Meeting Overview
The Coastal Commission met in Fort Bragg from September 10-12. Several important decisions were made despite a fairly light agenda. Two in particular have been added to the vote chart.
First, the Commission approved a large living shorelines project at Santa Monica State Beach, designed to increase coastal resilience and enhance habitat value at one of LA’s largest and most popular beaches. The Commission also approved three CDPs from beachfront homeowners in Santa Cruz, allowing them to restack dislodged riprap boulders that have fallen onto the public beach within their permitted revetment footprints. Notable special conditions were included in these CDPs that will lead to better tracking and monitoring of negative impacts created by these revetments, leading to their inclusion in the vote chart.
Issues voted on at this meeting:
Other Discussions
On Wednesday, the Commission took a field trip to the former Georgia-Pacific Mill Site (now owned by Mendocino Railway/Sierra Railroad) along the Noyo Headlands in Fort Bragg. Representatives from the rail company and the City detailed conceptual plans to develop much of the headlands, including suggested zoning changes for new open space, housing, overnight accommodations, and commercial areas. This property is the single largest piece of undeveloped coastal land in Fort Bragg, and is therefore of significant interest to local residents. Unremediated environmental pollution from the former lumber mill is one of the principal community concerns. Many residents asked the Commission to ensure proper remediation prior to any development during Thursday’s general comments.
Other notable decisions at this meeting include:
- Rejection of federal consistency for the US Army Corps' Nationwide Permits for discharge of placement of fill or dredged material into U.S waters in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Districts. This ensures that dredge and fill projects in these areas will receive Coastal Act review in order to minimize any negative environmental impacts.
- Approval for the Chevron West Decommissioning Program to remove three oil pipeline bundles from the beach and state coastal waters in Carpenteria, Santa Barbara County.
- Substantial Issue and approval of a new CDP for the City of Los Angeles to increase the capacity of an aging wastewater pumping station in Venice with a new, improved facility. The Venice pump station ensures that LA's coastal sewage reaches the City's wastewater treatment plant. Increased pump capacity will reduce the possibility that wet-weather flows would inundate the pump, forcing the City to release millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the Venice grand canal and surrounding coastal waters.