Meeting Overview
The Commission ducked behind the redwood curtain to convene in Eureka from September 9-11. They tackled an agenda that included an armoring proposal along an otherwise pristine stretch of Humboldt coast, an extraordinary enforcement agreement in Malibu, and more.
Wednesday kicked off with an informational briefing on the 2026-2027 El Niño, which included a scientific overview and a warning for coastal communities to prepare for what may be the strongest El Niño event in decades. Several SoCal communities are already reeling from recent Hurricane Marie swells, which the LA Times reports as a “glimpse of what’s to come” this Winter.
At Tamarack State Beach in Carlsbad and Aliso Beach in Laguna Beach, the entire beach was lost and parking lots are crumbling into the ocean. Rail service through San Clemente is paused yet again, as crews destroy an ever-expanding stretch of beach by dumping boulders on it to protect the rail line. Waves pummeled homes on Beach Road in Dana Point, dragging one into the ocean and damaging 15 others (nine were red-tagged). Carlsbad, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point have all declared a local state of emergency.
Farther north in Seal Beach, crews worked overnight to pump ocean water from flooded streets. Along the Long Beach Peninsula, “the storm forced the evacuation of about 20 structures, left stretches of boardwalk in tatters and swallowed a swathe of city beach seemingly overnight,” according to the LB Post. In Malibu, a large sinkhole swallowed the driveway of a celebrity’s beachfront mansion on the aptly named Sea Level Drive, prompting city officials to evacuate 31 neighboring homes. Meanwhile, a Kelvin wave that will temporarily raise sea levels by up to six inches is traveling toward the California coast.
Currently, these coastal cities continue to approve new construction in the very same places where existing properties are falling into the ocean. Factors like outdated zoning, and the lack of any viable framework for managed retreat, contribute to this untenable situation. Will beach loss and property damage wrought by this winter’s Super El Niño finally compel coastal communities, public agencies, and the state to treat coastal climate adaptation with the urgency it requires? Or will it lead to more armoring that sacrifices the public beach while temporarily protecting private property and public infrastructure, as previous El Niños have?
Hopefully the former, but more likely both. In 2022, Governor Newsom vetoed SB 1078 (Allen), a bill that would have mandated the creation of a Sea Level Rise Revolving Loan Pilot Program to help local governments buy out vulnerable coastal properties. Perhaps California’s next governor will see the need more clearly.
Thursday’s enforcement hearing offered some inspiration for how coastal property buyouts could protect our beaches. In lieu of paying fines for brazenly stealing sand and rocks from the beach to pad his property’s large seawall, a Malibu property owner offered to buy an entire beachfront parcel in East Malibu and dedicate it for public access and recreation. The Commissioners earned a Pro-Coast vote for approving this agreement, which will result in more public beach as opposed to an additional beachfront property built in harm’s way.
A less hopeful scenario played out in Humboldt County, where the Commissioners approved a large rock revetment to protect a coastal access road along one of the state’s least armored stretches of coast. Despite ample space to move the road to a safer location, the County could not reach an agreement with the adjacent property owner. The County will be required to pursue an eventual managed retreat alternative, but this cannot be considered anything other than an Anti-Coast vote. Meanwhile local beachgoers pleaded with the Commissioners to maintain off-road vehicle access at this beach, which is currently allowed but which Commission staff removed from the County's final design. The Commissioners amended the special conditions to provide the County with a potential window to continue off-roading on the beach.
Issues voted on at this meeting:
The Commission approved a 900-foot rock revetment along an otherwise unarmored stretch of coast in Humboldt County
In lieu of penalites for brazenly stealing material from a protected beach and impeding public access within an lateral easement, a Malibu property owner has agreed to restore the damage and dedicate an entire Malibu beachfront parcel to the public for access and recreation.
Other Discussions
The Commissioners approved the largest marine aquaculture project in the country off the Ventura coast. West Marin Environmental Action Committee, which leads a statewide aquaculture coalition, relayed concerns over wildlife entanglement.
The Commissioners also approved two of their own appeals. One involved a locally approved development at the same Malibu property implicated in the enforcement deal. The Commission found Substantial Issue and approved on de novo a modified design with a larger setback from the beach. The other appeal involved some all-too-common LCP consistency issues in Encinitas – a locally approved blufftop home with questionable setbacks and a nonconforming basement that would require excavation deep into the bluff. The Commission found Substantial Issue; the de novo hearing will be held at a future hearing.