Friday, April 30, 2010
By Ben Whistler
Staff Writer
The Manhattan Beach City Council decided to make Sand Dune park accessible to the public at a special community meeting on April 13.
Restoration of the dune will begin in a few weeks. The dune will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and a reservation system will require users 13 and older to pay in order to use the dune. Children under the age of 13 will have unlimited use of the dune.
“Sand Dune was an important part of my childhood because it was something unusual and entertaining for me,” junior Antonio Lamb said. “It gave me a fun activity to do when I was little and would visit the dune. But I grew out of that park when I was 14, so the age limit doesn’t seem so bad.”
Traffic buildup in the surrounding neighborhoods is a major issue in the reopening of Sand Dune. Some parents feel the area is potentially hazardous and point to incidents in which children were hit or nearly hit by cars as evidence.
In order to determine the extent of the problem, neighborhood traffic counts will be conducted by officials.
“There’s never any parking on the streets by Sand Dune when I’m in that area, and I have a big car. There’s barely room for me to drive down there without worrying that I might hit someone,” Costa-Council student participant junior Max Yollin said.
Replenishment of sand on the dune was another problem that was discussed. Every time a person walks on the dune, sand is displaced and carried to the bottom.
In order to preserve the dune, the sand must be transferred back up to the top, and the cost is substantial.
“The average cost [per replenishment] is $4,000, and two years ago we spent $28,000 just moving the sand,” Parks and Recreation Director Richard Gills said. “Since we are only allowed two [replenishments] per year, we anticipate the cost to be around $8,000.”
Before the dune can be reopened at the end of June, more work will be done to the area surrounding it. New benches and bike racks will be installed, and more efficient methods will be used to repair the dunes.
“Sand Dune is an important local landmark that’s really good for kids. However, I’m unhappy that it will be limited to those under the age of 13,” Costa-Council student participant sophomore Suzanne Caflisch said.
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