The Commission approved an after-the-fact CDP for Patio 66, a small bar and grill with 2,836 sq. ft. of public seating on the Santa Monica Pier. ActCoastal commends the Commission for imposing robust conditions to protect public access and reduce ocean pollution from single-use plastics.

The Commission unanimously approved a 100% affordable housing project on 4th Street in downtown Santa Monica, replacing a previous city-owned parking structure that was underutilized. The Commission approved removal of the parking structure in a previous CDP, knowing full well that the City’s intent was to replace it with much-needed coastal zone affordable housing. 

The Commission approved PG&E's coastal development permit and federal consistency determination for extended operations of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant through October 2030, conditioned on a significantly enhanced mitigation package. However, the mitigation for California's "deadliest predator" still fell short of what ActCoastal called for, resulting in an Anti-Coast vote.

The Commission approved a coastal development permit for demolition of an existing single-family residence and construction of a new home on caissons at 35665 Beach Road in Dana Point, but imposed significant conditions to protect coastal resources over the project's 75-year lifespan due to its beachfront siting on a rapidly eroding shoreline. 

The Commission unanimously approved the agency's next 5-year Strategic Plan with support from coastal advocates including ActCoastal members Surfrider and Salted Roots.

The Commission approved the City of Marina’s groundbreaking update to its Local Coastal Program—a major win for coastal resilience and public access. The new plan prioritizes keeping Marina’s beaches natural and unarmored, ensuring future development avoids shoreline armoring and accounts for sea level rise

The Commission approved a creative enforcement settlement with the Sandbourne Hotel in Santa Monica to resolve long-standing permit violations, turning a missed obligation into a model for coastal responsibility. The agreement delivers major community benefits—including free employee transit, EV chargers, plastic-free operations, and funding for accessible beach wheelchairs—while reducing traffic, pollution, and barriers to the coast. It’s a powerful example of how strong enforcement can produce real, lasting wins for both people and the environment.

The Commission approved common-sense regulatory changes to make it easier to build affordable housing along California’s coast. The amendments extend the vesting period for 100% affordable housing projects from two to five years and double the length of permit extensions, giving developers more realistic timelines to secure complex public funding. By streamlining the process while maintaining strong environmental safeguards, the Commission is helping make coastal communities more affordable and accessible to people of all income levels.

Plastic pollution is a major threat to California’s coast, harming wildlife, water quality, and public access to beaches. By adopting this guidance, the Coastal Commission is using its authority to protect our coastal resources—benefiting all Californians. The guidance helps local governments and developers prevent plastic pollution at its source, keeping our beaches cleaner, our waters safer, and marine ecosystems healthier for generations to come.

After nearly a decade of failed attempts to amicably resolve alleged Coastal Act violations at a unique beach and lagoon-adjacent property in North Carlsbad, the Commission unanimously approved a significant enforcement action against the property owner. The alleged violations included blocking coastal access and unpermitted development within a conditioned wetland habitat buffer zone.

The Commission approved three separate, but similar, permits for beachfront homeowners in Santa Cruz to restack riprap boulders that had fallen from their permitted revetments onto the public beach.

The Commission unanimously approved Santa Monica’s Living Shorelines Project, which aims to establish and maintain almost 40 acres of coastal dune habitat across Santa Monica State Beach. A true multi-benefit solution, the project will provide myriad benefits to LA’s most popular beach

Commission requires Carlsbad beachfront homeowner to remove unpermitted retaining walls and grading in their blufftop, beach-facing backyard.

On Thursday, the Commission approved a permit for the repair of an approximately 700 foot-long rock revetment fronting 19 residential lots along South Pacific Avenue in Oceanside.

The Commission approved a joint seawall application for three neighboring properties along Pleasure Point Drive in Santa Cruz.

The Coastal Commission’s enforcement division issued a consent cease and desist and administrative penalty action against Paradise Point Resort before the Commission.

The Commission approved a sand restoration project at Surfers Beach in Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay.

The Commission approved the City of Manhattan Beach’s local coastal program update for coastal hazards with staff’s suggested modifications. Manhattan Beach faces climate change and sea level rise vulnerability over the coming decades - especially with public infrastructure, storm drain outfalls and sewer lines. To plan for coastal resiliency, the City includes an emphasis on nature based adaptation measures, protection of public access, recreation and sensitive coastal resources and inclusionary public participation processes. Coastal Commission staff suggested two modifications to clarify the City’s citywide beach dune restoration program could evaluate other “soft” solutions such as living shoreline projects in the future. The other modification clarifies that the beach dune stabilization program will use native Southern California coastal dune plant species. The Commission approved the LCP update unanimously.