We ARE MdR along with many organizations, residents, boaters and neighborhood allies presented a passionate case at the California Coastal Commission meeting on Wednesday, January 9, to preserve our vibrant Marina del Rey community, to reassess rampant amendment driven projects, to protect the bird habitats and to keep small boating alive!

And we scored a stunning victory. The Commission, in a series of unanimous 11-0 votes, told the County and its Board of Supervisors to stop breaking the law and to start protecting and listening to its citizens.  The Coastal Commissioners voted to greatly strengthen several key findings and recommendations of their own Staff’s report related to the Commission’s periodic review of Marina del Rey’s Local Coastal Program (LCP).  This LCP regulates development intensity, traffic, boating, water quality, recreation and wildlife habitat in Marina del Rey.  All the important changes the Commissioners made to their Staff’s recommendations were very community- and very environmentally-friendly.  The greatly strengthened report significantly restrains our County government’s massive plans to demolish and redevelop Marina del Rey.  

Each individual amendment the Commission made followed requests by WeAREMdR, the Coalition to Save the Marina and CLEAN for that very change.  The main changes to their Staff’s report are listed below.

It is now up to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to implement the Coastal Commission report’s strengthened findings and recommendations or face the State Legislature which has the authority to compel the County to adopt the changes the Commission’s report asks for.  With this victory, the public has established itself firmly in the center of the political arena, where the future fight for our homes, recreational rights, and way of life will play out.

Our victory, while it clearly stunned County officials and members of the public who remained throughout the over five hour hearing, was not altogether surprising.  We knew all along that we had truth and the law on our side.  We have done our homework and are supported by strong and varied allies.  One commissioner told WeAREMdR that we made it “easy for the Commissioners to do the right thing.”   Attendance by over 300 hundred citizens made a strong impression on the Commission.  We want to thank each and every one of you who took the time to attend and/or to speak. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of widespread public support and the networking of community and environmental groups.  The packed room and the passion of the speakers sent the message that Marina del Rey is a community very much frustrated by the lack of participation in the redevelopment process.  The Commissioners got the message!

No doubt important forces in County government will continue to oppose the Coastal Commission and subvert the implementation of this new Commission periodic review.  We must continue to stand strong and, with the Commission’s help, make the County follow the law and listen to the community.  We need to keep the pressure on the County.  We need to continue sending letters to the Board of Supervisors, the Editor, other media outlets and community groups.  We need to continue attending Small Craft Harbor, Design Control Board and Board of Supervisor Meetings.  If we rest on our laurels, our victory will disappear.  And also be on the alert for public meetings hosted by the Department of Regional Planning.  They made representations to the Coastal Commission that they will hold public hearings on the redevelopment plans in the Marina del Rey.  It will be vital to pack the room again when the time comes.  We will do our best to keep you posted.  Please check our website from time to time for updates:  www.weAREmdr.com.

The main changes to the Staff Report that the Commissioners unanimously approved included:

 (1) A finding that several heron and egret nesting and roosting habitats around Marina del Rey qualify as an ESHA (Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area).  The County fought this furiously because of the strong restrictions on development an ESHA creates, and the Coastal Staff report had found no ESHA.

(2) A strong recommendation that the County do a comprehensive update to the LCP which accounts for all of the development projects they envisage in and around the Marina.  This forces the County to face the fact that residential development is legally a low priority and that coastal dependent/visitor/recreational uses and public access to the water have priority.

(3) A recommendation that there should be no reduction either in boat slips or in slips under 35 feet.  (All in-the-water permits originate at the Commission giving them policy control of slip sizes.)

(4) A finding (in effect) that demolished affordable housing should be replaced within Marina del Rey.

(5) A finding that all existing views of the mountains and sky from the marina channel jetties and Panay Way cannot be “significantly disturbed” (by new high rises).

View the entire hearing on Coastal Commission video archives at http://www.cal-span.org/cgi-bin/media.pl?folder=CCC 

Scroll down to January 9, 2008 and Click on “Complete” Video.  Our review began about ½ hour into the hearing. General contents of the video are as follows: 

0:29:45            Item 10a. MdR LCP Periodic Review begins

0:32:40            Staff presentations

1:48:48            County presentations

2:02:20            Public testimony
5:38:30            County rebuttal
5:44:20            Staff response
5:57:20            Commission deliberations & actions

6:35:40            Periodic Review concluded
6:36:00            Item 10b.  Time extension on LCP amendment to remove DCB authority