CITY OF PACIFICA
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
Community Center
540 Crespi Drive
Pacifica, CA 94044
Mayor Tygarjas Bigstyck
Mayor pro Tem Sue Vaterlaus
Councilmember Sue Beckmeyer
Councilmember Mary Bier
Councilmember Christine Boles
City Council Study Session 1 December 05, 2023
SPECIAL MEETING – STUDY SESSION
December 05, 2023 (TUESDAY) - 6:00 PM
www.cityofpacifica.org
NOTE: THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD IN-PERSON ONLY.
• For Special Meetings, Public Comment is limited to items on the agenda only. • Written Public Comments:
BEFORE THE MEETING: Written public comments may be submitted in advance by 12:00 p.m. on the meeting date by email to: [email protected]. Written public comments submitted by email should adhere to the following:
• Clearly indicate the Meeting Date in the Subject Line • Include the submitter’s full name
Written public comments received by 12:00 p.m. on the meeting date will be provided in their entirety to the City Council and posted to the City’s website prior to the meeting but will not be read verbally at the meeting.
5:30 PM - DINNER
6:00 PM - OPEN STUDY SESSION
Call to Order
CONSIDERATION
1. Community roundtable to discuss potential alternative modifications to the California Coastal Commission staff’s March 2023 suggested modifications to the City of Pacifica’s Certification Draft Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP).
PROPOSED ACTION: Receive a presentation from staff, observe the community roundtable discussions, and receive public input about potential alternative modifications.
A. Staff Presentation
B. Round Table Discussions, Summaries and Public Comment
ADJOURN
City Council Study Session 2 December 05, 2023
The City of Pacifica will provide assistance for disabled citizens upon at least 24 hours advance notice to the City Manager’s Office (650) 738-7301, or send request via email to:
[email protected] if you need sign language assistance or written material printed in a larger font or taped, advance notice is necessary. All meeting rooms are accessible to the disabled.
The Pacifica Municipal Code is available online at the City’s website (www.cityofpacifica.org/municode);
HOW TO OBTAIN CITY COUNCIL AGENDAS
Posted agendas:
Agendas are posted no later than Friday prior to the City Council meeting date, at the entrance to the City Hall location at the Pacifica Community Center, 540 Crespi Drive.
View on the Internet:
Follow the link to Council agenda, at www.cityofpacifica.org E-mail subscription:
Send a request to Sarah Coffey, at [email protected] City Clerk’s Office/City Manager’s Office
City Hall, 540 Crespi Drive
Council meetings:
Agendas are available at the City Council meeting
HOW TO REACH YOUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
• Governor Gavin Newsom, State Capitol Building, Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 445-2841 • State Senator Josh Becker, 1528 So. El Camino Real, Suite 303, San Mateo CA 94402 (650) 212-3313 • Assembly Member Marc Berman, 721 Colorado Ave, Suite 101, Palo Alto CA 94303 (650) 324-0224 • Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, 698 Emerson Street, Palo Alto CA 94301 (650) 323-2984 • Senator Alex Padilla, B03 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510 (202) 224-3553 • Senator Laphonza Butler, SD-G10 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510 (202) 224-3841 • President Joseph R. Biden, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20500
CITY COUNCIL
• Mayor Tygarjas Bigstyck, tbigstyck@ pacifica.gov
• Mayor pro Tem Sue Vaterlaus, [email protected]
• Councilmember Sue Beckmeyer, [email protected]
• Councilmember Mary Bier, [email protected]
• Councilmember Christine Boles, [email protected]
CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
12/5/2023
1 SUBJECT:
Community roundtable to discuss potential alternative modifications to the California Coastal Commission staff’s March 2023 suggested modifications to the City of Pacifica’s Certification Draft Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP).
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive a presentation from staff, observe the community roundtable discussions, and receive public input about potential alternative modifications.
STAFF CONTACT:
Christian Murdock, AICP, Planning Director
(650) 738-7341
[email protected]
Stefanie Cervantes, AICP, Senior Planner
(650) 738-7341
[email protected]
INTRODUCTION:
The California Coastal Act requires every city along the coast to prepare a Local Coastal Program (LCP), which consists of two parts: a Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) and an Implementation Plan (IP). The LCLUP must be consistent with the Coastal Act. The LCLUP must specify the intended uses of land within the Coastal Zone, and serves as a policy framework for future actions, such as development review and City infrastructure projects. The LCLUP will also guide the contents of the IP, which consists of the zoning ordinance, zoning map, and other policies and programs to implement the LCLUP.
