Summary: Thursday, April 3, 2014 The California Coastal Commission meets next week. On April 10th, the Commission will hold a public hearing on a proposed Sand City resort development often called the “Ghandour project.” It includes 1.34 million square feet of new construction, comprised of 184 condominium units, plus associated commercial development. It would be located to the ocean side of Highway One, and the development would be right in the middle of significant coastal dune habitat, including habitat that supports the snowy plover, an endangered species. This proposal is not something that the Commission would normally think was a very good idea. In fact, there are lots of Coastal Act policies that would normally make this proposed development a non-starter from a Coastal Commission perspective. The proposed Monterey Bay Shores Resort, however, does not come to the Commission through what might be called a “normal” process, and the staff recommendation is for approval with conditions. Litigation and administrative appeals over the period of fifteen (15) years, during which time the Commission has refused to approve the project, ultimately resulted in a settlement agreement, signed last December 24th. You could say that this was a wonderful Christmas present for the developer. If you care about this kind of coastal development, check today’s transcript at kusp.org/landuse for more information. You can still get involved! More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog Coastal Commission Website Meeting Agenda – April Meeting Staff Report: Hotel On The Dunes
