Marina, Redondo Beach Settle Pier Damage Suit

The first of four lawsuits that hit Redondo Beach in the wake of the spectacular 1988 winter storms was settled this week without any admission of negligence by the city.

The Redondo Beach Marina had charged in its multimillion-dollar suit that inadequacies in the harbor design and maintenance had contributed to storm destruction.

Although neither side admitted fault, the city did agree to lower rent for sport fishing and other recreational enterprises, and to pay part of the cost of repairs to the area where the popular Blue Moon Saloon once stood. In return, the marina will continue to operate two expensive boat hoists and pay higher rent for restaurants.

Both sides praised the settlement, but boaters criticized it because it will eliminate, for safety reasons, moorings on the outer harbor where boaters have anchored cheaply in the past.