Mark Attanasio, owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, may be a serial sand thief.
The managing partner of L.A.-based Crescent Capital Group was cited by the California Coastal Commission for stealing beachfront sand near his houses on Malibu’s Broad Beach twice in 16 years, the Los Angeles Times reported. The home addresses were not disclosed.
In August, the financier was accused by a neighbor, KKR Chairman James Kohlberg, of pilfering sand and schlepping it back to his property to repair a damaged seawall. Attanasio denied any wrongdoing.
The next month, the Coastal Commission sent Attanasio’s lawyer, Kenneth Ehrlich, a notice of violation, saying that contractors working on Attanasio’s beach house illegally excavated sand and operated heavy machinery within state tidelands.
The commission also said the construction project impaired public access to the beach, depleted the beach’s sand and threatened harm to marine resources, according to the Times.
The notice, which sought a response by Oct. 7, demanded Attanasio stop any unpermitted development and also resolve the violations, which could include a monetary settlement.
It turns out that the alleged sand heist was Attanasio’s second time with the shovel.
In 2008, the state Coastal Commission notified the MLB team owner, accusing him of scooping sand from the beach for a different house he owned half a mile away.
The 2008 notice claimed that Attanasio put up an illegal seawall made of sandbags and metal poles along the public beach, planted invasive plant species on a sand dune and impeded public beach access, according to the Times.
Attanasio sold that beach house to “Friends” co-creator Marta Kauffman last year for $23.6 million, after listing it for $25 million, according to The Real Deal. Neighboring homes on Broad Beach Road are owned by A-list stars from Robert De Niro to Dustin Hoffman.
Tim McGinity, an attorney who represents Kohlberg in his sandy suit with his neighbor, said he was encouraged by the work of the commission.
“This citation of the neighboring property owner validates what we have been saying from the start: The beach cannot and should not be treated as a personal sandbox,” McGinity told the Times.
— Dana Bartholomew
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