Commentary is provided by ActCoastal partners. This blog represents the views of the authors, and does not necessarily reflect the positions of ActCoastal and its partner organizations.
October 23, 2020
October 2020 Hearing Report
The October California Coastal Commission meeting took place virtually from Wednesday, Oct. 8 to Friday, Oct. 10. The Commission deliberated on several important items with coastal resource implications, heard from its sister agencies about the future of Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area and discussed a presentation from county supervisors on sea level rise preparation efforts throughout the state.
September 21, 2020
September 2020 Hearing Report
The September California Coastal Commission meeting took place virtually from Wednesday, Sept. 9 to Friday, Sept. 11. The Commission deliberated on several items with coastal resource implications including a seawall application in Solana Beach and an appeal regarding a major Santa Cruz residential construction project.
August 18, 2020
July 2020 Hearing Report
The July meeting took place virtually from Wednesday, July 8 to Friday, July 10 as well as an additional day on Thursday, July 16. The agenda built on the Commission’s progress of transitioning to the virtual platform; notably, participants were able to submit video as well as audio testimony. ActCoastal partners commented on several items including the City of Laguna Beach’s parking program, Oceano Dunes Public Works Plan Update and Dust Control permit, and the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Inspection and Maintenance Plan. The meeting resulted in one vote chart, the denial of the Laguna Beach Parking Program.
August 17, 2020
August 2020 Meeting Report
The August Coastal Commission meeting took place virtually from Wednesday, Aug. 12 to Friday, Aug. 14. The Commission deliberating on several important items with coastal resource implications including a land use plan amendment from the City of San Clemente on the definition of major remodel, a consistency certification by SANDAG for the Del Mar Bluffs Emergency Repair Project and an appeal of a CDP in Encinitas for construction of a new blufftop home. The meeting did not result in any vote charts.
July 20, 2020
June 2020 Hearing Report
The June meeting took place virtually from Wednesday, June 10 to Friday, June 12. The agenda contained more substantial items than the previous month as the virtual platform becomes more finely tuned and capacity increases. ActCoastal partners commented on several items including a proposed condominium development on Beach Boulevard in Pacifica, reauthorization of the Russian River Management Plan and an enforcement action regarding longstanding beach encroachments by 33 Newport Beach homeowners.
June 19, 2020
May 2020 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s virtual May hearing took place on Wednesday, May 13 and Thursday, May 14. The meeting agenda was light and featured mostly non-controversial items. This was the Commission’s first virtual meeting and served as a trial run. Meetings will remain remote for the foreseeable future and will resume a normal or slightly higher workload with a number of items currently backlogged due to the cancellation of the April hearing and the light May agenda. As meetings continue in the virtual platform, we must ensure public participation remains a priority. See below for more discussion on public participation and other key items from the May agenda including a vote on SB 1090 and adoption of a new resolution, Making California’s Coast Resilient to Sea Level Rise: Principles for Aligned State Action.
May 22, 2020
March 2020 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s March hearing took place in Santa Cruz at the Hilton Scotts Valley on Wednesday, March 11 through Friday, March 13. The meeting agenda was a little lighter than usual and resulted in one vote chart - the Santa Cruz Beach Management Plan. The City of Santa Cruz also presented the state of their sea level rise planning efforts in an informational presentation. Please also see this important message from the Coastal Commission Chair about the March meeting with an important coronavirus update.
March 24, 2020
February 2020 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s February hearing took place in Long Beach at Long Beach City Hall on Wednesday, February 13 through Friday, February 15. The meeting was the first of 2020 and several important votes took place. The Commission denied a proposed 1,250 ft. revetment at Strands Beach in Dana Point, denied a proposed fence that would block a coastal trail in Pacific Grove and approved a key consent cease and desist order and administrative fine for the Tivoli Cove HOA that will restore access to Latigo Beach in Malibu.
February 21, 2020
December 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s December hearing took place in Calabasas at the King Gillette Ranch on Wednesday, Dec. 11 through Friday, Dec. 13. The agenda was slightly lighter than usual with one key controversial item on Thursday. The Commission approved an after-the-fact coastal development permit for the construction and operation of the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica. The meeting resulted in one vote chart.
