COASTAL RIGHTS COALITION
Subject: Anti-Seawall Bill update
Dear Coastal Property Owners Association of Santa Cruz County Member,
The following is an update on AB 1129 received from the Coastal Rights Coalition:
On April 17th 2017, Assembly member Mark Stone (D ““ Santa Cruz) presented AB 1129 in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. Speaking in opposition of the bill and on behalf of The Coastal Rights Coalition was Sherman Stacey, a well-respected attorney who specializes in litigation against the California Coastal Commission, Damien Schiff, senior Coastal Commission litigator for the Pacific Legal Foundation, Jeli Gavriæ for the California Association of REALTORS® and myself. We knew going into the vote we had an uphill battle as the author of the bill (Stone) is a member of the Natural Recourse Committee and often times fellow committee members will push each other’s bills through their respective committees. Stone was successful in getting the bill through the Natural Resource Committee with a 7-3 vote.
As discussed in previous correspondences, this piece of legislation has very serious and tangible consequences, which will undoubtedly greatly affect owners living in the coastal zone, most drastically affecting those with ocean front homes and or any community that currently or in the future may require protection of any kind from wave action or rising tides.
Our opposition to defeat this legislation is strong and growing. The Coastal Rights Coalition includes coastal communities and statewide trade associations. Currently leading the coastal community portion of our coalition is Capistrano Shores Inc., Solimar Beach Colony, Seacliff Colony HOA, Rincon Beach HOA, Pierpont Community Council, Faria Beach HOA, Mussel Shoals Breakers Way HOA, Condominium Owners of South Sierra Avenue, Sea Coast Preservation Association, Coastal Property Owners Association of Santa Cruz County and countless additional individual property owners. Additionally, the California Association of Realtors, California Building Industry Association, California Plumbers Association, California Apartment Association, California Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business, North Coast Village Homeowners Association, Seadrift Association and the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association are in opposition to the bill as well.
Our recently formed coalition, “The Coastal Rights Coalition Inc.”, is a legal nonprofit 501 c(4). This coalition was formed and currently operated by volunteers. It was created and is driven by the desire to unify and curb the abusive tactics employed by the California Coastal Commission against property owners bordering the California coastline. To date, we have received letters of support in the opposition from over 4,900 individuals, either directly or through their respective HOA’s.
We are now focusing our efforts on the bill’s next stop through the legislative process, the Assembly Appropriations Committee. We anticipate the bill will be heard by May 10th. The Appropriations Committee focuses is attention not as much on the policy of the proposed bill, rather what potential costs could be incurred to the state and municipalities should the bill be approved. A template letter will be forwarded to you under a separate e-mail. Please insert your name and address, print, sign and either email to me directly or fax to my office at 949-492-0884. Once I receive your letter I will fax it to all 17 Appropriations Committee members directly. This is essentially the same process we went through with the Natural Recourses Committee. I realize it seems redundant but we need your help and efforts to defeat this bill and this is the path to accomplishing those goals.
The proponents of the bill are highlighting 240 coastal protection structures which were permitted under an emergency permit basis but owners failed to return for a full Coastal Development Permit after the fact. They argued in committee that they wanted the Coastal Commission to have the ability to go after these 240 structures. We know this legislation does far more than give the Coastal Commission the ability to go after those 240 structures, and we need to highlight this point and others to stop the bill from going forward.
In order to stop this bill, we need all of you to help us make our case with legislators and we need you to urge your homeowner and community associations to help us fund our efforts. If you have contacts with large employers within your district we need those business owners to make contact with their respective State Representatives and urge them to join us in opposing this overreaching bill.
Up to this point, our community, Capistrano Shores has donated all administrative labor and funded all direct costs (e.g. state lobbyist firm, legal counsel, travel costs etc.). We are unable to continue to solely cover these costs. As mentioned above, we have formed the nonprofit to allow for others to join our efforts so that we can not only continue, but hopefully grow this Coalition to become something that all coastal property owners can benefit from up and down the coast for many, many years. The Coastal Commission is a very powerful organization that without stronger, more organized opposition will continue to strip away property rights from individual owners. They will do this through lengthy and costly permit application processes, unconstitutional permit conditions, to ultimately taking your property through the proposed bill which would allow them to levy fines without due process. We are respectfully requesting your support so this effort does not go by the wayside. All contributions are not tax deductible. Please send whatever amount you feel comfortable contributing to:
Coastal Rights Coalition
1880 N. El Camino Real
San Clemente, CA 92672
Or online at www.CoastalRightsCoalition.org
Sincerely,
Eric Anderson
Chair of the Coastal Rights Coalition
eanderson@caposhores.com
949-351-9642