Stand Up for the Coastal Act

The integrity and independence of the Coastal Commission are under attack. There is a behind-the-scenes effort by developer-friendly Coastal Commissioners to fire Executive Director Dr. Charles Lester. Rather than quietly resign, Dr. Lester has asked for a public hearing, which will be held February 10 at the Coastal Commission’s meeting in Morro Bay. 

The coast belongs to all the people. All Californians need to speak up for the coast, and defend the Coastal Act and the Coastal Commission’s independent staff. As Peter Douglas, the former Executive Director of the Coastal Commission said, “The Coast is never saved, it is always being saved.”

The MCC supports the continuation of Dr. Charles Lester as the California Coastal Commission’s Executive Director. 

What you can do: 

1. Email the Governor here and send copies to your state senator & assemblymember (find your representatives here)

2. Email the Coastal Commissioners:  (StatusOfExecutiveDirector@coastal.ca.gov)

3. Attend the Coastal Commission meeting Wednesday, Feb. 10, 10am
Agenda item #8 links to comments received & media coverage
Executive Director Charles Lester memo
Group letter from 153 current Coastal Commission staff
Act Coastal has help with logistics in traveling to the meeting

As of Feb 5: over 20,000 letters/emails support retaining executive director. 
Group letter from 35 former Coastal Commissioners 
Group letter from 16 State Legislators
Group letter from 93 environmental organizations
Group letter from 5 marine/estuary sanctuary foundations
Letter from Committee for Green Foothills
OpEd by Huey D. Johnson, former Secretary for Natural Resources
OpEd by Steve Blank, former Coastal Commissioner
Sierra Club page "Don't Let Developers Control The Coastal Commission"

Capitol Weekly Jan 19: CCC executive director under fire
Coastal Commission 2015 Vote Summary

MCC Meeting Jan 27, 2016

Agenda for January 27, 2016, 7:00 PM
GCSD meeting room, 504 Ave Alhambra, 3rd floor, El Granada

Supporting documents:
Consent agenda: Minutes for Jan 13, 2016, Minutes for Jan 23, 2016

MCC Special Meeting (Retreat), Jan 23, 2016

The annual MCC Administrative and Planning Retreat will be held Saturday, January 23, 2016, starting at 10:00 AM at Granada Community Services District, 504 Alhambra, third floor, El Granada.  The public is welcome. Supervisor Horsley will attend during the first hour to discuss his 2016 priorities for the Midcoast.  AGENDA

Supporting documents:
2015 MCC Issues & Projects
Treasurer Procedures 2016 
    Folding chair brochure, quote -- County Parks benches
MCC Policies & Procedures (1/28/15)
Rosenberg's Rules of Order -- Rosenberg Rules at a Glance

UPDATE: 1/23/16 meeting minutes 
2016 Task assignments - Issues & Projects

La Costanera Outdoor Patios Denied

The Planning Commission has denied, 5-0, a Use Permit amendment which was a necessary first step in legalizing the Montara restaurant's outdoor patios constructed in 2008 without Coastal Development Permit.  Given the many long-standing and repeated code violations, the Commissioners said they had no assurance the owner would comply with current or new conditions of approval.  Despite assurances that the 189-seat capacity would not be exceeded, the Commissioners saw the patios as an intensification of use which has significant impact on public beach access and nearby residential neighborhoods. [MCC comments 8/26/15, 11/1/15, 1/12/16]

The same entrenched code compliance issues caused the Sept 2014 Planning Commission action to unanimously deny a more extensive Use Permit amendment which included allowing daytime hours.  That decision is pending appeal to the Board of Supervisors. 

The restaurant was permitted by the Coastal Commission in 1977 as a dinner house, open 5pm to normal closing time, in order to accommodate a shared parking arrangement with beach users in the former First St right-of-way, since the restaurant had nowhere near enough onsite parking space.  One of the many violations has been the repeated installation of customer-parking tow-away signs at the shared lot and even at the unimproved State Parks lot to keep out the beach-going public.

Another overdue issue the property owner must address is the deteriorating riprap installed in 1983 to protect the new restaurant from seacliff erosion.

UPDATE 3/30/16: Additional Citation for violation of hours of operations on 3/13/16.