December 19, 2019
November 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s November hearing took place in Half Moon Bay at the Oceano Hotel and Spa on Wednesday, Nov. 13 through Friday, Nov. 15. A number of controversial items dominated the agenda over the three days of hearings with the California American Water Co. Monterey desalination project being at the top of that list. The meeting resulted in two vote charts.
November 21, 2019
October 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s October hearing took place in Chula Vista at the City Council Chambers on Wednesday, October 16 through Friday, October 18. A number of controversial items dominated the agenda over the three days of hearings with the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning being at the top of that long list. The much anticipated Del Mar local coastal program update was postponed at the City’s request and is expected to come back before the end of the year.
September 21, 2019
September 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s September hearing took place in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 11 through Friday, September 13. Commissioners heard several items related to water quality, beach access, shoreline preservation and sea level rise. The hearing resulted in two vote charts concerning the repurposing of Chevron ocean outfall pipes in San Luis Obispo County and the repair of the pier and boat hoist at Gaviota State Beach. To see the full hearing description and vote charts, click here.
September 9, 2019
August 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s August hearing took place in Eureka at the Eureka Public Marina on Wednesday, August 7 through Friday, August 9. Two controversial items were heard; however, due to the complexities of the issues, neither resulted in a vote chart. The first was a highway improvement project by Caltrans for the Eureka-Arcata Route 101 Corridor. The other was a Consistency Determination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs for a 100-room hotel adjacent to the Trinidad Rancheria’s casino in Trinidad.
August 15, 2019
July 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s July hearing took place in San Luis Obispo at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Wednesday, July 10 through Friday, July 12. A number of controversial items dominated the agenda over the three days of hearings with Oceano Dunes being at the top of that long list. The agenda also featured important coastal issues including public access, beach preservation and environmentally sensitive habitat areas. The hearing resulted in two vote charts and additional items are discussed below.
July 25, 2019
June Hearing Report 2019
The Coastal Commission’s June hearing took place in San Diego at the Island Palms Hotel & Marina on Wednesday, June 12 through Friday, June 14. The agenda featured important coastal issues including public access, beach preservation and environmentally sensitive habitat areas.
July 25, 2019
May 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s June hearing took place in San Diego at the Island Palms Hotel & Marina on Wednesday, June 12 through Friday, June 14. The agenda featured important coastal issues including public access, beach preservation and environmentally sensitive habitat areas.
May 16, 2019
April 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s April hearing took place in Salinas at the Monterey County Board of Supervisors Chambers on Wednesday, April 10 and Thursday, April 11. The abbreviated two-day agenda featured important coastal issues including an enforcement item addressing illegal fill of wetlands in Marin County, the reconstruction of an armoring structure in Capitola and a nonconforming bluff development in Laguna Beach.
April 23, 2019
March 2019 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s March hearing took place at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 6 through Friday, March 8. The meeting included important coastal issues: two seawall permits in northern San Diego County, construction of Wheeler North Reef offshore from San Clemente as mitigation for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and certification of the Commission’s landmark Environmental Justice Policy.
March 15, 2019
A Ticking Time Bomb Underneath the Ballona Wetlands
The SoCalGas Playa del Rey methane storage facility sits on top of and immediately adjacent to the Ballona Wetlands. Just like the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility, it is a ticking time bomb nestled next to hundreds of thousands of residents. Both facilities are mostly depleted oil fields that were repurposed as methane storage fields. In the case of the Playa del Rey field, it was turned into gas storage in 1943 and operates with a conditional use permit since the 1950s.
March 15, 2019
February 2019 Hearing Report
February marked the Coastal Commission’s first hearing of the year. It took place at the Oceano Hotel & Spa in Half Moon Bay Harbor on Wednesday, February 6 through Friday, February 8. The meeting included important coastal issues: a harbor dredge project at Moss Landing Harbor and an appeal at Hollister Ranch. Notably, Commission enforcement staff gave a report on the success and effectiveness of their recently bestowed ability to leverage administrative fines under Coastal Act section 30821.
