To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Gary Helfrich, 565-2404
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
9:00 AM - Sonoma County Local Coastal Plan Workshop
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Accept report on Local Coastal Plan update (Informational Only)
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Executive Summary:
The Local Coastal Plan Update workshop will provide an opportunity for staff to update the public and the Board of Supervisors on the status of and receive direction on an update of the Sonoma County Local Coastal Plan including an overview of the 2019 Public Review Draft Local Coastal Plan, a summary of public and agency input to date, and a forum for additional input.
Discussion:
Background
The California Coastal Commission, in partnership with local governments such as the County of Sonoma, adopt Local Coastal Programs to protect coastal resources and guide coastal development consistent with the California Coastal Act. In Sonoma County, The Local Coastal Program consists of three components: The Local Coastal Plan, Coastal Zoning Ordinance, and Implementation Manual. The Local Coastal Program, certified by the Coastal Commission, transfers permitting authority from the Coastal Commission to Sonoma County for consideration of development proposals in the Coastal Zone except for tidelands, submerged lands, and public trust lands. The Legislature has mapped the Coastal Zone as generally covering land from the mean high tide line to the first major ridge inland of the ocean.
In June 2015, Permit Sonoma published the Preliminary Draft Local Coastal Plan. Staff guided five public workshops during Summer 2015. In 2016, revisions began in response, but staffing and fiscal constraints delayed this work. In 2018, Permit Sonoma secured a grant from the Coastal Commission to complete the revisions. In 2019, staff completed the Public Review Draft Local Coastal Plan was completed in early 2019. Beginning in November of 2019, the County held a series of five public workshops in The Sea Ranch, Timber Cove, Bodega Bay, Monte Rio, and Santa Rosa. The Timber Cove and Santa Rosa workshops were held at regular public meetings of the Sonoma County Coast Municipal Advisory Council (Timber Cove) and Sonoma County Planning Agency (Santa Rosa). Over 300 comments were received from individuals, interest groups, agencies, and research organizations.
Update Summary: The Local Coastal Plan Update will be a modern web-accessible and easy-to-use document with digital maps that updates goals, objectives, and policies in five key areas: adaptation to climate change, including sea level rise; preservation of public access; protection of water resources; hazard mitigation; and protection of biotic resources.
Most commenters have criticized the style, organization and text used in the Local Coastal Plan. Staff have taken these criticisms to heart and are reformatting and reorganizing the document to improve its readability. Staff are also updating and improving biotic and hazards maps. For a summary of responses to general topics raised by public comments since September 2019 see Attachment 6.
In addition to issues raised during public comment, County circumstances have changed in regard to issues that will be further evaluated or presented through policy options during the Planning Commission Draft process. The Meyers Fire of the LNU Lightning Complex Fires in August 2020 destroyed structures within the coastal zone, placing further emphasis on the potential need for disaster recovery policy. Additionally, your Board has taken action to direct staff to begin scoping options for revisions to the inland vacation rentals ordinance. The resulting ordinance revisions may be reflected in development of a vacation rental ordinance consistent with Public Review Draft Local Coastal Plan Program 1, which directs staff to establish standards for vacation rentals in the coast.
The Board of Supervisors Workshop will be the final public workshop before Permit Sonoma staff begins development of a public hearing draft to be heard by the Planning Commission in late January2021. The workshop is intended to provide the Board of Supervisors with an update on the status of the Local Coastal Plan and public outreach to date prior to preparation of the Planning Commission Draft.
Next steps for adoption of the Local Coastal Plan will be:
• Mid December 2020: Release of the Planning Commission Draft Local Coastal Plan
• Late January 2021: Planning Commission Local Coastal Plan Hearing
• Late March 2021: Board of Supervisors Local Coastal Plan Hearing
• May 2021: Coastal Commission certification of Local Coastal Plan.
Prior Board Actions:
Current Local Coastal Plan adoption 2001
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Public Review Draft Local Coastal Plan with Appendices
Attachment 2: Revised Agricultural Resources Element
Attachment 3: Revised Agricultural Resources Element Change Table
Attachment 4: Draft Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) maps
Attachment 5: Policy Comparison Tables
Attachment 6: Public comment summaries with responses
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A