Malibu throwing sand into the beach party works

MALIBU, Calif. — The summer beach-party scene could be coming to an end in Malibu, and not just because summer is almost over.

Malibu leaders are rolling up the welcome mats at three corporate-financed celebrity party houses that regular beach residents complain have clogged oceanfront streets, created noise and caused paparazzi to swarm over the sand.

"We've had 26 parties at the house next to us. About half of them have been major, major parties with hundreds of people," said resident Renny Shapiro. "We had to cancel any activities we planned for the summer."

Shapiro lives on Malibu Beach, next to what is known internationally as the Polaroid Beach House. A few houses the other direction is the LG Beach House. Nearby Carbon Beach has been home this summer to the Silver Spoon Beach House.

The companies rented the mansions from their owners and are using them to promote products by linking them to hot young celebrities. And the celebs seem more than happy to indulge themselves with food, drink and gifts — and indulge paparazzi by showing off their tans and bikinis on the beach.

Marketing companies get an elite, beachside venue to show off — and have celebs photographed next to — their latest flat-screen TVs, appliances, jewelry and other products.

Paris and Carmen

There's Paris Hilton relaxing on an oversized beach pillow with her tiny dog, Cinderella. Carmen Electra ceremoniously removing her wrap to capture some rays near the surf's edge.

Behind the scenes, city officials contend, there is noise, illegally parked cars blocking driveways and fire hydrants and seemingly nonstop action.

One party at the $30 million Polaroid House is said to have lasted 22 hours, capped off by a 1:30 a.m. round of karaoke, neighbors said.

Beach-house operators dispute allegations that their parties are a public nuisance. They claim they are following the law and residents are exaggerating the nuisance factor.

"I think a lot of the residents on the beach are making themselves so worked up that they're not looking at the big picture," said Jessica Meisel, whose company, Fingerprint Communications, runs the Polaroid Beach House. "We never had one police officer come to the house the entire summer."

Nonetheless, city officials are planning to create a city ordinance that will limit corporate beach-house operations.

Writing the ordinance will be a delicate matter, in large part because many Malibu homes are — as real-estate agents like to say — "an entertainer's dream" and many full-time residents like to party.

The goal is to regulate corporate parties while allowing weddings, barbecues and bar mitzvahs. "We don't want to infringe on personal rights [of residents]," said Malibu City Manager Jim Thorsen.

Out of control

At City Hall, there is widespread agreement the "houses" are out of control.

"It's awful. It's the constant day-in and day-out intrusion by a rude group of people," said Malibu City Councilman Andy Stern. "The valets, the drunk people on the beach, people crossing private property."

Beachfront residents looked the other way for a while. When the parties became more frequent, they started complaining to city officials.

"There's constant parking activity, constant paparazzi, trash piling up. They're simply running a commercial enterprise in a residential area," Stern said of the three beach houses operated by marketing companies.

The three houses are expected to close by Labor Day, when their leases are up and the summer season is considered over.

That relatively temporary nature of the beach houses has stymied Malibu officials' attempts to close them.

Current procedures for investigating and prosecuting alleged zoning code violations are clunky and slow. "By the time we get to code enforcement, they're out of there," Stern said of the partiers.

Beach-house operators suggest their Malibu parties have been a plus for the city.

"The city of Malibu should be happy at the property values we're raising," said Meisel.

Thorsen, the city manager, said beach-house events might not recur next summer if officials can craft an ordinance that controls use of rental homes for commercial activities.