Consent Enforcement Agreement, Sandbourne Hotel Santa Monica

The Commission approved a consent enforcement agreement and administrative penalty to resolve long-standing violations at the Sandbourne Hotel in Santa Monica. The case involved the hotel’s failure to implement a condition of its 1990 Coastal Development Permit requiring employee transportation demand management measures intended to reduce car trips to the beach area. For example, the Commission had required a 50% transit fare reimbursement for employees for 30 years. The violation persisted for almost 20 years under prior ownership before the current owners cooperated with Commission staff to bring the property into full compliance through a negotiated settlement.

Under the approved agreement, the hotel will deliver significantly greater and more enduring public benefits than originally required, including new measures that promote sustainable transportation, reduce plastic pollution, and expand coastal access. Key elements include:

• Full transit reimbursement for employees in perpetuity (replacing the original partial, time-limited subsidy)
• Monthly employee incentive program ($500 raffle and bilingual outreach in English and Spanish)
• Designated bike and carpool parking areas
• Installation of eight EV charging stations, available free to employees and guests
• Elimination of single-use plastics and Styrofoam and enrollment in Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Hotels marine debris reduction program
• Two public water bottle refill stations accessible to the public and guests
• Funding for four new beach wheelchairs, plus ongoing maintenance, storage, and outreach support through Heal the Bay’s accessibility program

Commission staff recommended, and the Commission approved, satisfying the administrative penalty through these on-the-ground measures, finding that the outcome provides lasting benefits for public access, coastal resource protection, and environmental sustainability.

Because the newly agreed-upon conditions are more substantive than those in the hotel’s original CDP, Commission staff recommended satisfying the administrative (i.e., financial) penalty through these on-the-ground measures. The Commission agreed that the outcomes will provide more lasting benefits for public access, coastal resource protection, and overall sustainability.

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This enforcement outcome matters because it turns a long-running violation into a stronger public benefit: more equitable access to the coast, concrete steps to reduce single-use plastics, and potential reductions in vehicle miles traveled and congestion near one of California’s busiest beaches. The upgraded transit subsidy and lasting employee incentives will directly help lower-income workers who commute to Santa Monica, while beach wheelchair funding and marine debris commitments expand access and protect the shoreline for everyone. Importantly, the case shows that strong enforcement—paired with cooperative property owners —can deliver meaningful outcomes for both people and the coast.