On 9/13/18 the California Coastal Commission (CCC) approved an amendment to the popular Montara Beach restaurant’s Coastal Development Permit, allowing use of the lower patio, which was built without permits in 2008. To mitigate for parking impacts on public beach access, a condition of approval requires the applicant to improve the adjacent State Parks informal dirt parking lot. The parking lot improvements must be completed within two years, but the restaurant will be allowed to seat patrons on their patio immediately. (staff report, exhibits)
Other public access improvements around the restaurant are planned for construction in the coming months, including improved public access trail, view seating areas and clear signage indicating the shared beach access parking in the restaurant lots. These were included in the consent agreement between the CCC and the property owners in March 2017, which resolved a range of long-standing Coastal Act violations at La Costanera.
MCC has expressed concerns about the deteriorating rip-rap that was permitted by the County in 1984 to protect the restaurant from erosion. As a condition of the County Use Permit amendment for the patio a year ago, a rip-rap repair plan is required from the property owner within one year (by Oct 2018). Removal of excess view-blocking boulders from the bluff top will be considered in that assessment.