Holding the Line on hazardous development on Beach Rd, Dana Point

The Commission approved a coastal development permit for a new 2,710 sq. ft. residence on a highly vulnerable, oceanfront lot on Beach Road in Dana Point. The project includes an elevated caisson foundation to address flooding and sea level rise, while avoiding the need for present and future shoreline armoring. Additional conditions include an open carport instead of an enclosed garage to minimize coastal hazards, Mean High Tide Line surveys every five years followed by removal of parts of the development that encroach on public tidelands, and a strict prohibition of future shoreline armoring (a more detailed summary of special conditions can be found here). 

This home is the latest in a string of new home builds on Beach Rd. that were approved locally, appealed by Commissioners, then subject to the framework of special conditions detailed in the previous paragraph. These are the strongest, legally enforceable suite of conditions the Commission can apply to minimize impacts on public trust and coastal resources. ActCoastal supports these conditions, albeit begrudgingly. The blunt reality is that homes should not be built this close to the shoreline in the first place, and it remains to be seen whether property owners will honor or flout them.

This project sits on a highly eroded beach, extending perilously close to the mean high tide line. As sea levels rise, the shoreline will migrate landward, encroaching on the property in as little as 15 years. The special conditions on this and other new homes on Beach Road are the strongest yet from the Coastal Commission, providing a template for other new hazardous shoreline developments that cannot be legally prevented. As precedent has already been set on previous Beach Road redevelopments, it’s critical that Commission staff apply it consistently and that a majority of the Commissioners uphold that precedent as subsequent permits come before them. The applicants are aggressively opposed to their permit conditions and have already lawyered up to fight them. The Commission needs to hear from the public — that means you.

Watch Surfrider's comments, along with those from Commission staff and the Commissioners themselves.

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