Issue: Bay City Partners LLC Development

Summary

March 1, 2015

This project is uniquely located along the San Gabriel River and adjacent to the ocean in Seal Beach. The application includes ‘subdivision and sale’ of 32 residential lots, a 6.4 acre park, a public easement over a bike bath, and access to parking for recreation.

Why You Should Care

Commission Staff recommended denial of the project because the property had been designated to be 70% visitor-serving and 30% overnight visitor-serving accommodations. Since Seal Beach does not have a certified LCP, the standard of review was the Coastal Act. While the project was slightly improved during the hearing, certain sections of the Coastal Act were woefully overlooked. Section 30213 was a critical Chapter 3 policy that was overlooked, and it states: “Lower cost visitor and recreational facilities shall be protected, encouraged, and, where feasible, provided.” As noted in past vote charts, the Commission has spent considerable time focusing on, and has directed staff to spend significant amounts of time to find creative ways, to improve and protect lower-cost accommodations. Unfortunately, project approvals like this where the thorough, thoughtful staff analysis was undermined by the Commission vote weakens the purported support for protecting and improving access to lower-cost accommodations.

Outcome

Pro-Coast Vote

Anti-Coast Vote

After hours of public testimony, Commission deliberation, and new conditions being added to the CDP from the dais, the project was approved unanimously. Commission Zimmer, Pestor and Boccho attempted to make the project stronger by supporting amendments to protect lower-cost accommodations. However, in the end, the amendments only marginally enhanced lower-cost facilities at the project site. Four of the 32 units will be sold as ‘lower-cost’ overnight accommodations. The four sites are located are on the periphery of the subdivision— farthest from the river and ocean—minimizing direct public access to the beach and river.