Loyola Marymount University

Team Members: Chris Kissner, Stacy Lambatos, Brad Scoular, Nic Waldenmayer

Topic/Audience: Controversy in Sonoma County regarding real estate development and beach access

Executive Summary

The Sea Ranch neighborhood started in 1964 and since then has been an area for 2,300 people to call home. Located on the coast of northern Sonoma County, the Sea Ranch Community is placed on a 10 mile strip of private land. In return for the 10 mile stretch of land, the public was granted a permanent easement to use 3.5 miles of bluff-top trail. Our presentation will address the issues that an eroding publicly used trail within the development is causing both the Sea Ranch community and the public.

In essence, the eroding trail is restricting and limiting the public’s access to one of the earth’s most precious resources, the ocean. We will address the issues involved with Sea Ranch’s legal responsibility to rebuild or create a new trail for the public access. The costs involved when compared to potential law suits and threatening fees to the Sea Ranch neighborhood, and the responsibilities as human beings to provide everyone an equal opportunity to access the beach, will also be analyzed.

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