November 2019 Hearing Description

The Coastal Commission’s November hearing took place in Half Moon Bay at the Oceano Hotel and Spa on Wednesday, Nov. 13 through Friday, Nov. 15. A number of controversial items dominated the agenda over the three days of hearings with the California American Water Co. Monterey desalination project being at the top of that list. The meeting resulted in two vote charts. The first is the proposed permit extension for the Ocean View Plaza Cannery Row development. The permit extension, which includes a desalination plant, was denied due to changed circumstances including new desalination regulations and the need for coastal hazard sea level rise analysis. Read the full Ocean View Plaza vote chart here. The second is the City of Pacific Grove Local Coastal Program update. The update was certified with staff’s modifications but failed to incorporate suggestions made by ActCoastal partners. Read the full Pacific Grove vote chart here.

Check out our YouTube channel to see ActCoastal partner testimony.

Cal Am Desal

An informational hearing took place on Thursday for the proposed Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project (MPWSP). The project is a desalination plant and distribution components that would provide 6.4 million gallons of potable water per day to Monterey County. The staff recommendation was for denial due to the availability of less environmentally impactful alternatives. The staff report cites that the expansion of the region’s waste water recycling project, Pure Water Monterey, could negate the need for a desalination plant. The Commission heard over eight hours of public comment on this informational item. Many residents voiced their concerns regarding the impacts of the proposed plants and the lack of need. Due to the controversial nature of this item, the Commission opted for a two-part hearing; the action item when Commissioners will vote is expected to be held in March 2020. For more information, check out the staff report here.