While the LCLUP is separate from the General Plan, much of the descriptive text and policies overlap between both documents due to their similar purpose of specifying land uses, establishing goals and policies, and providing a policy framework for future actions. There are many benefits to having an updated LCLUP, including updated maps, modernized policies to guide development, enhanced environmental protections, strengthened economic development and housing policies, and consistency with the City’s 2040 General Plan.
The City has worked towards completion of the LCLUP update for more than 10 years.
Considering how to respond to California Coastal Commission (CCC) staff’s suggested modifications to Pacifica’s Certification Draft LCLUP, approved by City Council in February 2020, is a critical step in the update process. To further that effort, this community roundtable session is the second of a three-meeting series to engage and inform the public and City Council members. Each meeting has a different focus, with Meeting #1 having focused on understanding the overall suggested modifications from CCC staff. The focus for this meeting, Meeting #2, will be primarily on potential alternative modifications related to future development in the Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park neighborhoods as Special Resiliency Areas (SRAs), or “carve out” areas, from the overall framework of the LCLUP. Participants of the community roundtable should be prepared to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the SRAs and provide input on the draft SRA policies. Meeting #3 will focus on consideration of a 1 Packet Pg. 3
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comment letter to the CCC requesting consideration of alternative modifications instead of CCC staff’s suggested modifications, and discussion of what those potential alternative modifications should be. While there will be an opportunity to comment on other alternative modifications directly related to the CCC suggested modifications at Meeting #2, the main focus will be the Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park neighborhoods mentioned and potential exceptions or carve outs that would establish those neighborhoods as SRAs. Meeting #3 will provide an additional opportunity to comment on other alternative modifications related to the CCC suggested modifications.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
In February 2020, City Council approved the Certification Draft Local Coastal Land Use Plan (“2020 LCLUP”), and directed the City Manager to transmit it to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) for certification. Additional background information, including the 2020 LCLUP document (also known as the “Certification Draft LCLUP”), are available on the Project Documents page of the Plan Pacifica website1.
Staff submitted the 2020 LCLUP to the CCC in June 2020. Between the years of 2020-2022, City and CCC staffs exchanged several rounds of information in response to CCC staff requests. The information requested by CCC staff was required to address that agency’s administrative filing requirements before the City’s application could advance to a point where CCC staff could provide formal substantive comments on policy provisions related to certification. In August 2022, the CCC finally accepted the 2020 LCLUP for filing. On December 16, 2022, the CCC took action to extend the deadline by one year, as authorized by Public Resources Code section 30517. The CCC’s action extended the deadline to December 22, 2023. Failure by the CCC to act within the statutory deadline results in an LCP amendment being deemed approved by the CCC.
In late February 2023, the City received notice the CCC would consider the City’s Certification Draft LCLUP at the March 8, 2023, CCC meeting. The CCC staff report for the item included CCC staff’s final recommendation, which included many suggested modifications to the City’s submittal (“CCC Suggested Modifications”) 2. The City requested a continuance of the March 8th hearing date to allow an opportunity to review and consider the CCC staff’s recommendations.
Since March, City staff has met multiple times with CCC staff to gain a better understanding of the suggested modifications in order to develop a comprehensive analysis and explore potential revisions for future City Council consideration.
On October 9, 2023, the City Council directed the City Manager to incorporate 2040 General Plan consistency revisions into the 2020 LCLUP to form the Revised Certification Draft LCLUP, adopted the Revised Certification Draft LCLUP, and approved the transmittal of the Revised Certification Draft LCLUP to the CCC for certification (2020 LCLUP and Revised Certification Draft LCLUP collectively referred to as “Revised LCLUP”). The City’s resubmittal of the Revised LCLUP to the CCC eliminated the December 22, 2023 deadline and will allow the City and CCC staff additional time to discuss potential revisions to the CCC Suggested Modifications. Staff anticipates a CCC certification hearing on the Revised LCLUP will occur no later than June 2024.
On October 9, the City Council also directed a three-meeting community engagement plan, as follows:
1 Available at https://www.planpacifica.org/project-docs. 2 Available at https://cityofpacifica.egnyte.com/dl/DpPxoDE8q3, with City-added numbering for identification.
