La Costanera Coastal Act Violations Elevated to State Enforcement Level

Entrenched lack of code compliance by La Costanera restaurant seems to have halted their attempts to legalize unpermitted outdoor patios and daytime hours for the after-5pm “dinner house”.  Both these goals conflict with the original 1977 restaurant permit which depends on a shared public beach parking arrangement due to inadequate private parking for the capacity of the restaurant.

On April 25 the Coastal Commission issued a “Notice of Intent to Commence Cease and Desist Order and Administrative Civil Penalties Proceedings” against the property owner, Amidi Group, for long-standing and repeated violations of the coastal access provisions of the Coastal Act due to unpermitted development and non-compliance with the terms of their Coastal Development Permit. 

On April 26 the Board of Supervisors considered an appeal of the Planning Commission denial of Use Permit amendment to allow use of the patios. The Board chose to delay their decision for six months to see if the restaurant could address all outstanding violations (exterior paint and drainage issues) and not add any new ones during that time (no patio use or daytime events). HMB Review articleprior post