Sonoma Coast State Park Fees

The Department of Parks and Recreation (the Department) is seeking to install pay stations at 15 locations along the Sonoma Coast. In 2013, the Department submitted a proposal to the Board of Supervisors to install the pay stations. The Board unanimously denied the application saying it would undermine sections of the LCP and Coastal Act that require public access. Upon the denial, the Department appealed to the Commission. The Commission held a ‘Substantial Issue” (SI) hearing to determine if SI existed and if the application should ‘go back’ to the local level or stay under Commission jurisdiction.

Concerned members of the public wanted the application to go back to the Board of Supervisors because the local community is heavily invested in the process and the County has worked extensively on the issue to ensure the LCP and Coastal Act are upheld and that public access is not dramatically impacted. For nearly 4 years, community organizations have been attempting to form a relationship with the Department to work cooperatively on the CDP application. Unfortunately the Department was slow to respond and a tight community bond was not solidified. A quote from a recent Op-Ed in The Sonoma County Gazette perfectly summarizes the current situation: “At this point, the ball is State Parks court. They have decisions to make, fences to mend, and information to gather.”