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• November 13, 2023 - Meeting #1: Inform the Council and community on the CCC Suggested Modifications to the Revised LCLUP.
• December 5, 2023 - Meeting #2: Provide input on potential alternative modifications to those presented by CCC staff based on discussions between City staff and CCC staff (focused on SRA policy alternatives for Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park). • Tentatively scheduled late January/early February 2024 - Meeting #3: City Council consideration and approval of a comment letter to the CCC requesting revisions to the CCC Suggested Modifications to the City’s Revised LCLUP.
This three-meeting process is intended to conclude the comprehensive LCLUP update process that started more than 10 years ago. It involves concluding the LCLUP update process based on the structure and policy emphasis approved by the City Council in the 2020 LCLUP, with consideration of potential modifications to certain policies as an alternative to the CCC staff’s suggested modifications from March 2023. This process is not a reconsideration of the structure and policy emphasis that was approved in the 2020 LCLUP (and continued in the Revised LCLUP). The purpose of this process is to bring the Council and community to a point where a decision is made on whether to submit a comment letter to the CCC in response to CCC staff’s comments from March 2023. This is a necessary step to conclude the comprehensive LCLUP update process that was started in 2009 and most recently approved by City Council in February 2020 and revised to incorporate conforming General Plan amendments in October 2023. Consideration of a comment letter to propose alternative modifications to the CCC that may be acceptable to the CCC and the City Council is the best and most expedient way for the City to seek CCC certification of the Revised LCLUP in a form that the City Council may be likely to adopt following CCC consideration.
Meeting #1 Summary: Discussion of California Coastal Commission Staff’s Suggested Modifications (March 2023)
The November 13, 2023 study session staff report contains a summary a key suggested modifications, as well as attachments including a summary table with all CCC Suggested Modifications, the City’s 2020 LCLUP text (the meeting was conducted before City transmittal of the Revised LCLUP to the CCC), and a brief summary of each modification. Staff presented the key suggested modifications to provide additional information and context, responded to Council questions, and also provided information about other suggested modifications not included in the initial summary of key suggested modifications (link to meeting video).
The design of Meeting #1 was intended to provide information to aid understanding of the CCC Suggested Modifications and their relevance to Pacifica. The design of Meeting #2, the community roundtable discussions, will focus on potential alternative modifications to address the CCC Suggested Modifications that would most significantly impact Pacifica.
Meeting #2: Potential Alternative Modifications
Background
Approximately half of the CCC Suggested Modifications apply to Chapter 6: Coastal Resiliency.
This reflects the importance of coastal resiliency policies to the Revised LCLUP, in particular because of the anticipated increase in the frequency and severity of coastal hazards in future years as a result of climate change and sea level rise specifically, and how these hazards may affect Pacifica’s existing development pattern. As described at the November 13, 2023 study session, staff identified a number of key CCC Suggested Modifications that, in staff’s assessment, warrant consideration of alternative modifications. These include, but are not limited to:
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• Section 6.3 Preparation of Policies;
• Section 6.5 Coastal Resilience Policies;
• Section 6.6 Sub-Area Policies and Programs; and
• Glossary
In staff’s assessment, the most significant among these suggested modifications are those that would negatively affect the ability for development to occur within those parts of Pacifica that are already densely developed and situated near the shoreline. Staff has engaged in multiple conversations with CCC staff to determine what alternative modifications could address Coastal Act consistency while minimizing development obstacles in the Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park coastal neighborhoods which would be most significantly impacted if the CCC Suggested Modifications were to take effect citywide. The remainder of this report will focus on such potential alternative modifications related to future development in these two neighborhoods. Staff acknowledges other suggested modifications may warrant discussion of potential alternative modifications, and invites public comments to identify them during this community roundtable discussion for a potentially more in-depth discussion and analysis at Meeting #3. However, the complexity and importance of the new policy language addressing potential SRAs for Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park necessitates a thorough and focused discussion of its own, which prevents broadening the subject matter to be discussed at Meeting #2.
