Coastal Commission Approves LCP Amendments

The California Coastal Commission (CCC) has unanimously approved an amendment to the County of Los Angeles Santa Monica Mountains Local Coastal Program (LCP) to change the land use designations of 95 parcels.

A total of 61 parcels acquired by park agencies since the LCP was certified have now been designated Open Space, while 34 privately owned parcels that were designated Open Space (OS) will be relabeled residential or coastal recreation.

The new designations range from “Rural Lands 40,” i.e., one dwelling unit per 40 acres, to the “Rural-Coastal 10,000” zone designation, i.e., one dwelling unit per 10,000 square feet.

According to CCC staff, “Any parcels affected by this change are already assigned the correct land use designation, so the proposed correction will have no effect on coastal resources.”

The staff report also stated that the county performed a “parcel-specific analysis for each property,” to determine “whether the parcel should be re-designated from OS and which residential land use and zoning category would be most appropriate.”

The amendment also includes, “minor textual and grammatical changes as well as changes to policies and provisions of the LCP regarding biological resources, consistency with the standards of other county agencies, recreation and scenic resources.”

One of those changes is a new provision that would allow the county to enact a five-year ban on issuing a permit on any property with a recorded Coastal Development Permit (CDP) notice of violation, revocation, or cease and desist order.

The staff report states that the ban “is intended to dissuade property owners or developers from developing land illegally without the required CDP,” and that the provision “will help to protect coastal resources within the Santa Monica Mountains.”

Another change is intended to clarify and strengthen policies regarding emergency permits for oak tree removal. The new provision allows for removal of oak trees “only to protect existing structures and also limit the discretion of the director to only consider other cases of emergency in order to prevent the spread of infection or disease amongst tree populations.”

The proposed changes were approved without controversy or discussion.

For more information on the Santa Monica Mountains LCP: planning.lacounty.gov/coastal.

 

Suzanne Guldimann

Suzanne Guldimann is an author, artist, and musician who lives in Malibu and loves the Santa Monica Mountains. She has worked as a journalist reporting on local news and issues for more than a decade, and is the author of nine books of music for the harp. Suzanne's newest book, "Life in Malibu", explores local history and nature. She can be reached at suzanne@messengermountainnews.com

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