Politics & Government

California Coastal Commission Again Postpones Hearing Marina del Rey Development Proposal

The state panel overseeing coastal development will not consider a major redevelopment proposal in Marina del Rey during its October meeting and will instead consider it in November.

The California Coastal Commission has again postponed consideration of a major redevelopment plan for Marina del Rey and will consider the matter in November, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors said Wednesday.

The statewide panel, which oversees coastal development, was expected to hear the matter at its October meeting in Huntington Beach. It earlier was expected to be heard in June during a meeting in Marina del Rey, but was postponed due to staffing constraints at the California Coastal Commission.

The Department of Beaches and Harbors, which oversees development in Marina del Rey, learned Wednesday that the redevelopment proposal will be heard during the commission's November meeting in Oceanside, said department spokeswoman Debbie Talbot. No reason was immediately given.

Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Santos Kreimann, head of the Department of Beaches and Harbors, said after Wednesday's meeting of the Small Craft Harbor Commission in Marina del Rey that the hearing could be moved to November due to the recent appointment of new California Coastal Commission executive director Charles Lester. Kreimann speculated that it could take some time for Lester to review all the materials related to the redevelopment proposals.

The California Coastal Commission has final authority over coastal development and has been slated to rule on the Marina del Rey Local Coastal Plan Major Amendment. The major amendment is a long-term redevelopment and land-use plan that changes zoning rules to make way for several redevelopment projects in the aging marina.

The Department of Beaches and Harbors has been shepherding the changes to the Local Coastal Plan through a regulatory process that has been going on for roughly a decade.

Find out what's happening in Marina Del Reywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission in December voted 3-1 in favor of the redevelopment plan. The planning department removed a project from consideration that would have reduced parking near Mother's Beach to make room for a three-building complex that would include 292 apartment units, 32,400-square-feet of retail space and 323 restaurant seats. The project had been decried by rowers who use the lot to park while they enjoy time on their kayaks, canoes and paddleboards.

In February, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously endorsed the major redevelopment plan despite protests from a busload of residents. Opponents of the redevelopment plans view the county's action as a gift to developers at the expense of county residents and claim it is against the mandate that the marina be preserved as a recreational destination for county residents.

The major amendment to the redevelopment plan would change zoning rules for four so-called Pipeline Projects that have been bundled together for consideration. They are:

1. A 400-unit apartment complex replacing a 136-unit complex and a 126-unit apartment complex on an existing public parking lot.
2. A 114-unit luxury senior housing complex.
3. A dry-dock boat storage facility for 375 boats.
4. A proposed mixed use-facility that could include more than 116,000 square feet of commercial space, 255 residential units and a new 26,000-square-foot facility for the county's Department of Beaches and Harbor.

The proposed plan also has been criticized because it calls for a reduction of the overall number of boat spaces, or slips, to accommodate longer and wider boats. Critics claim the move favors the wealthy at the expense of boaters who can't afford larger craft, while county officials have produced reports pointing toward a trend of larger boats.

Marina del Rey is in unincorporated Los Angeles County and is overseen by the county's Department of Beaches and Harbors. Long-term lessees operate the housing units, boat slips and commercial venues in the marina, including restaurants and hotels.

The marina's lessees are taxed and generate about $40 million annually for the cash-strapped county. The money goes to the county's general fund to pay for such items as law enforcement and health care programs, but some of it also goes to the Department of Beaches and Harbors for beach projects and maintenance throughout the county.

The California Coastal Commission also is scheduled to hold a workshop at its November meeting on "Recreational Boating Issues and Concerns in Marina Redevelopment," according to its website. The workshop will focus on the development of marinas and recreational harbors and Coastal Act policies to protect recreational boating opportunities, including lower cost boating. The workshop will have emphasis on marinas from Santa Barbara County south, which includes Marina del Rey, and will feature a panel of stakeholders.


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