WHAT WE PROPOSE: A "WIN-WIN" SOLUTION!
Bates needs people if we are to drive away the drug dealers. Despite years of upgrades to the beach and promotions by the County (there is a new underused picnic area above) people still do not come to Bates Beach except to run their dogs.
Bringing back the nudists is the easiest, fastest, and cheapest way to do so. Once the nudist community learns Bates is friendly again, the word will get out and tourists from the east coast and the Los Angeles area will come to Carpinteria to fill our hotels and spend their tourist money locally.
Here is our 6-point proposal which we believe is a win-win for the local business community, for law enforcement, and allow the county to serve the diverse needs of its population. Many of these points are discussed in greater depth elsewhere on theis website (use the menu above). The focus of this page will be to explore the re-establishment of the clothing-optional section of the northern end of Bates Beach, its legal basis, and how it can work.
1. Update the County’s Enforcement Policy to Match Public Opinion and Avoid User Conflict
We are not asking that the Santa Barbara County anti-nudity law be overturned.
Click here
to view the full text of Santa Barbara County Ordinances No. 2507, § 1; Ord. No. 2564, § 1; Ord. No. 2931, § 1, Municipal Code Section 25-10.
We ask that the enforcement policy be brought into line with public opinion, and that it conform with how beaches elsewhere are being successfully managed to avoid user conflict.
We also wish to point out that the 1977 law was only occasionally enforced at Bates Beach for 20 years until 1999. It is STILL NOT being enforced at many other beaches, hot springs, and hiking trails. Moreover, the local law was passed before most of the other case law (see Nuditys Laws in California, above) occurred. We have also included there how juries are being instructed regarding nudity laws in the state, which shows the difficulty local jurisdictions have in getting convictions should the person ticketed decide to fight the citation.)
Public Opinion Supports Nude Beach Recreation
In October 2006, a national Roper poll found that 74% of Americans approve of nude sunbathing on beaches without interference from local officials, as long as they do so in areas set aside for that purpose.
A November 2009 public opinion poll conducted by Zogby specifically asked Californians on their feelings about local nude beaches: 79% agreed that people should be able to enjoy nude sunbathing on a beach or other location that is designated for that purpose? In Santa Barbara County, 70% agreed that such areas should be set aside.
See Local Support for more opinion polling and newspaper support for our proposal.
CONCLUSION: The Santa Barbara 1977 law presumes that nudity is offensive to everyone. Obviously from this poll and others, it is not. All we lack is the political will to do what the people want!
Enforce the County Ordinance the Way it is Enforced in the State Parks
All that law enforcement needs to do is enforce the county's nudity ordinance the way the state parks do: The 1979 Cahill-Harrison policy states that a person can be cited for simple nudity only upon complaint of another person (not the deputy) and then only if the nudist refuses to get dressed when asked to do so by the deputy.
Lewd behavior is a different matter, and the Friends of Bates Beach Ambassadors will make sure beachgoers understand they will be arrested if they cross that line. We will help keep the beach clear of these undesireable people, should any attempt to show up.
This system works on over 20 other beaches in California, from Black's Beach near San Diego to Baker Beach above San Francisco. Let's try it here. We ask for a two-year trial period to make it work. fter that time we will sit down with all parties to re-evaluate its success and decide if we all want to extend it.
2. Return the Under-Used North End of Bates Beach to Clothing-Optional Use
Bates needs people! We have waited ten years for the bathing-suit population to move north into the area previously occupied by the nudists for 50 years. Nobody is there except isolated drug dealers and gang members. It is considered unsafe for families and women sunbathers. If you want the beach cleaned up, and the rest of the beach from being overrun with crime, the County's only option is to let the nudists come back!
Photo shows the proposed clothing-optional area starts approximately 1000 yards north of the access ramp (where the rusty pipe juts out of the cliff) and extends for 1/4 mile toward the north. Photo shows view from the ramp to the beach parking lot. It is a LONG way down, and you really have to want to go there to get there!
Photo at the beginning of nude section (about 1/2 mile from the parking lot ramp) shows the proposed clothing-optional stretch of beach (looking north/west toward Carpinteria.)
This clothing optional policy will only apply to the northern end of the beach, beyond the "rusty pipe" that pokes out of the cliff above, about a half mile north of the pedestrian ramp. Any nudity south of the pipe can be cited under the county ordinance.
3. Friends of Bates Beach "Beach Watch" Volunteers Will Patrol the Beach
Nudists recognize that lewd behavior has no business on a beach nor in any public place. We strongly support the enforcement of anti-lewd behavior laws both on the beach, and anywhere else in public. Knowing that sometimes a nude beach may attract people so inclined, it is important that the nudist community organize to help law enforcement when such incidents occur. We can be of great assistance to the undercover officers who occasionally patrol the area.