Potential Alternative Modifications to Address Near- and Mid-term Adaptation Challenges There are significant direct and indirect financial costs, social, cultural, and economic impacts, and complicated legal issues associated with major shoreline adaptation planning. These interrelated factors make major shoreline adaptation planning a long-term undertaking. While the City should continue to study and consider appropriate strategies for broad-based, long-term coastal adaptation in response to intensifying coastal hazards, near- to mid-term adaptation strategies in Pacifica should be considered separately and will require different approaches.
In recognition of the long-term nature of major coastal adaptation activities, staff has sought to find a way forward to achieve certification of a Revised LCLUP that would respect Pacifica’s existing built conditions in the Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park neighborhoods that under all plausible scenarios will remain largely in their current forms for the foreseeable future.
Reasons for focusing on these two neighborhoods include, but are not limited to:
(1) the density and prevalence of existing development including high proportions of preCoastal Act development; (2) concentration of essential Coastal Act-supported land uses; (3) presence of critical public rights-of-way and infrastructure; and, (4) existence of broad shoreline protection benefitting multiple public and private landowners which complicates potential future removal.
Some specific factors in these neighborhoods are as follows:
• Both Neighborhoods
o Existing shoreline protection devices protecting dozens of public and private properties.
o Public coastal trail established by existing shoreline protection devices. o Concentration of visitor-serving retail uses inland of existing shoreline protection devices.
o Presence of critical wastewater and other infrastructure immediately adjacent to 1 Packet Pg. 6
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shoreline.
• West Sharp Park
o Pier established by existing shoreline protection devices. o Visitor-serving retail district and public library inland of existing shoreline protection devices.
o Presence of critical wastewater and other infrastructure immediately adjacent to shoreline.
o Prevalence of pre-Coastal Act development individually entitled to approval of shoreline protection.
• Rockaway Beach
o High concentration of visitor-serving lodging inland of existing shoreline protection devices.
With the major factors affecting the Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park neighborhoods in mind, staff has worked with CCC staff to formulate potential alternative modifications to CCC Suggested Modifications that would reflect the unique and beneficial combinations of existing land uses in these areas, and the detrimental impact to Pacifica and Coastal Act consistency that would result if shoreline protection devices were to be removed or ongoing development were to be disallowed.3
The potential alternative modifications discussed by City and CCC staffs are more specifically described in Attachment A “Alternative Adaptation Strategies in Pacifica”. These alternative adaptation strategies reflect staff-level discussions based on both CCC and City staffs’ years of experience participating in coastal planning processes in Pacifica. Each agencies’ staff believes the policy approaches described in Attachment A would address many of the most significant issues raised throughout Pacifica’s LCLUP update process, provide a reasonable basis to begin the public input process to consider whether the right balance has been achieved, and with further refinement could reflect a set of policies that each agencies’ staff would recommend for approval by their respective decision makers. Both staffs recognize that the proposed approach will not address all interests of all parties, but have invested significant effort in developing the draft policy language reflected in Attachment A in the spirit of compromise and with the intent of accomplishing an achievement critical to both agencies: a comprehensive LCLUP update to replace Pacifica’s existing 1980 LCLUP.
Special Resiliency Areas (SRAs)
The draft alternative modifications in Attachment A are intended to address many of the Chapter 6: Coastal Resiliency suggested modifications from CCC staff by inserting new policy text that would be specifically applied to two geographic areas – West Sharp Park (Attachment B), and Rockaway Beach (Attachment C). These areas are referred to as Special Resiliency Areas, or SRAs. The name reflects that special policies would apply within the SRAs that would be different from those policies generally applicable within the LCLUP elsewhere within Pacifica.
The purpose of the Special Resiliency Area policies is to allow ongoing economic use and vitality of property, provision of public services, operation of visitor-serving uses, and protection of broad coastal access. Special Resiliency Areas will continue to rely on existing shoreline protection, while also requiring implementation of adaptation measures to be incorporated into 3 Based on the specific criteria used to identify the areas of Rockway Beach and West Sharp Park (e.g., existing shoreline protection devices protecting critical infrastructure and residential and coastaldependent development), it is possible that in the future additional areas of the City will meet the criteria and could be added via a Local Coastal Program Amendment. 1 Packet Pg. 7
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development. The policies for the SRAs remove many of the CCC suggested modifications that most heavily impact development and create more flexibility for development to rely on existing shoreline protection devices and implement adaptation measures.
