Court rules to remove picnic spot

The Fourth District Court of Appeal has sided with the California Coastal Commission in a battle over a retired Corona del Mar couple’s beachfront picnic spot and thatched palapa.

The Coastal Commission ordered George and Sharlee McNamee to tear down their beach oasis in 2004.

Set on a private portion of beach at the base of a cliff above Corona del Mar State Beach, the McNamees’ patch of sand includes two picnic tables; a shower and bathroom; storage lockers; a built-in barbecue; palapa; and some flowering plants. The commission had ruled that the amenities are not a coastal development, and that the improvements mislead beachgoers into thinking that the entire beach is private.

“...The commission could reasonably conclude that the bulky shed, barbecue and storage locker detracts from, as the relevant statute puts ‘the scenic and visual qualities’ of the beach and slope behind it,” the court stated in its seven-page ruling issued Wednesday.

The McNamees are considering taking their case to the California Supreme Court, said Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Paul Beard, who represents the couple.

— Brianna Bailey