Commission members gathered in downtown Sacramento last week for their monthly meeting to address the latest developments along California\u2019s coast.<\/p>\n
On the agenda was a Santa Monica hotel failing to comply with accessibility requirements and the Diablo Canyon power plant \u2013 the last remaining nuclear site in California \u2013 trying to stay open despite mounting environmental concerns.<\/p>\n
Also on the schedule was a rule change that would give coastal affordable housing projects more time to begin construction.<\/p>\n
In a unanimous decision, the 12 voting members of the quasi-judicial agency approved it, giving projects up to five years, rather than two, to break ground.<\/p>\n
Commissioners and staff lauded the approval as a step in the right direction to allow affordable housing projects more time to get the funding they need.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They also cheered the decision as a step toward remaking the controversial reputation of the 53-year-old agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think next year would be a good opportunity to roll out an education campaign in the Legislature to highlight some of the movements we made toward this,\u201d Commissioner Linda Escalante said.<\/p>\n
This week, I reported on how the California Coastal Commission is changing to regain the favor of lawmakers and housing advocates for its storied role in controlling housing along the Pacific coast.<\/p>\n
The commission is one of the most powerful state agencies in the country, overseeing some of the wealthiest real estate in the world, as I mentioned in the Sacramento Report<\/a> a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n Democratic Gov. Newsom has accused the agency of slowing rebuilding efforts in the Pacific Palisades after the January Los Angeles fires. State lawmakers, including Assemblymember David Alvarez, have introduced a slew of bills in recent years to cut its authority over certain housing rules.<\/p>\n In May, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas appointed two pro-development officials: Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez and Chula Vista Councilmember Jose Preciado.<\/a><\/p>\n And last month, Newsom appointed Jaime Lee, a wealthy Los Angeles real estate developer to the commission to replace Effie Turnbull Sanders, who helped the agency adopt its current environmental justice policies.<\/p>\n Environmentalists, although surprised by Lee\u2019s appointment, were wary of raising alarms, saying it\u2019s too early to form an impression of Lee.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile there have been concerns expressed within the environmental movement, at this point we have no idea how this commissioner will be,\u201d said Jennifer Savage, associate director of the coastal protection group Surfrider Foundation.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point we\u2019re optimistic that she\u2019ll uphold the coastal act.\u201d<\/p>\n The 1976 law governs the Coastal Commission and San Diego\u2019s own massive coastal zone, which is larger than that of any other county and includes over 300,000 residents, according to data from Nicholas Depsky<\/a> at the United Nations Development Programme.<\/p>\n It was created in the aftermath of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, one of the country\u2019s worst environmental disasters, and its main purpose is to protect California\u2019s beloved shoreline from environmental degradation. The coastal act also keeps its pristine beaches open to the public.<\/p>\n Staff and commissioners often point out that coastal protection and public access are the agency\u2019s primary responsibility, not housing policy, which they believe they have been unfairly scrutinized for.<\/p>\n The commission is responsible for approving only a small number of housing permits and has authority over just a handful of local governments that do not have their own coastal rules.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the Legislature\u2019s enthusiasm and zeal in order to effectuate housing more quickly, they\u2019re kind of stepping on themselves,\u201d said Sarah Christie, a legislative director at the commission. The myriad housing reform laws California has passed have made it confusing for cities and counties to update their coastal zoning rules, she said.<\/p>\n Commissioner Ray Jackson, a skeptic of big developers, said that lawmakers need to focus more on affordable housing rather than increasing supply more broadly.<\/p>\n Housing activists, such as Colin Parent with Circulate San Diego, have found hope in the recent changes.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s a good sign,\u201d Parent said. \u201cI actually think that the coastal commission statute is fine as is if the people enacting it have a broader view of their goals.\u201d<\/p>\n After commissioners approved the housing rule change, commissioner Escalante suggested the agency create a document compiling the movements it has made toward helping California\u2019s intractable housing crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if we can have a white paper that we can walk around with and figure out some of the reputation issues that we have.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n The state Legislature reconvenes on Jan. 5. Here are some of the previously introduced bills I\u2019m watching.<\/p>\n Senate Bill 369<\/a> is a union-backed measure that would require workers on the Salton Sea restoration project<\/a> be trained or certified by an apprenticeship program. It was introduced by Democratic Chula Vista Senator Steve Padilla<\/a>. Newsom vetoed the bill on Oct. 13, stating that it would cause delays unless changes were made in consultation with the state labor agency. It was returned to the Senate for reconsideration.<\/p>\n Padilla\u2019s other proposal, to create a California Latino Commission, SB 388<\/a>, was vetoed by the governor because the governor said \u201cit would lead to ongoing implementation costs in the millions of dollars while duplicating existing efforts.\u201d The bill, which seeks to create a nine-member state agency to address socioeconomic inequities among Latinos, was kicked back to the Senate.<\/p>\n Assemblymember Chris Ward<\/a>, a San Diego Democrat, plans to revive his surveillance pricing proposal, Assembly Bill 446<\/a>. It would prevent grocery stores from using user data to inform their prices. Ward previously told the Sacramento Report that he seeks to introduce a broader version of the bill that would include most retailers after AB 446 stalled after an Assembly floor vote.<\/p>\n Senate Bill 741<\/a>, introduced by Democratic Sen. Catherine Blakespear<\/a> of Encinitas, would stop the Coastal Commission from reviewing future projects added to the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor, which hugs the Pacific coast. It would be another blow to the agency\u2019s authority. It passed the Senate and awaits a committee hearing in the Assembly.<\/p>\n Another proposal by Blakespear, Senate Bill 569<\/a>, aims to help streamline the process for cities to enter agreements with the state transportation department to clear homeless encampments on roads and freeways. It also awaits a committee hearing in the Assembly.<\/p>\n What I\u2019m Reading Now<\/strong><\/p>\n President Trump\u2019s push to slash federal jobs could have played a role in a\u00a0 22 percent annual reduction in San Diego\u2019s military workforce, a new report finds and KPBS<\/a> explains.<\/p>\n The Justice Department has joined in a lawsuit to block the new congressional maps California voters approved earlier this month, AP News<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n