Executive Director's Report

Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge and other staff provided an update on agency activities since the March meeting, including:

• In March, commission leadership traveled to Washington, D.C. for the annual meetings of the Coastal States Organization and NOAA program managers.
• In March, commission staff attended the annual UC Davis Environmental Law Symposium, titled “Resilient by Design: Climate Adaptation & the Future of Housing in California.”
• The commission will staff tables at three public festivals in April, including Whalefest in Monterey, as well as Earth Day events in Whittier and Oceanside.
• Commission staff provided a report on the status of proposed legislation that could impact the agency.

Housing

The Coastal Commission approved the San Benito Student Housing Project at UC Santa Barbara, including seven new residential and support buildings containing over 2,200 new student and faculty housing units, new bicycle and pedestrian paths, enhancement of an on-site wetland and future sea level rise adaptation measures to prevent housing displacement.

The Coastal Commission approved zoning changes in the city of Del Mar to promote denser housing, including objective design standards for projects subject to Senate Bill 9 (2021), which allows for two-unit residential development on single family lots.

The Coastal Commission upheld the approval of a mixed-use development at the Miramar Beach Resort in Santa Barbara County, which includes eight market-rate units and 26 affordable housing units for hotel employees.

The Coastal Commission approved zoning changes in Santa Cruz County to promote denser housing by implementing Senate Bill 9 (2021), which allows for two-unit residential development on single family lots.

Habitat

The Coastal Commission fined Sable Offshore Corp. up to $18 million for rebuilding an oil pipeline in Santa Barbara County without the proper permits, including excavation with heavy equipment that negatively impacted vegetation and wetlands. The commission also ordered the recently created oil company to restore environmentally sensitive habitat and other areas.

The Coastal Commission approved habitat enhancements along Lower Bear Creek in Humboldt County to addressing flooding and improve public access to Mattole Beach and Campground as well as the King Range National Conservation Area.

The Coastal Commission approved a federal consistency determination allowing Space Exploration Technology Corp. (SpaceX) to land capsules in the Pacific Ocean 12 miles offshore of Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties up to 10 times per year.

Sea Level Rise

The Coastal Commission approved a $1.8 million local assistance grant to the city of Oceanside for vulnerability assessment and coastal hazard adaptation.

The Coastal Commission approved the replacement of a gangway and installation of an elevator at Navy Pier in San Diego, adding a condition for new public access signage for the USS Midway Museum’s viewing deck.

Water

The Coastal Commission upheld a Mendocino Unified School District plan to upgrade to its aging potable water system, including among other things, the replacement of water tanks and construction of an emergency back-up generator.

The Coastal Commission upheld the approval of a four-unit apartment building in the Venice neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles.

Public Access

The Coastal Commission approved a plan to transform the site of an old timber mill on the Noyo Headlands in the city of Fort Bragg into a park with a science center.

The Coastal Commission approved the return of 136 acres of state coastal property near the city of Fort Bragg to Native American stewardship. The tribally chartered nonprofit Kai Poma will manage the lands for public access, maintaining natural habitat and protecting Native American cultural resources. 

The Coastal Commission approved the repair and replacement of the Grandview Staircase in Encinitas to provide continued public access to the beach.

The Coastal Commission upheld the construction of a 250-room hotel and six affordable housing units in the city of Santa Barbara.

The Coastal Commission approved repair and maintenance activities at the Ventura Pier, while ensuring that construction activities do not limit public access on weekends and holidays.

*All actions taken at the Coastal Commission’s public hearing in Santa Barbara on April 9 to 11, 2025.

**Banner photo by Slater Moore, submitted for the 2015 California Ocean & Coastal Amateur Photography Contest.