In August, Marin County finalized a 13-year process of amending the Local Coastal Program (LCP); a project EAC has been involved in since the beginning. However, the County failed to update the critical environmental hazards (EH) policies written over 40 years ago, which we believe is irresponsible and neglects the public’s responsibility to protect and advance healthy, safe, and equitable communities. The danger of rising sea levels and flooding was not considered in the 1980s planning documents, and we vehemently disagree with maintaining outdated EH policies in the face of the climate emergency. Unfortunately, the County ultimately decided to finalize a partial update and is now coping with how to implement the outdated policies alongside the updated policies as development permit applications are submitted.
Marin County Exploring Sea Level Rise Adaptation & Drafting Hazards Development Guidance
Marin County launched a Coastal Communities Working Group (CCWG) in early 2020 composed of EAC, Surfrider, the Alliance of West Marin Villages, and additional village association representatives with the goals of providing local, community input on hazard and climate adaptation planning initiatives and projects in West Marin, for the members to be liaisons between the County and their respective communities, and for members to gain expertise and integrate knowledge from each project to inform its review of future planning processes. This builds on the County’s C-SMART (Collaboration: Sea-level Marin Adaptation Response Team) process that identified vulnerabilities and potential solutions to the County’s coastal climate challenges.
Three County projects are currently the focus of the CCWG: 1) Stinson Beach Nature-Based Adaptation Feasibility Study, 2) Tomales Bay Living Shoreline Feasibility Study, and 3) Local Coastal Program (LCP) environmental hazards policy amendments.
California Coastal Commission Receives Update on Marin County’s LCP; Marin County Still Fails to Comprehensively Plan for Climate Change
Yesterday, August 12, 2021, the California Coastal Commission (Coastal Commission) received an informational update on Marin County’s fraught LCP update process. Last month, the Marin County Board of Supervisors finalized their Local Coastal Program (LCP) update and retained 40-year old land-use policies to inform development in hazardous areas in the face of the climate crisis. The finalized LCP went into effect August 12, 2021.
In the Face of a Changing Climate, Marin Sups Finalize LCP and Keep 1980s Flood and Fire Policies
Point Reyes Station, CA (July 14, 2021) - Yesterday, the Marin County Board of Supervisors (Board) voted to finalize their Local Coastal Program (LCP) update and retain 40-year old policies to inform land-use and development for environmental hazards. The finalized LCP will go into effect 30-days from the Board’s decision, on August 13, 2021. The Environmental Action Committee (EAC) – a grassroots local environmental organization working to protect the unique lands, waters, and biodiversity of coastal Marin – has been advocating to the County for 13-years to comprehensively update their LCP including environmental hazards policies, which has only become more urgent in the face of the mounting climate crisis.
EAC and the Surfrider Foundation submitted comments to the Board in advance of the meeting asking for the County to complete the missing hazards chapter before finalizing the LCP with concerns that the incomplete plan will result in inconsistencies, set a negative precedent in the state for other jurisdictions to ignore planning for the impacts of the climate crisis, and that the implementation of the LCP required more time for public education and outreach.
The Coastal Commission Moves the Marin LCP Forward
The Environmental Action Committee of West Marin presented public testimony to the California Coastal Commission (Commission) on Wednesday concerning the Marin County Local Coastal Program (LCP) amendments. The Commission voted unanimously to certify LCP amendments in areas that focused on agricultural development and definitions, and community zoning concerns. It was the first time in the LCP’s long history that the Commission staff recommended approval as submitted.
Marin LCP Heading to the Coastal Commission
At the December 11th hearing, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to move the LCP amendments forward to the Coastal Commission. The amendments will likely be before the Coastal Commission in February 2019 at the North Central meeting when EAC will likely raise additional concerns to the Commission.
The Planning Commission Moves Marin’s LCP Forward
On October 11th, the Marin County Planning Commission (Planning Commission) considered proposed amendments and modifications to the Local Coastal Program (LCP), specifically Amendments Nos. 3 (Implementation Plan related to agriculture) and 7 (remaining Implementation Plan sections), Land Use Policy C-PK-3 and related LCP map changes. In advance of the hearing, EAC submitted written comments highlighting our concerns with the County’s proposed language modifications.
