Agenda Item No. 9
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CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: April 28, 2025 FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Megan Martin, Community Development Director SUBJECT: Development Application TE-25-0001 - Request for a Two-Year Time Extension for Development Application 10-03 for the Grover Beach Lodge Project Located at 55 West Grand Avenue
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution to approve Development Application TE-25-0001 granting a two-year time extension for Development Application 10-03 (Grover Beach Lodge project) with a previously adopted Final Environmental Impact Report and Statement of Overriding Considerations (SCH# 2010051002).
BACKGROUND
Pacifica Companies, LLC (Applicant) submitted a request to the City of Grover Beach for a twoyear time extension on March 14, 2025, to allow for additional time to obtain building permits and begin construction of the Grover Beach Lodge project (Attachment 2). The approved project consists of a 144-room hotel, restaurant, and 4,000 square feet of meeting space totaling approximately 121,000 square feet located at 55 West Grand Avenue at the end of West Grand Avenue. The project site is located on California State Parks property within Pismo State Beach.
Attachment 3 shows the location of the project site along with the project rendering and site plan.
In April 2014, the Council approved Development Application 10-03 for a Coastal Development Permit and Use Permit for this project. The project was appealed to the California Coastal Commission which determined on June 11, 2014, that the appeals raised no substantial issue. The project was amended in January 2017 to add a roof deck and again in July 2018 to eliminate the conference center and reconfigure the on-site parking lots and on-site sanitary dump station. These approved amendments are available on the City’s website at:
https://www.groverbeach.org/DocumentCenter/View/13801/Combined-Resolutions-Grover-BeachLodge Between 2016 and 2019, multiple one-year time extensions were granted by the City Council due to the permitting complexities of the project before two-year extensions were available pursuant to Development Code updates in 2019. Two-year time extensions were subsequently granted by the City Council in 2019, 2021, and 2023 with the entitlement set to expire on June 11, 2025 unless another extension was approved by the Council.
Staff Report: Grover Beach Lodge Time Extension (Development Application TE-25-0001 Page 2 April 28, 2025
Time Limits and Extensions
Generally, unless a condition of approval or other provision of the Development Code establishes a different time limit, any permit or approval not exercised within 24 months of approval shall expire and become void, except where an extension is granted by the review authority (Section
6.30.060.A.1). If a project requires the issuance of a permit by the federal or State governments, or a local agency other than the City in order for it to be constructed, additional extensions may be granted beyond the 24 months if the review authority can make a specific finding:
• The delay in the project was not caused by the Applicant’s actions or failure to use due diligence in pursuing the required permits necessary to forward with the construction of the project (Section 6.30.060.B.2.b).
Chapter 6.20 provides that the Planning Commission is generally the “Review Authority” for Coastal Development Permits, with some exceptions. However, because the City Council, not the Planning Commission approved the project, it is considered the final approval authority. Since Chapter 6.30 describes that the process for extensions requires the “review authority” to make certain findings, the City Council would be the appropriate body to consider the time extension.
Pacifica Companies, LLC Time Extension Request
The project site is located within the Grover Beach city limits, however, the property is situated within Pismo State Beach and owned by the California Department of State Parks (State Parks).
While the City was responsible for land use authority on the site when the project was approved in 2014, State Parks and the State Fire Marshal are now the lead permitting agencies for the building permits. In addition to permit review by State Parks and the State Fire Marshal, the California Department of Transportation, State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Union Pacific Railroad, and several utility companies must review and approve the permits. This multi-agency review process has required considerably more coordination and time to receive all required project permits.
As documented in the Applicant’s request letter, when the Council approved the 2023 time extension the Applicant was in the final stages of permit review and had resubmitted building plans to the State Fire Marshal. Their plan review process took approximately 12 months at which point the Applicant was informed that the project would also require review by State Parks. For the last nine months, the Applicant has worked with State Parks on their review and are nearing a resolution on the site design primarily focusing on the parking design and circulation of the overall site. This site design resolution impacts civil engineering, utilities, stormwater and erosion control, electrical engineering, and other related work.
Given this timing, the Applicant is requesting a two-year extension to complete this review process to receive building permits and commence construction. To do so, the Applicant must resubmit plans to and receive site design approval from both State Parks and the State Fire Marshal. This delay in the project was not caused by the Applicant’s actions or failure to use due diligence in pursuing the required permits.