To receive the benefits of modified LCLUP policies applied within the SRAs, the City would also incur important new obligations in the administration of its Local Coastal Program, or LCP, of which the LCLUP is one part and the Implementation Plan, or IP, is the other. Notably, the City will need to carry out a program of coastal resource enhancements, which will be created postLCLUP certification and will include a community outreach process to determine the specific projects, primarily within the SRAs, and identify potential funding sources for the projects. The City will also need to review development for potential adaptation opportunities that respond to applicable coastal hazards, such as eliminating certain existing nonconformities and considering modifications to development standards to reduce the exposure of development to such hazards. Importantly, the City will also need to coordinate with property owners for removal of development in cases where, despite the presence of shoreline protection, the development has been recurrently and significantly damaged by coastal hazards. These new obligations are discussed further below.
Coastal Resource Enhancements
Coastal resource protection is a fundamental goal of the Coastal Act. Construction of shoreline protection devices, such as seawalls and rock revetment, can result in coastal resource impacts that must be mitigated under the Coastal Act. While City staff acknowledges the essential nature of the existing shoreline protection devices in the Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park neighborhoods, the ongoing presence of these devices as supported by the exceptions in the SRAs from LCLUP policies that would otherwise support their removal over time will require offsetting coastal resource enhancements to mitigate adverse impacts to coastal resources.
For example, coastal resource enhancements required in the SRAs will include the following hierarchy of improvements, from highest to lowest priority/importance in relation to mitigating coastal resource impacts:
• Removal of shoreline protection devices at publicly or privately owned sites anywhere in Pacifica.
• Modifying existing shoreline protection devices to implement nature-based solutions anywhere in Pacifica.
• Maintenance or alteration of existing shoreline protection devices to expand public coastal access including but not limited to trails and beach access within the SRA. • Acquiring and conserving undeveloped coastal properties within the SRA. • Enhancing visitor amenities within the SRA.
Opportunities to remove or modify existing shoreline protection devices are expected to be very limited, underscoring the importance of these devices to protect existing development in the SRAs and elsewhere. Therefore, most of the City’s efforts to enhance coastal resources in the near- and medium-term are expected to focus on visitor-serving amenities enhancements.
Visitor-serving amenities improvements will be decided during a community engagement process as a post-LCLUP certification program. Visitor-serving amenities can include improvements to trails and beach access, acquiring and conserving undeveloped coastal properties, and enhancing the coastal visitor experience by providing or enhancing public restrooms, covered picnic areas, and bike parking, among many other potential coastal visitor amenities. Once the scope and type of coastal resource enhancements are known, the City must then commit to seek funding and implement appropriate projects. The City’s progress in implementation will be subject to periodic review by the CCC. Lack of substantial progress implementing the required improvements could lead to suspension of the SRAs until required 1 Packet Pg. 8
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improvements are implemented.
Adaptation Measures in the SRAs
In contrast to the above-described coastal resource enhancements, that will likely be primarily City-led as City-sponsored projects, the implementation of adaptation measures during the development review process is anticipated to be led primarily by private property owners because of the significantly larger number of privately-owned properties compared to publiclyowned properties within the SRAs. This will occur as private property owners submit applications for development within the SRAs. Adaptation measures would be focused on the development site and would include consideration of reduction or removal of nonconformities as well as waivers from development standards.
The need to correct or reduce existing nonconformities would be triggered by projects meeting the definition of Substantial Structural Modification. Typical nonconformities related to coastal hazards that may be reduced or removed during the development review process include increasing nonconforming setbacks to situate development farther from wave overtopping or coastal erosion; or, removal of excessive lot coverage to minimize the extent of structural exposure to wave overtopping, coastal erosion, or flooding.
Similar to the hazard reduction approach associated with reduction/removal of nonconformities, the City would be required to consider waivers of development standards to minimize exposure of development to coastal hazards and to facilitate longer-term adaptation strategies. Examples of development standard waivers could include allowing greater height in order to minimize development on areas of a site closest to wave overtopping, erosion, or flooding hazards; reduction in off-street parking requirements to create more space for adaptation on-site or to make adaptation easier to implement in the future (e.g., allowing a carport instead of a garage).
Removal of Development Significantly and Recurrently Damaged by Coastal Hazards A main objective of the SRAs is to enable development in reliance on existing shoreline protection devices, an objective that would not ordinarily be consistent with the Coastal Act.
