Malibu’s Escondido Beach just got a little less exclusive.
For the first time in 40 years, this sandy enclave—which ironically translates to “hidden” in Spanish—will soon be fully accessible to the public, the Los Angeles Times reported. The decades-long battle came to a head when the California Coastal Commission and California State Coastal Conservancy approved an agreement that would require two homeowners to restore a public access point that’s been blocked since the ‘80s. Up until today, the only way people could make their way to the beach was by going through the popular restaurant, Geoffrey’s, or paying an entrance fee to park at Paradise Cove, which is located a quarter-mile away.
“It’s so hard for us to get new access to the coast, and new vertical accessways are like unicorns—they just don’t exist, especially in Malibu,” Lisa Haage, chief of enforcement for the Coastal Commission, told the newspaper. “Settling this case without litigation is huge. This is like flying to the moon or something.”
Currently, the neighboring properties that are in violation belong to former Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executive Frank Mancuso and the family of Don Wildman, the late founder of Bally Total Fitness. According to the agreement, Mancuso will have to demolish an unpermitted driveway that was present when he bought the property and pay a $600,000 fine.
The Wildman heirs, on the other hand, are to construct the new access way, install five public parking spaces and a public restroom, and add signage along the Pacific Coast Highway. Altogether, the improvements are estimated to cost around $3 million. If everything goes according to plan, the easement is expected to open by next year.
The area surrounding Escondido Beach has long played host to some of The Golden State’s wealthiest residents. Tom Petty famously hid out there in an oceanfront bungalow. More recently, Jay-Z and Beyonce bought a $200 million Malibu abode.
