Deadline Looms for Beach Permit Applications

The application deadline for operators to apply for a beach permit under new guidelines that apply to beach camps, surfing schools and other fitness and recreational activities next summer on Los Angeles County beaches, including in Redondo Beach, is Thursday.

The application process under the new rules opened Sept. 6 and applicants will be selected in November and December for the summer of 2012, according to application instructions provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 23 approved the revised beach permit license policy. The new policy was submitted to the county despite not being approved by the 20-member Los Angeles County Beach Commission, which couldn't vote on it during its May meeting due to a lack of quorum.

The revisions include an increase in the application fee, a new requirement for advanced payment, increased safety standards for camp operators and a new bidding element for desirable locations at county beaches. The new application process allows for applicants to bid for certain beach locations with a $100 minimum and has sparked fears that large corporations would be able to oust longtime small operators with larger bids.

The revisions update a policy, in place since 1984, that allowed permits to be renewed to program operators as long as they remained in good standing.

The Department of Beaches and Harbor has been assembling a panel to review applications, said Penelope Rodriguez, a department administrator for the permit application process. No applications had been received as of late September, Rodriguez said following the Sept. 28 meeting of the Beach Commission.

Beach commissioner Chuck Milam asked during that meeting that at least one commissioner be placed on the review panel due to the controversy and criticisms over the revised changes.

"Hopefully we won't have a Quicksilver come in here and take over an existing mom-and-pop beach camp," said Milam, who was appointed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, whose Fourth District includes Redondo Beach.

The Beach Commission first heard of the proposed changes in March and the Department of Beaches and Harbors with beach operators to gain feedback. The mattter was further discussed in April at a Beach Commission meeting. Several commissioners in May were in favor of holding another workshop, but the lack of quorum prevented a vote and the county's beach department proceeded with seeking approval for the revised policy from the Board of Supervisors.