However, the protection provided by existing shoreline protection devices is not uniform for all properties and all hazards, for example, when some properties closest to the shoreline are subject to wave overtopping and/or flooding during storm events, while others farther from the shoreline are not. Therefore, there may be areas within the SRAs that are periodically damaged by coastal hazards, such as oceanfront businesses in the Rockaway Beach commercial district and single-family residences in northern portions of West Sharp Park where windows, walls, and other elements of those buildings are damaged or destroyed and require replacement.
Alternative modifications considered to be part of the set of SRA policies would include a requirement that development in the SRAs would modify or, if necessary, remove structures that experience recurrent, substantial coastal hazard damage above certain established thresholds.
This provision provides an important feedback mechanism to the SRA policies to address situations where, despite the presence of shoreline protection, development cannot reasonably be allowed to remain on a site due to the significant threat to life and property.
Community Roundtable Discussions
Public input in response to the SRA provisions outlined in Attachment A is a critical part of the LCLUP update process. Meeting #2 is the first time the SRA provisions will be available for public review, providing a unique opportunity to convene the community and discuss them. The meeting will begin with an optional dinner for attendees, followed by an initial staff presentation.
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varied viewpoints to provide input on this potential approach, all while enabling the City Council to observe the diversity of discussions. Following the community roundtable portion, there will also be an opportunity for public comments on items discussed during the meeting or other areas of potential discussion during Meeting #3.
Each table will include a facilitator and note taker, with a focus of a manageable number of participants at each table to maximize the opportunity for dialogue (dependent on the level of public attendance at the meeting). Participants should be prepared to engage in a comprehensive discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of the SRAs, provide ideas on how to improve the draft SRA policies, consider whether the SRA approach is a worthwhile compromise to achieve the overall goal of LCLUP certification, and provide suggestions for other alternative modifications directly addressing the CCC Suggested Modifications that may not have been specifically identified for discussion at the meeting. This will enable staff to provide further analysis of other suggested modifications of interest to the community as part of Meeting #3. The dedicated notetakers at each table will also ensure comments are captured and characterized effectively.
All of the discussions will be summarized in a written report that will accompany the Meeting #3 staff report. The feedback received will also inform further analysis and development of the alternative modifications that will be discussed by City Council at Meeting #3.
Future Meetings
This community roundtable is the second of three community engagement meetings planned to conclude the LCLUP certification process. The next meeting, Meeting #3, will be a City Council consideration item to discuss and approve submission of a comment letter from the City to the CCC requesting revisions to the CCC Suggested Modifications. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for late-January/early-February 2024. This meeting will consider other potential alternative modifications beyond those associated with the SRAs that are the focus of Meeting #2. As staff noted during the November 13, 2023 study session, many of the other CCC suggested modifications not highlighted during the study session are minor in nature, either deleting or adding a word or phrase. However, staff values public input identifying any suggested modifications proposed by CCC staff with thoughts on how the City may propose an alternative modification. Any public comments received on alternative modifications will be considered by staff and presented to the City Council during Meeting #3.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
No alternative action has been identified.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
The Local Coastal Land Use Plan is consistent with the following item(s) in the Council-adopted Strategic Plan and Priority Work Plan for FY 2023-24:
• Goal 4: Pursue climate change adaptation and mitigation. o Strategy C: Update Pacifica’s Local Coastal Plan and improve communications and collaboration with the California Coastal Commission.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact from this item.
ORIGINATED BY:
Planning Department
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ATTACHMENT LIST:
Attachment A - DRAFT Special Resiliency Area Policies (Alternative Adaptation Strategies) (DOCX)
Attachment B - West Sharp Park SRA (PDF)
Attachment C - Rockaway Beach SRA (PDF)
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Alternative Adaptation Strategies in Pacifica
Problem Statement
How do we further the Statewide imperative for long-term adaption planning and coastal resource protection while acknowledging the existing development pattern and previous public and private investments in Pacifica? Narrative
Unique circumstances exist in Pacifica, where many areas are urbanized with existing residential development, coastal dependent development, and critical infrastructure, much of which is currently shielded by shoreline protection. Conventional adaptation strategies, such as relocation of existing development to allow removal of shoreline protection, involve significant direct and indirect financial costs, social, cultural, and economic impacts, and complicated legal issues. Moreover, such conventional adaptation strategies would lead to unintended coastal resource impacts based on the existing development pattern in Pacifica. These impacts importantly include loss of significant, cohesive lateral public access (trails) and visitor accommodations (motels and hotels) along the shoreline afforded from existing shoreline protection. These interrelated factors make major shoreline adaptation planning a long-term undertaking. While the City should continue to study and consider appropriate strategies for broad-based, long-term coastal adaptation in response to intensifying coastal hazards, near- to midterm adaptation strategies in Pacifica should be considered separately and will require different approaches.
