Comments on: California Coastal Commission- Sins of Commission- What’s At Stake

By: philip

philip — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:05:55 +0000

We have been going thru a very similiar hell in the SM mountain part of Malibu, and
would love to discuss more privately.

My wife and I are at a similiar crossroads, and would appreciate your input.

Thank you.

By: Permit Pending

Permit Pending — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:15:38 +0000

I thought posting my experience with the CCC might be helpful and maybe even save my sanity as a type of therapy. HaHa. We purchased over 10 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains (SMM) over five years ago intending to build a single residence. The seller had obtained a Coastal permit but it expired a month before we bought the land. Still, we thought the existence of an actual, recent permit would prove helpful since we intended to keep all relevant development the same. WRONG! We were, according to the Commission, in the same position as if a permit had never existed. Thus, every report, every study, every calculation had to be redone and even worse, MORE, NEWER rules would apply!

One of those new rules is a new and expanded definition of ESHA (Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area) which now encompases almost all land in the Santa Monica Mountains. (This is all based on ONE scientist’s report.) The result of such a label is, of course, they are able to restrict building even more. We had to re-design, re-engineer, re-site and eliminate so we wouldn’t encroach on their sacred ESHA. In addition, they now have a “Zero Growth Policy” which means if you want to build on a parcel of land you have to retire a piece of land. They accomplish this little trick by requiring Transfer Development Credits (TDC) (which is so much easier to say than “extorting land from taxpaying citizens”) from virtually everyone who wishes to obtain any type of permit. I won’t attempt to explain their rational but let me just say that it is the result of tortured, legal fictions that even the County agrees is bogus. The bottom line, in plain English, if you want to build, you have to give them a piece of land. And not just any piece. It must be a similar, buildable parcel in the Santa Monica Mountains. This is not cheap!

If you’re still standing after all this, they have one final punch: requiring you to execute a deed in favor of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy giving them your land for open space (except for the small area to be developed and landscaped) Thus, they have expanded their jurisdiction and eliminated their enforcement problems with one scary alliance. In addition, the Conservancy doesn’t have to be bothered with actually paying for land. They get it for FREE. In my case, they receive over nine acres!

They have an agenda. That’s for sure. And it’s really frightening how much power they yield. I have not paid for my permit yet as I am considering suing them. How can they afford to defend themselves? By the way, this home was for our kids who were young when we started. Since we haven’t even begun building, assuming we do, they have succeeding in ruining the purpose of the home!!! It’s time for a revolt!

By: Tax Payer & Citizen of the USA

Tax Payer & Citizen of the USA — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:25:54 +0000

Our great country was founded on the principle that citizens have real rights to property and due process. The California Coastal Commission (CCC) denies all coastal California land owners of both. There are other public agencies already responsible for the protection of wetlands, sensitive species, waters of the US…you name it. The CCC is an inefficient bureaucratic and worst of all redundant system that steals from us. They are the kind of tyranny that our founding fathers wanted to escape and prevent. Their perverse use of the law undermines everything that we stand for. It’s time that someone stands up to all this nonsense. If the government wants to protect the environment then they should either buy the land for open space or provide incentives but to take away our rights is simply wrong and un-American.

By: diana

diana — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:25:34 +0000

If anyone ever thinks it is possible to rebuild after losing a home to wildfire or to flood, or anything, without severe problems from this archaic, brutal, sort of inforcement agency, the California Coastal Commission, ha, think again.
This biased and unchecked agency gone wild has somehow stayed in power, stacked with sorry sots that have no idea what a trail or beach walk even looks like. They pass outrageous plans that put public safety at risk (check the SMMC and their incestuous relationship with the CCC) and do this with a knifeblade to the backs of property owners and laugh at them. Their positions have no term limit which makes impossible “checks and balances”, and they get progressively more powerful, under the guise of protecting our coast. They are swinging their arms further inland and are now making up the rules. We need to revamp this agency that was only supposed to be active for 4 years.
For those who believe their rhetoric simply don’t have the facts. I watched them in action at meetings, it is despicable their behavior, not listening, eating at the table, yawning, texting, checking email. Get them OUT!

By: admin

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:13:30 +0000

Dear Mr. Dude who doesn’t own property.

Thank you for you comment. I would like to address the issue you brought up about paving.

“Paving paradise and putting up a parking lot”, is exactly what the CCC wants people to believe is at stake. What is actually going on couldn’t be farther from the truth. The CCC still uses this old klaxon-call very masterfully. They drag out their well-worn slogan from the 70’s, which was very appropriate at that time, because they know it still gets a “knee-jerk” reaction.

No one I have spoken with with wants to “pave” anything. Let me say that again: No one wants to pave anything. They love California as much as I do, and am sure you do.

It is totally understandable that Californians equate “landowner” with “property”. What about instead of “land owner” say: Farmer. Rancher. Family. People.

This is a cunning tactic, and a stroke of Machiavellian propaganda-genius by the the head propagandist himself, Mr. Peter Douglas - a self avowed hater of private property - except that Peter owns property too…in Oregon. A perfect illustration of the CCC’s “Do as I say… not as I do” mentality.

When anyone depersonalizes any issue, it is done solely to detach people from seeing the truth. In this case from seeing the ruined lives, devastation and brutalization of families, and from seeing how the California Coastal Commission’s Draconian policies have created, and continue to create huge, expensive fires we cannot afford to fight and that have contributed to the tanking of California’s economy.

You own property too. Look around you. Whatever your claim as your “possessions”, whatever you say is “yours”… is property. Your property. Property is property.

The main focus of the film is not property, it is the commission’s malfeasance. Malfeasance, due to the dysfunctionality of the system they created 30+ years ago. A system that needs to be reformed so that it operates in fairness for all the people of California not just some.

I sincerely thank you for you comment and invite you to look into the matter deeper..
Richard

By: Barbara Reed

Barbara Reed — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:27:47 +0000

You also need to get to the State Attorney General into the hot seat. He represents the Commission but he also represents the people of California and he is running for Governor. He should be defending the First Amendmentnot trying to break it. Is it possible he is not aware of what his deputy is doing?

I am going to send a link to everyone I know with a personal note.

This is not the only Constitutional Amendment the Commission has ever violated. From someone who has been before them about 60 times.

Thank you for trying to save our First Amendment Right!

Sincerely,
Barbara

By: someone who doesn't own property

someone who doesn't own property — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:27:31 +0000

Dude, the purpose of the Coastal Commission was to regulate growth along the coast in an orderly fashion. And yes that means that a billion developers can’t build 1 million homes on the beach and rake in outrageous profits and limit citizen access to the coastal properties.

I’m sorry that this might affect landowners in coastal areas but it’s not like they purchased their property without an awareness (or should have been aware) that they were subject to authority of the coastal commission.

You guys want to people to be able pave paradise and put up a parking lot????