Archinect - News

A historic home in Cape Cod is teetering on the brink after this weekend’s bomb cyclone

2022-02-02T10:39:00-05:00

The blizzard over the weekend dumped more than two feet of snow in many areas, while also inflicting major damage to communities along the Massachusetts coastline. In Truro, a house was left suspended on stilts over a beach after violent waves from the blizzard’s storm surge essentially washed away its remaining foundation.

The home was once owned and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and was subject to a hastened attempt late last week by the homeowner to stabilize its pilings and prevent a total loss after a January 17th storm eroded nearly 20 feet of beach from the front of the property. A 2016 profile of the beach community published by The Seattle Times revealed a rare “managed retreat” organized amongst the locals. The town said the owners have made plans to move back their property in a press statement released just prior to the storm.

The $1.5 million property was almost entirely fronted by a large dune only only a few short months ago which has now almost completely eroded, leaving a dramatic impression on anyone with an eye on the disappearing backside of the Cape’s 70-mile shoreline. Globally, similar beaches are expected to lose about 22,430 miles of sand to erosion over the next 30 years, a figure that will nearly triple by the end of the century.

Drone footage of house nearly falling int...

Tech-Tycoon Loses Forced to Keep Beach Open

2014-09-30T11:34:00-04:00

San Mateo County Court Judge Barbara Mallach has ruled against Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla in a lawsuit over public access to Martin’s Beach. According to the ruling, Khosla will be required to seek a permit from the California Coastal Commission before locking gates at the beach, as well as to consult with the community to determine changes to the property and public access to the beach.

The secluded Martin's Beach in San Mateo County has been a cherished spot for locals for decades. When Khosla purchased his 53-acre property there in 2008, he locked the gate to the beach, closing off public access. This is just one example of a long history of wealthy property owners trying to privatize beaches. But in the state of California, everything below the mean tide line is public. Still, since access paths sometimes have to be maintained by adjacent property owners, things tend to get complicated.

A few months ago, we posted about the case as it was developing. We mentioned the LA Rangers, an awesome group of urban vigilantes who lead tours on how to access beaches that have – often illegally – been marked as private. Check out their work here.

A Battle for Public Beach Access Continues

2014-06-19T17:56:00-04:00

"...these days, the future of this hidden beach on the San Francisco Peninsula is being fought in a courthouse 25 miles away, in a battle that has become the latest class-charged standoff involving a wealthy entrepreneur in this polarized part of California..."

The struggle being waged over Martin's Beach is just one in a long history of disputes over public beach access in California. While legally everything below the mean tide line is public, physical walk paths often have to be carved out of private property, something not perfectly accounted for in the law books. A similar case involved business magnate David Geffen in Malibu.

Meanwhile, on the activist side of things is The Los Angeles Urban Rangers, a group of urban explorers who develop tools and strategies to gain greater access to the city. One of their projects consists of leading tours along the Malibu coastline to "show you how to find, park, walk, picnic, and sunbathe on a Malibu beach legally and safely." Included in their tours are activities like "a public-private boundary hike, sign watching, a no-kill hunt for accessways, and a public easement potluck."