March 1, 2019
2018 California Coastal Commission Conservation Report Card
Using the Coastal Act as a guide, the 2018 California Coastal Commission Conservation Report Card ranks the voting record of each Coastal Commissioner on the most significant permit applications and enforcement actions considered by the Commission throughout the year.
February 15, 2019
December 2018 Hearing Report
The December Coastal Commission hearing took place at the Newport Beach Civic Center on Wednesday, December 12 through Friday, December 14. The meeting included important coastal preservation issues: a beach nourishment project in Monterey Bay, public access at Hollister Ranch and a presentation on the Revised Draft Residential Adaptation Guidance. Notably, the Commission voted to approve an application for new oil production and wetlands restoration project by Beach Oil Minerals in Long Beach.
December 21, 2018
November 2018 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s November hearing took place November 7-9 at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. The meeting agenda was less packed than the October hearing, but still included important updates and decisions on environmental justice, sea level rise, public access and more. Specifically, we tracked the 2018 Sea Level Rise Science Update, the Environmental Justice Draft Policy, the Orange County Ocean Outlets Maintenance Manual Update and an Informational Briefing on Offshore Wind Energy Resources.
November 15, 2018
October 2018 Hearing Report
The California Coastal Commission met in San Diego at the Wyndham San Diego Bayside Wednesday, Oct. 10 through Friday, Oct. 12. The meeting featured a busy agenda. Items addressed at the hearing included a public access enforcement order, an informational item for the Commission’s draft Environmental Justice Policy, an appeal to development at Hollister Ranch, a coastal access issues in La Jolla, a beach preservation issue in Solana Beach, the special event permit for Mavericks Challenge surf contest and an approval for after-the-fact development at the San Simeon Wastewater Treatment Plant.
October 23, 2018
September 2018 Hearing Report
The California Coastal Commission met at the Fort Bragg Town Hall in Fort Bragg Wednesday, Sept. 12 through Friday, Sept.14. While not as packed with items as the previous month’s hearing, the agenda did feature several important informational items and an enforcement order. The informational items included the release of a draft Environmental Justice Policy, an update to the Commission’s Sea Level Rise Guidance and a presentation by non-profit groups on barriers to coastal access.
September 19, 2018
August 2018 Hearing Report
The California Coastal Commission met at the Redondo Beach Public Library in Redondo Beach on Wednesday, August 8 through Friday, August 10. The hearing was extremely busy with many high-profile and controversial items on the agenda, including the Redondo Beach LCP Amendment known as Measure C, or the “King Harbor Coastal Access, Revitalization and Enhancement Act” which was approved as submitted. Additionally, the Commission heard several coastal armoring and sea level rise related items, the Gaviota Coast Plan LCP amendment and finalized a Tribal Consultation Policy.
August 29, 2018
July 2018 Hearing Report
The July California Coastal Commission hearing took place in Scotts Valley near Santa Cruz on Wednesday, July 11 through Friday, July 13. The July meeting agenda had several important items on public access and planning including an application by Opal Cliffs Recreation District to retain an unpermitted gate and gate access fee program.
August 4, 2018
March 2018 Hearing Report
The March meeting of the California Coastal Commission took place over three days at the Oxnard Harbor District in Port Hueneme. Items on the agenda raised several issues critical to California’s coast including shoreline armoring, sea level rise, public access and sediment management. The meeting also featured many notable speakers highlighting local coastal conditions in Oxnard, including representatives from local environmental justice group CAUSE and California State University Channel Islands.
July 20, 2018
June 2018 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission met in Chula Vista June 6-8 at the Chula Vista City Council Chambers. On Wednesday, during the Executive Director’s report, the Director gave an overview of the Hollister Ranch HOA settlement, a significant coastal access issue in Santa Barbara County. The Commission also heard a consistency determination for the U.S. Navy’s 5-Year Testing and Training Activities Program in Southern California.
