New appointments make Coastal Commission an even tougher hurdle
We know of at least one land developer whose due diligence questions include, “Is the property in the Coastal Zone.” If the answer is “yes,” forget it; no acquisition.
Two new Coastal Commission appointments by Assembly leader Karen Bass have made that approach seem even more justified, as two open-minded and reasonable Commission members have been replaced by two who raise red … make that green … flags. Let’s let the head of San Diego Coastkeeper frame it up for us:
“I think we have a chance to have the ‘greenest’ commission that we have had
in a long time.”
Most troubling to the development community is the replacement of Monterey County supervisor Dave Potter with Santa Cruz County supervisor Mark Stone. While nothing is easy when seeking permits from the Commission, Supervisor Potter could find merit in sensitively designed projects despite emotional arguments made by no-growth and environmental advocates.
Stone says he will seek a balance between coastal protection and the rights of property owners, but be forewarned: He secured his seat as a result of a concerted campaign by environmental activists to replace Potter. One organizer of the campaign said of Stone’s appointment:
“There was a strong coalition of environmental groups that supported change from Potter. Bass heard these groups.”
San Diego City Council member Ben Hueso was another commissioner who understood that the Commission is supposed to balance coastal protection with property rights, and he periodically voted counter to the wishes of the no-growthers and greens. He will be replaced by Oceanside City Council member Esther Sanchez, whose successful run for council was bolstered by endorsements from the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters.
She recently voted against homebuilders when a measure to delay payment of development fees came before the Oceanside City Council, and was earlier the target of a recall because of her opposition to important transportation improvements. On the plus side (I’ve been accused of being an eternal optimist!), she beat out San Diego Councilwoman and uber environmental activist Donna Frye for the position.
Bottom line: If you’re going for a Coastal Development Permit, or are thinking about going for one, a maddeningly frustrating approval process just got worse. You’re going to need a consulting team that includes a firm like Laer Pearce & Associates, which has experience with Coastal Commission messaging and outreach strategy.
I’m eager to hear your thoughts. You can reach me at laer@laer.com or 949/599-1212.
Tags: Coastal Commission, coastal zone, coastkeepers, entitlement, karen bass, Mark Stone
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 12:21 pm and is filed under Coastal Commission, Development, Environment, Government, Laer's Latest, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
