This Southern California beach city says it will 'vigorously' protect coast from surf gang

It’s been years since beachgoers have been able to catch some waves at Lunada Bay in Rancho Palos Verdes without fear of being harassed. Now, the city is trying to take its beach back.

Lunada Bay was infamously taken over by a local gang, the Bay Boys, who engaged in a turf war to ensure that only gang members can surf at the beach. Tactics included the construction of a stone fort, which stood for years, where members allegedly launched rocks from in the direction of innocent surfers.

While that fort was torn down in 2016, harassment persisted. Local surfers have long accused the city of Rancho Palos Verdes of avoiding the issue, but that’s all about to change, officials say.

This week the city announced the settlement of a long-standing lawsuit brought against the city for the alleged lack of action against the Bay Boys. The settlement, which doesn’t affirm any claims made by plaintiffs, is eight years in the making.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2016 by Cory Spencer and Diana Miernik, according to the Los Angeles Times. The two surfers said the Bay Boys slashed car tires and started fist fights will beachgoers.

In settling the lawsuit, the city agreed to do the following:

• Add stone benches in key points along the Lunada Bay bluffs, similar to benches in other coastal areas of the City.
• Improve the existing pathway along the Lunada Bay bluffs.
• Add simple signage to assist with navigation and to ensure the public is aware that the beach access at Lunada Bay is available to everyone.

“This settlement resolves the matter with the addition of modest amenities, which will be designed to maintain the natural feel of the blufftop, and a promise that the City will continue to vigorously enforce the laws protecting coastal access,” said The city’s legal counsel, Christopher Pisano with Best Best and Krieger, LLP. “This is a win for the City given the structure of the beach access laws and the uncertainty of the legal outcome.”

The city will also pay the plaintiffs’ legal fees, of which the amount will be decided by a judge at a later date.

“There is no doubt residents who have been tracking this matter for years will either be relieved or frustrated by this outcome,” said Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Dawn Murdock. “The City has been through a rollercoaster of rulings on this lawsuit, and as we looked into the future, we simply saw nothing but more legal fees and uncertainty. Our focus needs to be on resident priorities and it’s good to no longer have this matter consuming valuable resources.”

According to the Times, the lawsuit also listed 12 Bay Boys members as defendants. They each settled separately.