Policies are needed in the Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) to account for these unique circumstances along Pacifica’s coastline.
Special Resiliency Areas (SRAs)
The following policies apply within the Special Resiliency Areas mapped in Figure CR-XX. These areas have existing development patterns with significant amounts of pre-Coastal Act development, a mix of public streets and infrastructure, land uses prioritized by the Coastal Act, and significant unified public coastal access, all protected by broad existing shoreline protection, that warrant a unique policy approach in the LCLUP. The purpose of these policies is to allow ongoing economic use and vitality of property, provision of public services, operation of visitorserving uses, and protection of robust coastal access for all persons including persons with disabilities within a Special Resiliency Area (SRA). Accomplishing these goals necessarily requires ongoing reliance on existing shoreline protection, while also requiring sensible adaptation measures to be incorporated into development where feasible and when related to the presence of specific hazards within SRA. Application of these policies to areas not mapped in Figure CR-XX shall require an LCLUP amendment.
While the SRA policies are intended to be exceptions from other LCLUP policies, development within the SRA will still comply with the Coastal Act based on the balancing of Coastal Act priorities provided by these policies. If there is a conflict between a provision in this section and another provision of this LCLUP, this section shall take precedence in the SRA.
CR-I-X1 Development Protected with Existing Shoreline Protection – Development shall be authorized to proceed in reliance on existing shoreline protection provided adaptation measures are implemented consistent with the Adaptation Plan prepared pursuant to Policy CR-I-XX, and subject to other feasible adaptation measures described or required in this policy and Policy CR-I-X2. Adaptation measures may include but not be limited to siting
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Attachment: Attachment A - DRAFT Special Resiliency Area Policies (Alternative Adaptation Strategies) (5538 : LCLUP Community Roundtable structures as far from hazard areas as practicable, elevating structures, using materials meant to increase the resilience of development to withstand applicable hazards, and/or waiver of development standards if such waiver would increase the potential for future adaptation. Development standard waivers should focus on site design measures that would advance longer-term efforts to remove shoreline protection devices in the future when areawide circumstances would allow doing so. Development standard waivers may include, but not be limited to, reduced setbacks, increased building heights, reduction or elimination of required covered off-street parking spaces, or reduction or elimination of off-street parking and required vehicular access to the public rightof-way in their entirety. Consideration of appropriate waivers shall take into account other provisions in the LCP intended to protect Coastal Resources, and shall be further guided by the following factors:
• Development shall not create nor contribute significantly to erosion or substantially alter natural landforms.
• In the event that existing shoreline protection devices are removed, the development may remain in place so long as emergency access and utilities services are available, and the development shall not be located on public trust lands.
• There shall be no limit to the number of waivers granted, but each waiver shall be subject to the following limitations:
Development Standard Maximum Waiver
Height 30% of maximum
Setbacks Three (3’) feet from all property lines
Off-street Parking
(Covered)
Where a garage may otherwise be required, a
carport may be authorized. In addition, the
proportion of required covered parking may be
reduced to authorize a greater share of off-street
parking spaces to be uncovered.
Off-street Parking
(Number of Spaces)
Single-family residential: 50%
All other uses: 30%
Except, however, that:
(i) Special designated spaces required by
the California Building Code shall not be
reduced below their required amounts.
(ii) Elimination of off-street parking
entirely may be authorized if necessary
in furtherance of future coastal
adaptation.
Vehicular Access Vehicular access to a public right-of-way shall not be required. Provided, however, that pedestrian
access is available and all emergency vehicle access
requirements of the California Fire Code are
satisfied.
