In a unanimous decision, the city Planning Commission voted Dec. 9 to approve an appeal brought by the La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) that denies the possibility of a year-round rope barrier at the Children’s Pool. The Children’s Pool has been a point of contention for years in La Jolla, with advocates for human beach access butting heads with advocates for dedicating the beach solely to the seals that use the cove for sunbathing and, during the winter months, giving birth. Currently, the California coastal permit at the beach allows for a rope barrier between Dec. 15 and May 15 to protect the seals during their pupping season. But last May, after the seasonal rope came down, seal activists lobbied for a year-round barrier, and the City Council approved an emergency resolution amending the current permit. Then, in June, the mayor turned down the council’s decision, declaring that there was no emergency and the decision for a year-round barrier should go through a regular approval process. In September, however, a hearing officer approved the installation of a year-round rope against the recommendation of the LJCPA, which appealed the decision to the Planning Commission. After three hours of emotional testimony from both sides at the appeal hearing, the commissioners weighed in on the issue. Commissioner Tim Golba said he believes the barrier would encroach on coastal access because the rope would stretch across 130 feet of the 133-foot-wide beach. Commissioner Michael Smiley said because the rope doesn’t strictly prohibit access to the seals, it serves as a reminder not to approach them. He fears the approval of a year-round barrier would eventually degenerate into a more permanent structure, such as a concrete wall. Chairperson Eric Naslund said he agreed in that the rope would restrict public access to the beach. He noted that the decision was not an easy one to come to. “I think it would be easier to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict than to decide if seals and people can share this beach,” he said.