June 11, 2018
May 2018 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission meeting took place on Wednesday, May 9 through Friday, May 11 at the Board of Supervisors’ Chamber in Santa Rosa. The May meeting agenda had several important issues including sea level rise, short-term rentals, beach preservation and water quality. Notably, the Commission passed an LCP update by the City and County of San Francisco for coastal hazards and sea level rise at Ocean Beach. Additionally, the County of Santa Barbara’s proposed short-term rental LCP update was denied.
May 8, 2018
April 2018 Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission met Wednesday, April 11 through Friday, April 13 at the Redondo Beach Public Library in Redondo Beach, CA. ActCoastal tracked several items this month, including a coastal armoring permit at San Onofre Surf Beach, the reconsideration of a permit for erodible concrete seawall in Solana Beach and a public access violation in Pacifica by Oceanaire Apartments.
May 6, 2018
2017 California Coastal Commission Conservation Report Card
The annual California Coastal Commission Conservation Report Card focuses on high stakes coastal projects and concerns. When it comes to coastal development, the interests of private parties are often pitted against the public values enshrined in California’s Coastal Act. At times, these conflicts place Commissioners under intense political pressure. Transparency and accountability are therefore essential to ensure the Commission is upholding the Coastal Act and defending the public’s rights.
March 15, 2018
February 2018 Hearing Report
This month, the Coastal Commission met in Cambria, where Commissioners voted on several important items including: a moderate cost hotel in Cayucos; the first comprehensive LUP update since the 2015 Sea Level Rise Guidance document was adopted for the City of San Clemente; and approval of a letter of opposition to the recently released 2019-2024 Draft Proposed National Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
February 16, 2018
December 2017 Hearing Report
The December hearing took place Wednesday, Dec. 13 through Friday, Dec. 15 at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point. The agenda included several important topics such as seawater desalination, coastal access, shoreline armoring, low-cost accommodations and more. The meeting resulted in three vote charts, all with good results.
December 22, 2017
November Hearing Report
The Coastal Commission’s November hearing was a busy two days at Bodega Bay. Key issues included protection of ESHA in Marin County, shoreline armoring in San Francisco, and coastal access in Santa Barbara County. The Commission made “good” decisions on two key votes - Lawson's Landing and Cojo Jalama Ranch - but continues to make poor decisions when it comes to shoreline armoring.
December 22, 2017
October 2017 Hearing Report
October’s two-day hearing took place at the Chula Vista City Council Chambers. The October meeting agenda had several important items including coastal access, marine protected areas, sustainable development and more. The Spent Fuel Storage Briefing informational item drew out a crowd on Wednesday morning. There were also several development projects approved in the City of Santa Monica, including the City Services Building - Living Building Challenge.
November 21, 2017
November Hearing Update 2017
October’s two-day hearing took place at the Chula Vista City Council Chambers. The October meeting agenda had several important items including coastal access, marine protected areas, sustainable development and more. The Spent Fuel Storage Briefing informational item drew out a crowd on Wednesday morning. There were also several development projects approved in the City of Santa Monica, including the City Services Building - Living Building Challenge.
October 18, 2017
September 2017 Hearing Report
The September Coastal Commission hearing was located in Cambria. The two day agenda was slightly lighter than usual. On Wednesday, the Surfrider Foundation presented during public comment highlighting ongoing permit violations associated with the shoreline armoring revetment at Goleta Beach. The meeting resulted in one vote chart, a new seawall protecting post Coastal Act development in Del Mar.
September 25, 2017
August 2017 Hearing Report
The August Coastal Commission hearing was located in Calabasas. The agenda was slightly lighter than usual. On Wednesday, the Surfrider Foundation along with the Sierra Club presented during public comment highlighting the success of Coastal Cleanup Day and the Coastal Commission’s key role in the statewide beach cleanup day.
August 21, 2017
July 2017 Hearing Report
The July hearing took place at California State University Monterey Bay in Seaside. Commissioners heard several important issues ranging from beach access and coastal armoring to cease and desist orders for the last sand mine in California. Indeed, a landmark enforcement settlement was approved, marking the end of the sand mining era and a huge win for coastal preservation.