. “This will allow people the opportunity to walk, jog, swim and surf and get some fresh air and exercise on a limited basis, but not congregate or gather in large groups.”
A letter sent to Laguna Beach from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the California Natural Resources Agency said vigilance would be necessary to support successful implementation of the four-part plan.
City beaches opened Tuesday to active sand and water use and will remain open on weekdays only, from 6 to 10 a.m.
Approximately 5.5 miles of coastline operated by the city of Laguna Beach are open for walking, running, swimming, surfing and other individual water activities during the new weekday limited hours.
Adjacent beach parks will remain closed at all times.
James Pribram, 49, said Tuesday that he had lived in Laguna Beach his entire life and added that he had been in support of the beach closures but that he would have liked to have seen a united front from the state, county and city levels on beaches.
“Everyone was smiling. Everyone was happy. Everyone was social distancing and it was just really incredible to see that,” Pribram said.
“You’d never see it like this on a normal Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.,” Bill Radke, a Laguna Beach resident, said.
The city of Huntington Beach gets approval from the state to reopen beaches Tuesday, five days after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered them shut down.
A city media release Tuesday said that beachgoers were abiding by the regulations put forth by the plan, but those violating the closures outside of the permitted time frame or on weekends may be cited with a misdemeanor, fined up to $1,000 or arrested.
Those violating the closures outside of the permitted time frame or on weekends may be cited with a misdemeanor, fined up to $1,000 or arrested.
Under Phase 1 of the plan, beachgoers will continue to be prohibited from playing recreational beach games, sunbathing, loitering and all other forms of public gatherings.
Separate points of one-way ingress and egress to and from the beaches will be established, and social distancing protocol will be enforced, Laguna Beach officials assured.
If the implementation of first-phase guidelines is successful, Phase 2 will extend a similar use to include weekend visits to the beach, with only active uses permitted.
Under Phase 3 of the city’s plan, beaches would operate under regular municipal hours, with public areas closed from 1 to 5 a.m. each day. Sunbathing, passive recreational sports and loitering would still be prohibited under this phase.
Phase 4 — which would essentially see beaches return to “normal” use — would only be enacted in conjunction with a state order lifting restrictions on large gatherings and allowing passive uses of beach lands, according to the plan.
City Manager John Pietig said that there are no definitive time frames for moving from one phase to the next. The city will monitor each phase to see how people are complying with physical distancing and if large gatherings are developing in town.
Plans submitted by Dana Point, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach to allow the public to immediately access to the coastline were approved by Sacramento.
Each phase will be conducted on a trial basis, and areas will be reclosed if activities and uses do not comply with current directives on physical distancing and large gatherings.
“This is an adaptive management plan and each phase will be enacted on a trial basis,” a media release by the city said. “The city will move to the next phase only if it believes the activities can be managed to comply with current directives regarding physical distancing and large gatherings.”
On a call Monday morning, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach) said she reached out to state agencies and local mayors immediately after the announcement to shutter beaches in Orange County was made Thursday.
Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Laguna Beach) also said he’d spoken with Secretary Wade Crowfoot of the state National Resources Agency and Director Mark Ghilarducci of CalOES on Friday. His office had been in contact with the cities of Seal Beach and Laguna Beach and relayed information to officials there.
Petrie-Norris called the Laguna Beach plan “progressive,” adding that the phasing will provide residents and visitors safe and responsible access to beaches.
She pointed to the initial closures of the city’s beaches on March 23, describing proactive measures taken by Mayor Bob Whalen and City Council members as “judicious and very thoughtful.”
The 69 new cases from the Orange County Public Health Care Agency marks the fewest reported in a single day since April 28.
“Our beaches are a respite for many of us and provide our community with an invaluable outlet for outdoor recreation and mental health,” Petrie-Norris said in a statement. “This progressive plan will reopen Laguna beaches in the most responsible way, ensuring public safety and a continued flattening of the curve.”
“As we navigate this unprecedented crisis, we will continue to be led by science and facts, not by politics and not by fear,” Petrie-Norris continued.
This limited reopening does not include a 2-mile stretch of South Laguna beaches, which are controlled by the county and will remain closed until the county submits a plan to the state and receives approval.
Some South Laguna residents, speaking in public comments at the April 28 City Council meeting, said Aliso Beach, which was open that weekend though its parking was closed, was inundated with visitors.
This weekend saw an organized protest at Main Beach Park, which is closed.
“As COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to increase throughout Orange County, we know our battle against the coronavirus is far from won,” Rouda said in a statement. “Other cities and the county should consider copying Laguna Beach’s blueprint and submit a detailed beach reopening plan to ensure all local residents’ physical and mental health is protected during this difficult time.”
“I will continue to work with the governor’s office and coastal Orange County leaders as we transition to a ‘new normal’ in the weeks and months to come,” Rouda said.
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