Seaside mansion or public beach: Which will California Coastal Commission save?

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - On a stretch of Laguna Beach where waves slam right onto white sand, a wall of steel and concrete interrupts the shoreline.

The sea wall exists to protect one beachfront home. Without it, the homeowners say, millions of dollars could be lost to the rising sea.

But the structure also inhibits the natural sand flow, according to coastal officials. So long as the wall remains, sand will continue to disappear in front of the home, washing away a section of what is known as Victoria Beach.

As more homeowners try to fight sea-level rise, California must pick a side: Protect private property or the public interest? Save a mansion or a beach for the people?

The California Coastal Commission on Thursday will decide whether to demand hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines from the homeowners and order the sea wall demolished - putting the house at