2015/December
From ActCoastal
| Year | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Month | December |
| Location | Monterey |
| Description | December’s Coastal Commission hearing, held in Monterey, was alive with public comment. Several Monterey residents attended Wednesday's meeting to speak on a desalination plant proposed by California American Water during the public comment period. Concerns ranged from discrepancies in testing reports to a perceived lack of evidence backing Cal Am's claimed testing results. The controversy regarding the project will likely continue during the months to come. A number of individuals testified before the CCC asking they address the “severe degradation” caused by the CEMEX sand mining activities in southern Monterey Bay. Local citizens presented pictures of the rapidly diminishing beach and flooding due to the extensive sand mining. Surfrider representatives were among the many that spoke during public comment to discuss the “take of a public resource,” appealing for the Commission to take action.
Items of concern that were voted on during the hearing include the “Edge” development in Malibu of five residential properties in the Santa Monica Mountains; the longtime-in-the-making cease-and-desist – as well as the restoration – order for the Fred Segal Foundation camp in the Santa Monica Mountains; and the USC application to install an oyster aquaculture research facility in the Cat Harbor State Marine Conservation Area off Catalina Island. “The Edge” development is commonly called so after the U2 guitarist who has been pursuing building several homes at least 10,000 square feet in size for the last decade in an otherwise undeveloped area of Malibu. During this time, environmental groups have fought the development. Through their efforts, the disturbance area of the project has been reduced by 43 percent, but the fact remains that this development is occurring in environmentally sensitive habitat areas (ESHA). Since the purchase of the property in the early 1980s, the Fred Segal Foundation property has had a number of unpermitted developments including: the unpermitted subdivision of the lot; unpermitted placement of structures and infrastructure; removal of vegetation and more. This is significant as a large portion of the area is environmentally sensitive habitat area, and the development has resulted in the clearance of and impacts to sensitive habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains. The University of Southern California Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies (USC-WIES) applied for a permit to install and operate a shellfish aquaculture research facility for five years within a state-designated Marine Protected Area (MPA) located in Catalina Harbor. Environmental groups expressed significant concern over such development happening within an MPA and the fact that the project uses non-native oysters –thus introducing a potentially invasive species to a protected marine habitat. |
Issues voted on at this Meeting
Click on an issue to read full description
| Issue | Summary | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Segal Foundation Cease and Desist and Restoration Orders | Since the purchase of the property in the early 1980s, the Fred Segal Foundation property has had a number of unpermitted developments including: the unpermitted subdivision of the lot; unpermitted placement of structures and infrastructure; removal of vegetation and more. This is significant as a large portion of the area is environmentally sensitive habitat area, and the development has resulted in the clearance of and impacts to sensitive habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains.
In the late 80s, an enforcement action was initiated by Staff, which resulted in the issuance of a CDP to address the violations and accommodate potential future development. However, additional unpermitted development occurred outside the permitted area. The CDP additionally required dedicated open space easements to protect the watershed and wildlife corridors and these areas would cover the entirety of the property with the exception of the specified development areas. Again, however, unpermitted development occurred within the easements. Commission Staff were notified by LA County of development and, in response, sent a notice of violation letter in 2010. Again, the opportunity to resolve the issue through a CDP was offered, but the applicant did not complete the CDP application and thus another notice of violation was sent in 2011. A Consent Cease and Desist Order was issued in 2012 for the western three properties, and the remaining unpermitted development is addressed by this Consent Order. |
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| The Edge Development | The proposal originally sought to develop several homes at least 10,000 square feet in size for the last decade in an otherwise undeveloped area of Malibu. During this time, environmental advocates fought the development. Through their efforts, the disturbance area of the project has been reduced by 43 percent, but the fact remains that this development is occurring in environmentally sensitive habitat areas (ESHA). | 
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| USC’s Catalina Aquaculture Project | The University of Southern California Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies (USC-WIES) applied for a permit to install and operate a shellfish aquaculture research facility for five years within a state-designated Marine Protected Area (MPA) located in Catalina Harbor. Environmental groups expressed significant concern over such development happening within an MPA and the fact that the project uses nonnative oysters – and thus is introducing a potentially invasive species to a protected marine habitat. |
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