Updated June 1, 2026
Michael Sitrick, founder and chairman of the crisis communications firm Sitrick And Company, is among the homeowners involved in a long-running coastal restoration effort at Broad Beach, an exclusive stretch of the Malibu coastline. The neighborhood’s roughly 120 beachfront parcels are home to a number of prominent residents.
Broad Beach has experienced significant erosion since the 1970s. Over the years, residents pursued a series of measures to protect the shoreline, some of which drew friction with the surrounding community. Earlier efforts included bringing in a rocky base intended to hold sand in place.
The homeowners later proposed a privately funded restoration plan to build a deeper rocky base and truck in sand from inland quarries. The revised plan compressed the timeline and increased the projected cost accordingly, with the full expense borne by the residents rather than the public.
Sitrick, who acquired a home on Broad Beach in 1999, framed the effort as notable for being funded entirely by the homeowners themselves.
About Sitrick And Company
Sitrick And Company is a Los Angeles-based crisis and strategic communications firm founded in 1989. Michael Sitrick founded the firm and serves as its chairman. The firm is recognized as one of the leading crisis management practices in the United States, handling high-stakes corporate, legal, and reputation matters.
Timeline and Scope of the Broad Beach Project
The Broad Beach restoration project evolved over multiple decades as erosion accelerated along the 1,100-foot stretch of Malibu coastline. Initial protective measures in the 1980s and 1990s included emergency sandbag placements and temporary revetments. By the early 2000s, homeowners formed the Broad Beach Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD) to coordinate a comprehensive solution.
The final approved plan called for placement of approximately 285,000 cubic yards of sand—enough to widen the beach by up to 200 feet in some areas—atop an engineered cobble berm designed to anchor the new shoreline. Permitting and environmental review extended over several years, involving the California Coastal Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and multiple environmental impact assessments. The project's estimated cost exceeded $30 million, funded through special assessments levied on the participating homeowners.
Construction phases included offshore dredging, trucking of quarry sand, and grading operations that required coordination with seasonal wildlife protections. The timeline reflected both the technical complexity of coastal engineering and the regulatory scrutiny applied to private development in the California coastal zone.
Community and Environmental Considerations
The Broad Beach restoration effort generated debate within the broader Malibu community and among environmental advocates. Critics raised concerns about the precedent of private homeowners engineering large-scale coastal modifications, the potential impact on public beach access, and effects on marine habitats including grunion spawning grounds and tidal ecosystems.
Proponents, including Sitrick and the GHAD leadership, emphasized that the project was designed to meet or exceed environmental standards, included mitigation measures for sensitive species, and would restore a natural beach buffer that benefits the entire coastline. They also highlighted that the restoration was entirely privately funded, contrasting it with publicly subsidized beach nourishment projects elsewhere in California.
The California Coastal Commission's approval process required extensive environmental review, public hearings, and conditions to protect coastal access and habitat. The project illustrates the tension between private property rights, public coastal resources, and the long-term challenges of managing erosion in a changing climate.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Sitrick, founder of Sitrick And Company, is a homeowner and participant in the Broad Beach coastal restoration project in Malibu.
- Broad Beach has suffered significant erosion since the 1970s, prompting a privately funded, multi-decade restoration effort.
- The project involved placement of over 285,000 cubic yards of sand and an engineered cobble berm, at a cost exceeding $30 million borne entirely by homeowners.
- Permitting required approval from the California Coastal Commission and compliance with environmental protections for marine habitats and public access.
- The restoration effort sparked debate over private coastal engineering, environmental impact, and the balance between property rights and public resources.
