Cheap thrills along the southern county coast
California state officials and developer team up to deliver affordable vacation spot
By Alex Wilson 07/31/2008
Imagine waking up in a rustic cabin just steps from the beach at the Ventura- Los Angeles County line as waves roll ashore and pelicans soar over the blue ocean.
That fantasy should be a reality in about a year, thanks to leaders of the California State Parks system, the California Coastal Commission and a developer building luxury homes behind the iconic Neptune’s Net restaurant up the road.
The small prefabricated cabins will be situated on a portion of Leo Carrillo State Beach, which will be rented to visitors for about $60 a night. They’ll have electricity and a porch but no plumbing. Restrooms, showers and fire rings will be a short walk away. Inside, there will be a picnic bench and four bunks.
California State Parks Angeles District Superintendent Ron Schafer says they’re looking for ways to expand alternative camping experiences, and cabins they rent along the coast of Orange and Marin counties are already extremely popular.
“Not everyone has the time to pack up all their gear and get a tent together. Not everyone can afford an RV, so this is somewhere in between tent camping and RV camping,” says Schafer.
“They would bring a sleeping bag and a sleeping pad, and they’ll be right there against the bluff. Eleven cabins right there on the beach where people can have a great experience in an overnight cabin right next to the water.”
Schafer says people staying in the cabins will have a great time.
“I think it’s going to be absolutely amazing. There’s going to be a porch where they can sit in the morning and enjoy their coffee and watch the beach while it’s peaceful. They’ll be able to go out on the beach and play all day and then come back and sit on the porch and enjoy a nice sunset,” says Schafer.
The project grew from a plan to build homes behind the fish-and-chips restaurant known as a destination for motorcyclists and thirsty surfers. Some bluff-top land behind the restaurant was zoned for commercial use considered valuable to the Coastal Commission, so they made a unique compromise to allow rezoning for homes. The developer agreed to chip in $570,000 to build the cabins.
Coastal Commission Deputy Director John Ainsworth says they were happy to help the project get approved.
“The reason we think this is a great idea is that the commercial use that would have been allowed on the subject property most likely would have been some sort of higher-end bed and breakfast, and we see this trend throughout California, that lodging along the coast is primarily higher-end,” says Ainsworth. “We’re looking for those opportunities to provide lower-cost overnight accommodations.”
Ainsworth expects high demand for the cabins.
“I think that provides just a spectacular coastal experience because you’re right across from the water, you don’t have the highway noise, you have that really nice beach at Leo Carrillo with fabulous views,” says Ainsworth. “This is going to be a fabulous place for cabins.”
Malibu Chamber of Commerce CEO Rebekah Evans says the new beach cabins will help provide accommodations in a broader price range than the spa-like resorts typical in Malibu. “It’s exciting because we get so many calls about the beach,” says Evans. “When people think about Malibu, they think of the beach and they want to be right there.”
Please contact Outdoor Observer with details and contact information about environmental events, volunteer opportunities and adventure sports at outdoors@vcreporter.com.
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT