Dune to reopen for exercise, 20 at a time
Young dune exercise proponents showed their support at Tuesday’s meeting with signs provided by Citizens for Outdoor Recreation and Exercise, an organization founded in January in response the city’s closure of the dune. Photo by Andrea Ruse
by Andrea Ruse
The City Council at a special meeting on Tuesday directed staff to move forward with plans to reopen the sand dune at Sand Dune Park to limited use by adult exercisers during regulated hours and to unlimited use by children.
The council for the second time since closing the dune in August discussed alternatives for its fate. Over 200 people packed Joslyn Community Center for the meeting.
“At the last public hearing, we came away with direction to staff that the dune not be used for workouts or exercise,” Councilmember Portia Cohen said. “We didn’t make conclusions and we didn’t vote. A lot has changed. This isn’t math. This is public policy. In January, we heard predominantly from the neighborhood and responded responsibly by directing staff to look into these alternatives. But the greater democracy of the community has come forward saying they feel a threat over what is a cherished place.”
The dune was built in the 1960s and went largely unnoticed outside the city until it was popularized throughout L.A. during the late ‘90s, due to reports of its high intensity, low impact workouts. For over a decade, neighbors surrounding the small park have complained of heavy traffic, noise, litter and vomit left in the wake of dune users, which some said has led to confrontations. Many residents have also expressed concerned about dune erosion due to heavy foot traffic.
Last summer, dune traffic reached 9,000 people in one month, according to the city, and neighbors reached their boiling point.
In August, the city closed the dune indefinitely and has since held five public hearings aimed at resolving the problems without totally restricting public access to the dune.
Possible solutions have included a reservation system, limited hours, child-only access and native plant landscaping. Parking permit programs and parking meters were also considered.
At a January City Council meeting dominated by residents opposed to dune exercise, the city said that the dune would not be reopened as a workout facility and directed staff to assess the structural integrity of the dune through a geological survey.
“We here in the city of Manhattan Beach are saying that we refuse to let Los Angeles utilize this small piece of land here in our city as their workout facility,” said Mayor Mitch Ward at the January meeting.
“I don’t want to narrow it down to three, four, five people,” he added. “I want to see two or three people walking up at a time enjoying a beautiful nature preserve.”
After the January meeting, residents Bill Hory and Jake Rome founded Citizens for Outdoor Recreation and Exercise (CORE) with the goal organizing proponents of dune exercise. One of the organization’s first actions was starting a petition to reopen the dune to workouts.
“Personally, it has been encouraging to see a responsive City Council to the over 640 residents that signed the petition, hundreds of which who also sent personal emails to City Council.” Hory said after Tuesday’s meeting.
“It would be criminal to close this dune to anything but full exercise” said Steve Krum, general manager of Spectrum Club in EL Segundo. “My industry has tried to replicate this training in class for years. There is no way to replicate it.”
Dune exercise proponents showed up in full force Tuesday, wearing signs that read “Yes for exercise.”
Staff presented four options that allowed limited dune use, three of which required full or partial planting. All were based on the results of a soil study showing that the dune is stable when used as in the past but cannot sustain the heavy exercise traffic of recent years, according to director of the Public Works Jim Arndt.
The City Council chose to move forward with an option that requires no planting and will allow 20 adults at a time to exercise on the dune during peak hours. Adult hours of operation will include Mondays through Fridays between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Saturdays between 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Adults will be required to pay a small annual fee and make reservations to use the dune for an hour at a time, with half hour gaps between reservations. Children age 12 and under will have unlimited use of the dune, except on Sundays when it will be completely closed.
“It’s a hybrid of an annual permit membership and making reservations as you go along,” Mayor Pro Tem Montgomery said.
The city also said it would not move forward with a recommendation to create an ordinance prohibiting dune exercise.
The changes are intended to turn the clock back 10 years when a maximum of 25,000 people visited the dune annually and no more than two sand replenishments a year were needed.
“This is a pilot program to see how it works,” said Councilmember Nick Tell.
Neither side was completely satisfied with the council’s decision.
“CORE probably should look at this campaign as a success since the Sand Dune went from being closed, to opening with exercise allowed,” Hory said. “On the other hand, the new restrictions, reservation system, and potential costs will reduce usage of the dune by over 70 percent and will effectively penalize the majority of Manhattan Beach residents that wanted to a more reasonable access the most.”
While dune exercise opponents supported unlimited use by children, most feared that problems will return by allowing restricted use by adults.
“This is about empathy,” resident Tom Tournat said, who said he’s had more than his fair share of dune goers racing through his neighborhood. “Protecting our kids is the most emotional thing of all. My 7-year-old has been almost hit by a car not one, not twice, but three times. Please empathize with that.”
Some felt that the city went back on its word.
“Nothing has changed since January,” resident Faith Lyons said. “You said no exercise. A reservation system is exercise.”
Beach Cities Health District board member Joanne Edgerton strongly advocated dune exercise, especially in light of the growing problem of childhood obesity.
“It’s a really sad state of affairs when we’re demonizing people who want an athletic facility,” Edgerton said.
Prior to the dune’s closure, annual park maintenance totaled $125,000, with a dune cost of $3,000-$4,000 per sand replenishment.
Staff estimated upfront constructions costs of the proposed changes at $136,000, with annual maintenance costs of $113,000. Constructions costs of proposals requiring landscaping ranged $836,000 to $1,378,000, and annual maintenance fees ranged $58,000 to $119,000.
The city will also conduct a $2,500 traffic study near the park to establish baseline numbers for future comparison.
The changes will take effect in June or July, said interim city manager Richard Thompson.
“We may have to make adjustments,” Cohen said.
“If we regulate peak usage, the park goes back to the way it was,” resident Jeff Frederick said. “Problem solved. If it continues, then shut it down. I’ll donate a cactus in my name.” ER