Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Hikers Warned to Avoid Coastal Trail at Pacifica Quarry


Recent rains undermined sea cliff near trail leading from Rockaway Beach; collapse could be imminent

The owners of the Pacifica Quarry have warned hikers to avoid the coastal trail leading up into the Quarry from Rockaway Beach into the property. Recent winter storms have eroded a section of the sea cliff adjacent to Rockaway Beach, threatening the trail located just above the beach on the south bluff of the quarry. While the trail may appear stable and wide enough from the path and bluff, it is held together only by a single rock which has been undermined by erosion.

“We will place warning signs on the trail as soon as our emergency application can be approved by the Coastal Commission and the City,” said John Zentner, spokesperson for the property owners. “In the meantime, we urge hikers - please avoid this trail completely!”

Property owners hoped to get approval to put warning signs on the trail this week. Trails entering the Quarry property from the inland portion of the property at this time remain open and appear

For more information or if you have any questions, please call John Zentner at (510) 622-8110.
 

  Submitted by John Zentner
 

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fire the Coast. Commiss exec director-- how long does a bureaucrat need to make a common sense decision to protect public safety on a trail that's caving in?? Why is the bureaucrat in any position to delay this at all? Should be automatic...

Anonymous said...

Agreed! Somebody should have been up there with signs and barriers as soon as it was discovered. Delaying it and risking life for Coastal Commission approval is pure BS.

Anonymous said...

Mighty fine snit you've got going there 529/603. Silly, but full of outrage and passion.

Anonymous said...

Silly? Letting unaware hikers risk falling from a newly unsafe cliff? I'd rather be on this planet than the one you're on, 7:27

Anonymous said...

While you're at it, fire the Coastal Commission Exec. Dir. for not stopping the surf and tides from breaking the pier, busting a hole in Beach Blvd. and eating the cliffs. Dumb and dumberer.

BTW, that trail at the quarry has been like that for quite some time. You don't suppose the quarry developer has some other reason in mind for why he wants to post signs on that trail now, do you?

Anonymous said...

10:02, is it allowed to freely traverse a private property?

Anonymous said...

Hey, 1002, when a public safety issue falls in your lap, you use it. Faux outrage and anti-CCC silliness to be expected.

Anonymous said...

11:41 Yes. Google prescriptive easement.

Anonymous said...

Prescriptive Easement
Can recreational uses establish a prescriptive easement?

In general, no. A special Civil Code section acknowledges that “it is in the best interests of the state to encourage owners of private real property to continue to make their lands available for public recreational use” and provides that such use cannot ripen into a prescriptive easement. However, this statute does not apply to land “within 1000 yards inland of the mean high tide line’ (these owners, as discussed below, may avoid prescriptive easements by posting signs pursuant to Civil Code §1008, recording notice pursuant to Civil Code§813, or entering into an agreement with a governing agency). See Civil Code §1009.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, 1022. Maybe it's all about public safety, maybe not. Didn't Peebles put up no trespassing signs along the Calera Creek trail only to have the CCC order them removed because he failed to get them approved? Not unusual for an owner to want to keep the public off private property, but the CCC by state law will have a role in how that's done on this property.

Anonymous said...

10:22. In other words, a prescriptive easement CAN be established for recreational use of land “within 1000 yards inland of the mean high tide line." And the quarry owner can avoid a prescriptive easement on the trail in question by posting signs. So one of the results of posting warning signs on the trail is that it prevents the trail from being established as a prescriptive easement.

Anonymous said...

Who is Liable if a Trespasser Gets Injured on My Property?

Anonymous said...

If there is a prescriptive easement, the person is not a trespasser.

Anonymous said...

12:16, if the owner is liable for trespasser injury, it is only fair that such signs are posted.

Jay Crawford said...

The trail looks dangerous. The Coastal Commission needs to close it or fix it. Either way, if they are the cause of delay they should be held responsible for any injuries that result.

Politics needs to stop when people are endangered.