Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is giving up a slice of Malibu to close the book on a sand-snatching fight. The billionaire has settled a lawsuit accusing a company he hired of scooping sand, rocks, and boulders from a public stretch of Broad Beach to shore up an unpermitted seawall in front of his $23 million oceanfront home, according to the California Coastal Commission. Under the deal, Attanasio will donate an undeveloped beachfront lot worth about $2 million near Big Rock Beach—roughly 14 miles from his mansion—and restore the damaged area, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
The suit, filed by neighbor and investment-firm heir James Kohlberg, claimed heavy equipment worked in tidal zones, leaked oil, and harmed marine life and the nearby Point Dume State Marine Conservation Area. Kohlberg's lawsuit accused Attanasio of using a public beach as his "own personal sandbox." The California Coastal Commission said the excavation "degraded sensitive coastal habitats that are home to species such as sea stars, rare algae, kelp and numerous fish," KTLA reports.
Attanasio's company previously said it had all needed permits and thoroughly vetted contractors; his attorney did not comment on the settlement. Broad Beach, where storms and rising tides have stripped away sand, has long drawn wealthy homeowners—some of whom, including actors Dustin Hoffman, Ray Romano, and Pierce Brosnan, have poured millions into restoration efforts. CCC Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge called the settlement a "rare opportunity to secure beach access for the public in Malibu," KTLA reports. "I'm grateful to all involved for turning a bad situation into a major win for California," she said.
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