Local Coastal Program Update
Process Overview
City Council
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
California Coastal Act
• What is it?
• California Coastal Commission (CCC) was established in 1972 by voter initiative (Prop 20)
• 1976 Coastal Act passed by State Legislature • Created CCC as permanent agency tasked with protecting coastal resources • What does it do?
• CCC exercises its purview through the Coastal Development Permit process
• Coastal Act provides for local jurisdictions to develop a Local Coastal Program for their coastal zones and submit to the CCC to certify that the LCP complies with the State Coastal Act
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Santa Monica’s Coastal Zone
• How the Coastal Zone Boundary Was Formed
• Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 30103(a) and (b) defined and directed CCC to adopt detailed maps to define coastal zone boundary in 1977
• State law defines coastal zone as extending inland generally 1,000 yards from the mean high tide line
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Santa Monica’s Coastal Zone
• How the Coastal Zone Boundary Can Be Changed
• Minor amendments are allowed to correct situations where parcels or natural/manmade features are split by the Coastal Zone boundary • Under Coastal Act Section 30103(b): • CCC may adjust boundaries: • Up to 100 yards landward • Up to 200 yards seaward • Local governments with certified LCP (with owner consent) may adjust up to 200 yards landward. • Boundary changes are typically processed through: • Local Coastal Program (LCP) amendments • Coastal Commission map updates • Specific parcel correction requests Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Local Coastal Program
Composed of 2 parts:
1. Land Use Plan (LUP) – Issues, Goals, Policies
2. Implementation Plan (IP) – Coastal Zoning
Ordinance
Both must be approved by City and CCC
Santa Monica has a certified 1992 LUP that
guides coastal approvals.
Santa Monica does not have an Implementation
Plan. This means that applicants must seek CCC
approvals AFTER their City approvals
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Why Update the LCP?
• Santa Monica last prepared and
certified a LUP in 1992 • The full LCP was not certified • 1992 LUP does not reflect Santa
Monica’s current conditions or
primary policy objectives
• Certified Implementation Plan is
needed for the CCC to transfer
coastal permitting authority to the
City rather than a two-step
sequence
How Would a New Process Work?
CITY REVIEWS for
consistency with
certified LCP
CCC RETAINS authority
over submerged lands,
tidelands
APPEALS
• CCC: area within 300 feet
of coastal bluff edge,
beach, or mean high tide
line; first public road and
the sea; ESHA
• City Council: all other
areas in Coastal Zone
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Overview of Santa Monica’s LCP Efforts
• LUP update started in 2014 that resulted in Council adopting comprehensive LUP update in 2018
• Progress on CCC’s formal review of 2018 LUP stalled due to lack of predictability in the process and fundamental
disagreements on policy approach that do not reflect Santa Monica’s unique, urban multi-modal coastal conditions
• Formally resumed LUP update process in 2023 with full commitment to work towards certification
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Recent Engagement with CCC Leadership • Recent engagement with CCC have been positive • Following Council-facilitated outreach, staff is now in direct engagement with CCC leadership • Multiple substantive staff-level conversations this past week with Executive Director Dr. Kate Huckelbridge and senior CCC staff • Discussions focused on whether the City and Commission can reach a mutually agreed-upon framework for LCP certification within a defined, near-term timeline • Based on those conversations, we have been discussing the possibility of bringing a complete MOU framework to Council for review before the end of May 2026 • These recent discussions represents the most substantive collaboration the City has seen in years • Staff-level alignment does not, on its own, guarantee Coastal Commissioner support at a future hearing • Apparent breakthroughs with CCC have not always materialized in the past • Staff is approaching this opportunity with optimism and realism Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
A Path Forward – MOU Framework Concepts
1. Recognize Santa Monica’s strong track record in protecting coastal resources and providing public access to the coast
2. Establish process & timeline to complete Santa Monica’s LCP Certification (LUP & IP) with Coastal Commission approval by June 2027
3. Use the City Council-approved 2018 Land Use Plan as the foundation, updated to address Environmental Justice, Sea Level Rise, and new circumstances
4. Explore a streamlined exemption or “Ministerial CDP” process for qualifying projects that meet objective and known standards and do not require public hearings or discretionary review
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Next Steps
• Based on the submitted 16-item, staff requests that the City Council provide feedback on our engagement efforts with CCC
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026
Item 16.A
May 12, 2026