Oct 22, 2024 | California Coastal Commision News, California Ocean Protection Council, Meetings
Steve Forer, President of CPOA-SC, has been appointed to the Community Working Group for the Santa Cruz County Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Recommended Revisions to the County LCP for Coastal Beaches and Bluffs. The County of Santa Cruz is updating its coastal planning policies through a Local Coastal Amendment to address these issues. The study will consider the economic and environmental impact on land use and existing coastal structures, utilities and infrastructure, recreational and coastal access, transportation and coastal resources. Initially, six neighborhood study areas were proposed by the Consultants. See initial comments submitted by CPOA
Sep 2, 2024 | California Coastal Commision News, Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County: Opal Cliffs, Santa Cruz County: Pleasure Point / East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz County: Rio del Mar / Aptos
CPOA’s Comment letter challenges the CCC’s authority to REQUIRE that all coastal jurisdictions and property owners address the worst-case scenarios 4-5 (4.6 – 6.4 feet of SLR by 2100) in their LCPs or CDPs. These scenarios will bankrupt many counties, force property owners to remove their costal structures, resulting in “Managed Retreat”, “takings” of private coastal properties along most of the California Coastline, and the loss of over $2.5 billion dollars/year in coastal property taxes.
Aug 1, 2024 | California Coastal Commision News, California Ocean Protection Council
CCC just released a draft of the SLR Guidance Policy Document for 2024. According to the most recent best available science from the Ocean Protection Council (June, 2024), by the year 2100, sea levels in California may rise by 1.6 to 3.1 feet by 2100, under the most likely scenarios 2 (Intermediate Low) to Scenario 3 (intermediate) with a Probability of 49% to 96% (OPC 2024). • However, the California Coastal Commission in their recent draft Sea Level Rise Policy Guidance document (July, 2024) is requiring all coastal jurisdictions and property owners to plan for the worst case Scenarios 3 – 5 (Intermediate Low to High) an increase of 3.1 – 6.6 feet in SRL with a Probability of only 8% to 49%. This is an extreme position, which will result in potential over-kill in planning, designing and implementing strategies for future coastal development. These scenarios will bankrupt many counties, force property owners to remove their costal structures, resulting in “Managed Retreat”, “takings” of private coastal properties along most of the California Coastline, and the loss of over $2.5 billion dollars/year in costal property taxes.
Dec 16, 2023 | California Coastal Commision News, Santa Cruz County: Coastal Access / Public Right-Of-Way, Santa Cruz County: Rio del Mar / Aptos
CCC disagreed with Court’s decision, that the 37 foot wide walkway along the beach in front of the “Island” properties was private, but that is irrelevant. The Rio Del Mar Island HOA and property owner at 202 Beach Dr. are in violation of their initial 1980 Coastal Development Permit and subsequent Amendments, which require the homeowners restore and allow for public access to the beach along the pathway in front of the homes in accordance with the Coastal Act. Cease & Desist Order is effective 12/23/23, the Rio Del Mar Island HOA must remove the barriers at both ends of the walkway, remove the non-native ice plant, pots, other debris and obstacles within 8 feet of the revetment rocks to allow for public access. The CCC also levied fines of $4.7 M which they felt should have been closer to $28 M. Property owners plan to appeal.
Sep 8, 2023 | California Coastal Commision News, Santa Cruz County: Pleasure Point / East Cliff Drive
The Coastal Commission reluctantly approved in a vote of 6:4 a proposal submitted by three separate Pleasure Point property owners (parcels located at 3000, 3006 & 3020 Pleasure Point Drive) to repair the Sewer Peak public access and stairway, replace damaged pre-existing seawalls, remove debris and revetment rocks, and install a new seawall with a public pathway at the foot of the seawall and stairs down to the ocean bedrock and tide pools.
Sep 6, 2023 | California Coastal Commision News
On September 6, 2023 the Coastal Commission awarded $780,000 in Local Coastal Program (LCP) Local Assistance grant funds to the County of Santa Cruz to complete a series of technical studies on sea level rise (SLR) hazards, economic impacts, and adaptation pathways that will culminate in an LCP amendment on SLR. The County will now send out requests for proposals (RFPs) and award the contract by November, 2023. The contractor, once selected will meet with all of the major stakeholders, complete a coastal vulnerability study to identify those areas at greatest risk of flooding and coastal erosion with triggers and timelines for adaptation strategies, which will result in recommended revisions to the County’s LCP. As a result, It appears the County will have to delay the approval of the revised LCP until December 2025.
Jun 28, 2023 | California Coastal Commision News, Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County: Opal Cliffs, Santa Cruz County: Pleasure Point / East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz County: Rio del Mar / Aptos
The County Board of Supervisor’s just approved the submission of a grant application to the Coastal Commission to fund $733,000 to fund a sea level rise vulnerability assessment and preparation of related Local Coastal Program General Plan, which is expected to be awarded by CCC this summer. Then the County will select a Coastal Engineering Consultant to complete the Vulnerability Study and begin work on revising the LCP this fall.
Jan 11, 2023 | California Coastal Commision News, California Coastal News
Superior Court of CA has ruled against the CCC in their interpretation of “Pre-existing structures which are entitled to shoreline protection”. In the case of Casa Mira Homeowner’s Association (San Mateo) vs the CCC, the Court ruled the CCC exceeded the authority and limitations of the Coastal Act in their interpretation of section 30235, that only “Pre-existing Structures present before the passage of the Coastal Act (1977) were entitled to any shoreline protection”. The Court finds that CCC has mis-interpreted an ambiguous section of the Statue, and is attempting to add new language restricting any new shoreline protection for existing costal structures. The Court further stipulated that any existing structure (present tense) is entitled to shoreline protection if it is in danger of coastal erosion, provided that the shoreline protection device does not restrict public access to the beaches and shoreline.
Oct 21, 2022 | California Coastal Commision News, Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County: Capitola / Depot Hill, Santa Cruz County: Opal Cliffs, Santa Cruz County: Pleasure Point / East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz County: Rio del Mar / Aptos
The Commissioners voted (9:0) to reject the Santa Cruz County’s proposed LCP Amendments, and sided with the Surfriders, and recommendations on the CCC Staff Report. The CCC Staff report asserted that the LCP Amendments were poorly written, with many internal inconsistencies, were not consistent with the Coastal Act (1977), which generally prohibits any new shoreline armoring, and most existing armoring may need to be removed to allow managed retreat to preserve the public beaches as sea level rises.
Oct 14, 2022 | California Coastal Commision News
Coastal Commissioners accepted staff recommendations and denied the County’s proposed LCP Amendments at the CCC Hearing 0n 10/14/22. Specifically, they found the proposed LCP was not consistent with the Coastal Act, was poorly written, and did not adequately address the impact of sea level rise on public beaches, access to the coastline, surf and waves. There were opposed to modifying their definition of “Existing Structures” as of 1977, the proposed “Shoreline Protection Area”, and wanted a plan to address the effects of SLR on coastal erosion and loss of public beaches, that would require “managed retreat” in urban areas of the County. They also wanted a plan that was area specific, for each neighborhood. The Commissioners do not plan to send any more specifics beyond what was included in the CCC staff report of 9/30/22. They encouraged the County to continue to work with the CCC staff to identify and resolve the major differences and resubmit a revised LCP for reconsideration in 2023.
