To take another step forward in its efforts to return the oceanfront Manhattan Beach property to the descendants of a black family evicted from the property decades ago, Los Angeles County has a detailed – but complex – plan for the transfer of the Plot published.
The plan, released on Wednesday, carries out a series of steps to return the land to the descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce – including assessing the property’s value, identifying the Bruces’ legal heirs, and asking what to do with a county lifeguard station to do is on the property.
“The first time I realized that the property that was once Willa and Charles Bruce’s Beach Lodge belonged to the county, I knew it was right to give it back to the Bruce family. But this is the first time that one Government does such a thing. ” and there were many questions about how it would work, “supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement.
“Now this report outlines a clear path for us to transfer this land and covers everything from identifying the rightful descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce, to the ongoing lifeguard operations on site, to reducing the tax burden on the Bruce I family I am determined to achieve this and to set an example for governments across the country of how we can begin to correct the historical injustices against African Americans in this country, “said Hahn.
Since the land owned by the county and designated for transfer is restricted by deed, the effort to return land to the Bruce family requires final approval from state law authorizing the move.
But there are local issues as well, including a possible zoning of the property that would require approval from local authorities, including the California Coastal Commission.
Under the plan, the District Treasurer and Tax Collection Department will work with the District Administrator’s Office to determine the Bruces’ legal heirs. An external law firm can also be called in to clarify the matter.
The county must also negotiate a property transfer agreement that will relieve the descendants of property tax when they take over. The county also needs to find land to move the lifeguard facility to the site.
The board chairman’s office and the county’s anti-racism, diversity and inclusion initiative are expected to come back to the board with more details in about four months after assessing the impact of the transfer of ownership. The plan did not include a date by which the land would officially have to be transferred.
The Los Angeles County’s Board of Directors unanimously decided on April 20 to instruct the county’s CEO to come up with a plan to return the property to the family and support the bill that is required to pass to make the transfer possible.
The public seizure of Bruce’s Beach property has shaped the history of Manhattan Beach for a long time, especially last year amid a nationwide reckoning of racial injustice.
Willa and Charles Bruce bought land for $ 1,225 in 1912. They eventually added a few other lots and created a beachfront resort for black residents who at the time had few opportunities to enjoy time along the California coast.
The resort, with a bathhouse, dance hall, and coffee shop, attracted other black families who bought adjacent land and created a retreat with an ocean view.
But the resort quickly became a target of the area’s white population, leading to vandalism, vehicle attacks on black visitors, and even a 1920 attack by the Ku Klux Klan.
The Bruces were not deterred by this and continued to operate their small enclave, but under increasing pressure the city abandoned their property and other surrounding parcels in 1924 and confiscated a significant area under the pretext of wanting to build a city park.
The resort was put out of business, and the Bruces and other black families eventually lost their land in 1929.
The families complained, claiming they were victims of a racially motivated deportation. The Bruces eventually received damages, as did other displaced families. But the Bruces couldn’t reopen their resort anywhere else in town.
Although the city claimed the land was needed for a city park, the property stood empty for decades. It was not until 1960 that a park was created on part of the confiscated land, and city authorities feared the displaced families could take legal action if the property was not used for the confiscated purpose.
The exact land that Bruces owned was transferred to the state and then to the county in 1995.
The city park, which is now on part of the land seized by the city, has borne different names over the years. But it wasn’t until 2006 that the city agreed to rename the park “Bruce’s Beach” in honor of the displaced family. However, this honor has been derided by critics as a hollow gesture toward the family.