Staff finds that the request for the extension is reasonable given the progress over the last two years and would provide the additional time needed to complete the permit review and receive permit issuance. Therefore, staff is recommending that the Council approve the two-year time extension request. Should the request be approved, Development Application 10-03 expiration would be extended to June 11, 2027.
Staff Report: Grover Beach Lodge Time Extension (Development Application TE-25-0001 Page 3 April 28, 2025
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Adopt a Resolution to approve Development Application TE-25-0001 for a two-year time extension for Development Application 10-03 (Grover Beach Lodge project) with a previously adopted Final Environmental Impact Report and Statement of Overriding Considerations (SCH #2010051002);
2. Do not adopt Resolution to approve Development Application TE-25-001; or
3. Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
On April 17, 2025, a public hearing notice for this City Council meeting was mailed to all property owners located within 300 feet of the property, all occupants within 100 feet of the property, all residences in Le Sage Mobile Home Park, and posted to the site as required by City code and was published in the New Times. The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
Attachments
1. Resolution
2. Time Extension Request
3. Project Visuals
RESOLUTION NO. 25-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GROVER BEACH, CALIFORNIA APPROVING DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION TE-25-0001 FOR A TWO-YEAR TIME EXTENSION TO DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION 10-03
FOR THE GROVER BEACH LODGE PROJECT
WHEREAS, Development Application TE-25-0001 has been received from Grover Beach Lodge L.P. (Applicant) requesting a two-year time extension of Development Application 10-03 for the Grover Beach Lodge project located at 55 West Grand Avenue; and WHEREAS, on March 5, 2012, the City Council certified the Environmental Impact Report prepared for the project in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and WHEREAS, on April 7, 2014, the City Council conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution No. 14-19 approving Development Permit 10-03 consisting of a Coastal Development Permit and Site and Architectural Plans; and
WHEREAS, on May 2, 2016, the City Council conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution No. 16-30 approving a one-year time extension; and WHEREAS, on January 9, 2017, the City Council conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution No. 17-04 approving an amendment to Development Application 10-03 to allow a roof deck and other minor project revisions; and
WHEREAS, on June 5, 2017, the City Council conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution No. 17-28 approving a one-year time extension; and WHEREAS, on July 23, 2018, the City Council conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution No. 18-77 approving an amendment to Development Application 10-03 for minor project revisions and Resolution No. 18-78 approving a one-year time extension; and WHEREAS, on September 3, 2019, the City Council conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution 19-49 approving a two-year time extension; and WHEREAS, on July 26, 2021, the City Council conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution 21-26 approving a two-year time extension.
WHEREAS, on May 22, 2023, the City council conducted a public hearing and adopted Resolution 23-15 approving a two-year time extension.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Grover Beach does HEREBY make the following findings and determinations with respect to the time extension for Development Application TE-25-0001:
SECTION 1. Findings for a Time Extension. The City Council finds as follows:
1. There have been no changes in the conditions or circumstances of the site or development since the project approval. The site is unchanged since the project was approved and there have been no Development Code amendments that apply to the project. In addition, the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for the Attachment 1
Resolution No. 25-XX - Grover Beach Lodge Time Extension Page 2 project is still valid because there have been no changes to the site, project scope, or surrounding area that would cause reevaluation of the Final EIR.
2. The delay in the project has not been caused by the applicant’s actions or failure to use due diligence in pursuing the required permits necessary to move forward with construction of the project. The complexity of needing permitting from multiple State agencies and entities has resulted in delays outside of the applicant’s control.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Grover Beach DOES HEREBY APPROVE Development Application TE-25-0001 for a two-year time extension to Development Application 10-03 consisting of a Coastal Development Permit and Use Permit subject to the following conditions:
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL:
1. This two-year time extension for Development Application 10-03 shall expire on June 11, 2027, unless building permits have been issued and construction of the approved project has commenced.
2. The project shall comply with the adopted City Council Resolution Nos. 14-19, 17-04 and 18-77 and all applicable mitigation measures contained in Resolution No. 12-14 certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report.
On motion by Council Member _____, seconded by Council Member ____, and on the following roll-call vote, to wit:
AYES: Council Members –
NOES: Council Members –
ABSENT: Council Members –
ABSTAIN: Council Members –
RECUSED: Council Members –
the foregoing Resolution was PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Grover Beach, California this 28th day of April 2025. _______________________________
KASSI DEE, MAYOR
Attest:
_______________________________
WENDI SIMS, CITY CLERK
Attachment 2
Development Application 10-03
GROVERBEACH.ORG
Attachment 3
Site Plan
GROVERBEACH.ORG