Summary
The Commission approved a $1.8 million LCP Grant to fund baseline monitoring and modeling for Oceanside’s RE:BEACH project, a pilot sand replenishment and retention effort that includes hard structures such as groins. While these funds could help inform adaptation, the grant lacks requirements for policy updates to the City's outdated LCP. The City continues to permit new development reliant on legacy armoring, even as it plans further structural interventions to preserve eroding beaches.
Why You Should Care
While the LCP Grant program is essential for coastal planning, this particular award lacked sufficient conditions to ensure long-term coastal resilience. Approving a pilot sand retention project without requiring corresponding policy changes or setback standards sets a harmful precedent. The vote reflects a missed opportunity to require real accountability and adaptation in the face of worsening coastal erosion and sea level rise.
Outcome
Pro-Coast Vote
Anti-Coast Vote
Without tying this grant to meaningful land use policy updates, the Commission risks endorsing a reactive approach that prioritizes engineered shoreline manipulation (e.g., groins) over durable, long-term solutions. Sand retention structures may temporarily hold sand in one place but typically harm adjacent beaches, exacerbating erosion elsewhere. This vote greenlights funding without guardrails, a loss for beach preservation and public access.
Organizations Opposed
Surfrider Foundation
Decision Type
LCP Grant
Staff Recommendation
Approval