Moss Point Beach Lifeguard Tower Project Sparks Backlash

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Plans for a new lifeguard tower at Laguna Beach’s cherished cove Moss Point Beach has prompted backlash from neighbors, who worry that it will mar the cove’s natural beauty.

Neighbors recently appealed a 4-1 Planning Commission decision to replace a 1960s-era, bare-boned lifeguard chair with a more permanent $30,000 lifeguard tower along with a series of improvements to the Moss Point beach access.

On Tuesday, the City Council will consider the neighbors’ case, but a city staff report urges city leaders to deny the appeal.

According to The Orange County Register, residents submitted a petition with 88 signatures asking for alternatives to the proposed lifeguard tower approved by the commission.

“Building a permanent lifeguard tower is not in character with the surrounding natural landscape or historic homes,” neighbor Nolan Miura told the newspaper. “It would be like putting a mustache on the Mona Lisa.”

The small cove features a narrow strip of sand flanked by rocks, tide pools, bluffs and staircase access. During high tide, water swallows up much of the beach. The area is known for its diving and protected marine areas.

A more permanent lifeguard is necessary for several reasons, according to city staffers.

“An enclosed tower design is necessary for worker safety and standard practice for lifesaving agencies,” according to the City Council staff report. “The temporary, enclosed towers that are commonly used by larger, regional beaches are infeasible to deploy at limited access beaches such as Moss Point. Because Moss Point must be accessed by a narrow staircase across a bluff, large wood or fiberglass structures that are both portable and meet the Marine Safety Department’s public and worker safety standards are too large to haul to and from the beach, and also occupy a larger area of the beach in comparison to the Surveyor Jr. (the lifeguard tower already approved.)”

Tuesday’s Laguna Beach City Council meeting is at 5 p.m. at Council Chambers, City Hall 505 Forest Ave. Click here for the full Laguna Beach City Council meeting agenda and here for the Moss Point Beach staff report.