Minimum Usable Private
Open Space
100 sf/unit
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Attachment: Attachment A - DRAFT Special Resiliency Area Policies (Alternative Adaptation Strategies) (5538 : LCLUP Community Roundtable • Development shall be conditioned to require the property owner to execute and record a deed restriction that waives rights to future shoreline protection, acknowledges and assumes all risks from coastal hazards associated with development of the site, waives any claims of damages or liability against the permitting agencies, and agrees to indemnify the permitting agencies against any liability, claims, damages or expenses arising from any injury or damage due to such hazards.
CR-I-X2 Substantial Structural Modification in Protected Areas – When a proposed modification to an existing structure would constitute a Substantial Structural Modification (SSM), as defined, such proposed development shall correct existing nonconformities related to hazards or coastal resource impacts specific to the property and shall be undertaken consistent with the LCP and Coastal Act. Nonconformities related to hazards or coastal resource impacts may include, but are not limited to, reduced setbacks, excessive lot coverage, insufficient offstreet parking, encroachment on public trust lands, and habitable space located below the base flood elevation.
All other legal nonconformities not directly related to hazards or coastal resource impacts shall be allowed to remain, consistent with other applicable policies addressing legal nonconformities in the LCP.
CR-I-X3 Coastal Hazards Induced Damages – Development in the Special Resiliency Area shall be modified (including partial demolition of structures) or, if necessary, removed if the development is affected by recurrent, substantial coastal hazard damage. Coastal hazard damage shall include coastal flooding, erosion, and wave overtopping. Damage shall be measured starting from date of certification of this LCLUP and shall include development that has been damaged two (2) or more times, in which cumulative damage is equal to or greater than twenty-five (25%) of the appraised value of the property or requires repairs that would meet the criteria for Substantial Structural Modification. Appraised value shall be determined by an appraiser authorized to practice in the State of California, shall be prepared within six months of the determination of applicability of this policy, and shall be based on the value of the property immediately prior to the last occurrence of coastal hazard damage that triggered application of this policy. A property that has exceeded coastal hazard induced damage allowances will not be granted any permits to repair. Modification or removal of development subject to this policy shall be the responsibility of the owner and further subject to applicable policies of the Implementation Plan including but not limited to the requirement for a coastal development permit for alteration or demolition of a structure. The provisions of this policy shall not apply to restoration of shoreline protection devices consistent with their permitted design.
CR-I-X4 Visitor Amenity Improvements. – The City will establish a funding source for visitor amenity improvements. Funding sources may include, but not be limited to, grants, fees, assessments, taxes, and any other lawful public or private funding source. The City will create a funding and implementation plan with specific projects to improve visitor amenities in the Special Resiliency Areas. Creation of this plan will include community outreach and input. The plan will be updated every 5 years and will identify specific short-, medium-, and longterm projects to mitigate coastal resource impacts from ongoing reliance on shoreline protection within Special Resiliency Areas. In general, the implementation plan will fund a variety of projects identifying and carrying out shoreline protection removal opportunities, implementing nature-based solutions to adapt existing shoreline protection devices, maintenance or alteration of existing shoreline protection devices to expand public coastal access including but not limited to trails and beach access, acquiring and conserving undeveloped coastal properties, and enhancing visitor amenities. Specific amenity improvements may be constructed anywhere within mapped Special Resiliency Areas although shoreline protection device removal may occur anywhere within the City of Pacifica.
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Attachment: Attachment A - DRAFT Special Resiliency Area Policies (Alternative Adaptation Strategies) (5538 : LCLUP Community Roundtable CR-I-X6 Effective Date of Neighborhood Exception Policies – The Special Resiliency Area policies shall take effect upon certification of the LCLUP and shall remain in effect in five-year increments subject to Executive Director certification that the City has substantially completed the identified visitor amenity plan for the preceding fiveyear period as described in Policy CR-I-X5. Upon a finding by the Executive Director that the City has not substantially completed the identified visitor amenity plan for the preceding five-year period, unless the City can demonstrate there is good cause for not achieving substantial completion, the Special Resiliency Area policies shall be suspended and shall not be effective until the Executive Director makes the required certification.
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Attachment: Attachment A - DRAFT Special Resiliency Area Policies (Alternative Adaptation Strategies) (5538 : LCLUP Community Roundtable
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Attachment: Attachment B - West Sharp Park SRA (5538 : LCLUP Community Roundtable Discussions (Meeting #2))
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Attachment: Attachment C - Rockaway Beach SRA (5538 : LCLUP Community Roundtable