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laserhaas

(7,805 posts) Wed Oct 2, 2013, 12:05 AM Oct 2013

San Diego Channel 10 Interviews Ann Romney and Tony Ciani on La Jolla Coastal Appeal

Source: Anthony Ciani

San Diego Channel 10 News will air its interview of California native Anthony ("Tony&quot Ciani and Ann Romney, tonight, October 1, 2013 at 11 p.m. Pacific time.

At issue is the Appeal by Tony Ciani, of Mitt & Ann Romney to build their La Jolla, California home to a larger size and consuming more of the beach that Tony Ciani claims is owned by the City/public.

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Here's a previous Democratic Underground thread of mine - with more details.

There's also a new story - today - from the local news "Lo Jolla Light" titled; State commission to consider appeal of Romneys’. This is what Tony Ciani initially stated were the issues at hand;

I will be sending you copies of my Appeal Form and supplemental letters supporting the reasons for my appeal. There's a lot of stuff. There are several key issues, but it is complex. Here is a Background:
The project is located on the beach front. It is a 0.25 mile long pocket sandy beach between two rocky points. The sand fluctuates as much as 30 feet annually, summer to winter. Some times all of the sand is transported offshore by back-to-back storms. The largest 20 foot plus waves can "close out" offshore the entire point to point.

The area was first subdivided in 1902. It was romantically called "Neptunia" (an era when the gods appealed to the Bohemian human spirit.) The part of the subdivision Romney's lot is on was NOY subdivided in 1902 and was sand dunes left open, called "Playas de las Arenas." It was sold, then sold again in 1921 to a guy from New York (wouldn't you know.) who immediately built on part of the dunes, not on one of the subdivided numbered lots on the number blocks. His name was Phillip Barber, and he continued to randomly build houses or sell reas of the dunes for others to build on (Folklore has it, that he gambled and when he lost he would trade a piece of the dunes for his debt....he went bankrupt, but left a beautiful house that was eventually bought by Cliff Roberston who as a kid delivering papers there, dreamed of owning it.. The tract of land, now all houses is known as the (exclusive) "Barber Tract."

Like Cliff, I also delivered papers in the Barber Tract (from 1956 - 60.) When I graduated from LJHS I became a lifeguard and worked my way through college. I am very familiar with the area and the beaches. To complete the picture: I married, joined the Coast Guard, after which, I came back to apprentice for local architects commencing in 1970, just when the environmental laws were coming on line. I fell in love with the notion of citizen participation to help carry out those laws; one was the California Coastal Act (CA), which was enacted as a statewide initiative in 1972. At that point, I was somewhat put off by what architects were designing, and more interested in protecting the ocean, land and resources, and the public's enjoyment of them. My wife and I were very lucky to buy the last lot (then known as "The Dune." since it was all that was left) The woman who owned it wanted us to have it despite higher all cash offers; we got it. When we realized that it was treasured, I started a petition to create a "Special Assessment District" but we were the only ones willing to contribute to it, so we built our house there. We lived there from 1975 to March 2012, and moved to Pacific Grove.