Brewers owner Mark Attanasio ordered to spend $2 million returning sand to California beach

Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is being forced to dedicate a $2 million beachfront property for public use after his company allegedly used heavy machinery to rip sand and rocks from a protected California beach to shore up his Malibu mansion.

The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve a settlement requiring Attanasio’s company, 2XMD Partners LLC, to restore the damaged shoreline and dedicate the multimillion-dollar property for public use in eastern Malibu.

The company must also remove a private staircase and rock wall that the commission said blocked public access along the coast.

The commission said Attanasio’s company illegally used heavy machinery in sensitive coastal habitat, including an excavator that removed “sand, cobble stones and boulders from a marine protected area.”

Officials said the material was used to backfill a seawall at the Brewers owner’s 31000 Broad Beach Road property.

The beach battle erupted two years ago when Attanasio’s next-door neighbor, billionaire James Kohlberg, sued him over the work. Kohlberg’s father co-founded global investment giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR).

“This case is about a private property owner using a public beach as their own personal sandbox and the disturbing conversion of a public natural resource (i.e., sand from Broad Beach) for a nearby homeowner’s personal, private use,” states the lawsuit, obtained by the Los Angeles Times. 

The lawsuit — which sparked an investigation by the commission — included numerous photos of excavators moving along the wet shoreline and dredging up piles of sand, leaving behind gaping holes along the narrow beach.

Attanasio obtained permits to fix the damaged seawall on his nearly $30 million property, the documents state. But the permits prohibited heavy machinery in the tidal zone and barred removing sand from the beach — exactly what Kohlberg accused his neighbor’s crews of doing.

At the time the suit was filed, the Brewers owner claimed he and his company acted in 100% compliance with all of their permits, the Times reported.

“This is the right resolution,” Coastal Commission Deputy Chief of Enforcement Aaron McLendon said during a public hearing on Thursday.

“The property that would be dedicated to the public is incredibly unique.”

“This is a rare opportunity to secure beach access for the public in Malibu,” added Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge.

“I’m grateful to all involved for turning a bad situation into a major win for Californians.” 

It is unclear at this time how the Coastal Commission settlement will impact Kohlberg’s separate civil lawsuit. The Post reached out to the Brewers and KKR for further comment.

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