At other successful nude beaches in the country, one key to success is the formation of a Beach Ambassador network, kind of a Neighborhood Watch system. At Black’s Beach in San Diego, Haulover Beach in Florida, San Onofre Beach to the south, and at others, nudists ambassadors wear special hats and make a point of welcoming all nude beach visitors, distributing
Beach Behavior Guidelines, and watching for any inappropriate behavior. If someone is suspected of misbehaving, or even just staring too much, the Ambassadors make a point of talking to the violator at once. These people usually are ashamed of being discovered and leave the beach immediately. On those rare occasions when they refuse, the Ambassadors call the local sheriff. After awhile the word gets out this is not a safe beach for such activity.
We have no objection to persons being ticketed or arrested for inappropriate sexual behavior, using drugs, or harassment of others on or near the beach. Our Beach Watch Ambassadors are trained to observe and report such occurrence should the person refuse to leave.
At both Black’s Beach and Haulover, law enforcement and the nudists work together to prevent beach crime and to solve any problems that might arise.At both Black’s and Haulover, eventually the word spread they were not a good place for illegal activity, and the bad guys went away. (We have letters from both the Mayor and Chief of Police of Miami thanking the nudist community for their help.) At Haulover Beach, inappropriate activity is now practically non-existent despite the influx of thousands of tourists there during the summer.
Friends of Bates Beach is ready to start their "Beach Watch" program at Bates Beach just as soon as the clothing-optional area gets re-established.
4. Allow Proper Signage on the Beach and Above
All successful clothing-optional beaches have signs similar to these. The sign at right is for the cliff above the beach to discourage loitering and possible falls from the unstable edge.
We understand that some people are offended by beach nudity. We also respect the rights of those who don’t want to find our beach accidentally. We propose proper signage at both ends to notify beachgoers of the area’s designation, so beach goers can decide for themselves.
At successful nude beaches around the country, there is proper signage (shown is the sign at Haulover Beach, Florida) at both ends to notify beachgoers of the area’s designation. There is also a sign on the reverse side reminding nudists the need to be dressed beyond that point. These signs help avoid user conflict on the beach.
Our organization is willing to help cover the cost of these signs. We can also provide removable orange cones to designate the boundaries on the sand so that the boundaries are even more obvious.
Proper signage on the walking path on the cliff above the beach is also essential to discourage voyeurs and to give law enforcement another tool to prevent any illegal activity on the proposed Coastal Trail. Signs also will help reduce the chance of people falling off this unprotected and unstable cliff. We have asked the design of the Coastal Trail to include low fencing along the cliff's edge to prevent people from slipping over the side of these often-unstable bluffs.
5. We Support the Coastal Trail Proposal
Friends of Bates Beach heartily endorses the building of the
Carpinteria Coastal Trail
above Bates Beach as long as it is placed back from the cliff's edge and it contains warning and "no loitering" signs.
FOBB has asked that the plan also fill in the rest of the walking path toward the north/west above the beach (where the voyeurs hang out) so people can no longer be standing there looking down. We also ask that the city fill-in the old trestle tunnel on the bluffs where sexual activity has been known to occur.
6. Two Year Trial Period
Again, we are not asking that the law be changed, only that its enforcement be updated to comply with more recent state decisions and with what is practical to enforce given limited law enforcement resources.
We are asking for the County Supervisors, District Attorney, and County Sheriff accept our proposal for two years only and direct the sheriff department accordingly. After these two summer season we will regroup to assess where we are and if our relationship should be extended. All we ask is a fair chance to make it work!
The Bottom Line:
The total (conservative) estimated local revenue generated by the C-0 section at Bates Beach = $600,000 during the first full year. Hikers attracted to the Coast Trail, who stay overnight in a local hotel or eat in a local restaurant will cumulative generate and additional $200,000 annually. This more than covers the existing (2011) Carpinteria city budget deficit. We can do this now with no additional cost to the city or county!
As stated before, this should be a no-brainer, all we need is the political will to do it!
You Don’t Have To Be A Nudist Yourself To Support Our Efforts!
All you have to do is believe that nudists have the right to their own “space” without government interference in their chosen beliefs, just as we support the rights of others to their own beliefs and values, even if they differ from ours.
Friends of Bates Beach is a division of the Southern California Naturist Association (SCNA)
A Non-Profit California Corporation
23679 Calabasas Rd #940 Calabasas CA 91302 (818) 225-2273
