Community Corner

Dune Proponents Stress Local Support

A group in favor of reopening a section of Sand Dune Park maps out petition signers' residences to demonstrate that some park neighbors back the cause.

The founders of local grass-roots group Citizens for Outdoor Recreation and Exercise (CORE) say their heavily signed petition to reopen a section of Sand Dune Park to workouts and play speaks for itself.

Now the group has another way to demonstrate support for its cause.

Resident and CORE co-founder Jake Rome recently mapped out the residences of the petition's nearly 500 local signers, illustrating, he said, "that the strongest areas of support [for a reopening] are in neighborhoods close to the dune." (See attached map)

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The petition bears the names of 1,300 people overall,  Rome said.

The city closed the dune temporarily at the end of last summer because of  complaints from neighbors over increased noise, traffic, littering and site degradation. The dune's appeal has grown exponentially in recent years—thanks in large part to the Internet—attracting visitors from far outside the city and even the county.

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The City Council will address the dune's fate at a public workshop and study session Tuesday, April 13. Officials will discuss with residents the results of a recently completed soil study that examined structural effects on the dune from overuse. The public is encouraged to attend the workshop and contribute to the discussion.

CORE sponsored a March 21 "Free the Dune" rally, at which Mayor Pro Tem Richard Montgomery expressed his desire for the council to reach a middle-ground solution.

Asked beforehand for her comments on the planned rally, Councilwoman Portia Cohen echoed this sentiment.

"I won't attend the rally because I remain open to solutions, and thus will not affiliate myself with either side," she said in an e-mail. "In a nutshell, my objective is to come up with a use for the dune that protects the reasonable peace and safety of the residential neighborhood without unreasonable cost."

Councilman Wayne Powell also weighed in on the matter, encouraging residents to offer up "constructive suggestions" at the public workshop Tuesday.

Since CORE's formation in January, more than 500 Manhattan Beach residents, including dozens of park neighbors, have signed its petition to "reopen the park with reasonable restrictions to guard against overuse." More than 2,600 people  have joined CORE's Facebook group, including at least 200 Mira Costa High School students.

Rome said his map graphic demonstrates what a valuable resource the dune is for local residents, particularly those within walking distance of the park.

"Over one-third of the petition signers live within a short, half-mile walk of the dune, and for most of those residents Sand Dune Park is the nearest city park," he said. "It's really no wonder that these neighborhood residents want the best part of their local park to remain open to all residents—adult and children—for exercise and play."

The City Council public workshop begins at 6:30 p.m. on April 13 at the Joslyn Community Center in Manhattan Beach.


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