Opinion: Below the Radar In Attempt To Oust Coastal Comm'n Exec. Dir.

LBReport.com

Opinion

Below the Radar In Attempt To Oust Coastal Comm'n Exec. Dir.

by Joe Geever *
* Mr. Geever is a policy consultant for non-profit environmental organizations

LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. Support independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.

(Feb. 7, 2016) -- There is a move afoot by some political appointees on the Coastal Commission to remove the current Executive Director for allegations of inefficiency in processing development permits. But the irony, if not hypocrisy, is that the root of inefficient permit processing is caused by the very Commissioners now conspiring to oust the Executive Director.

[Scroll down for further.]

Californians, and visitors to our State, treasure our coasts and ocean -- from the rugged northern reaches to the azure beaches of the south. In the 1970s, threats to the unspoiled nature of our coast, and open access for everyone, drove Californians to overwhelmingly support enactment of the Coastal Act.

In those days we were exposed to development plans that would have privatized access and resulted in projects that resemble the high-rise developments and wealthy private enclaves we associate with parts of the east coast. Those threats are just as real today, although now they are more covert. And despite enactment of the Coastal Act, wealthy developers have found ways to skirt the rules.

While living on the coast has more and more become only for the more affluent, the Coastal Act has ensured that working families still have relatively uninhibited access and the enjoyment that comes with visiting the coast. Some of these same families are employed by developers. But it doesn’t have to be a choice between jobs and sacrificing public trust resources.

Since adoption of the Coastal Act, responsible developers, businesses and homeowners see the broader benefits of preserving the coast. Open access and natural beauty and bounty are what make their properties and businesses so valuable. Whether you live near the beach or not, it’s good for everyone when people from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds equally share the coast.

But some want exceptions to the rule. And once they are allowed those exemptions it starts a "race to the bottom" for even conscientious developers. If the coast is going to be privatized and destroyed anyway, why shouldn’t they get their profits too?

The unscrupulous developers, and their industry of high-paid consultants and lobbyists, submit applications for projects that clearly undermine the intent, if not the clear mandates, of the Coastal Act. And they often support those applications with inadequate studies and legal opinions. This devious and ever-more common practice results in an inordinate amount of staff time going back and forth with these developers to ensure the facts are clear and the protections of our coast are fully enforced. Staff has a duty to the public to make sure the law is applied thoroughly and fairly -- no exceptions for the wealthy or politically influential few.

But self-interested developers also know that they can use the delays -- delays they cause -- as ammunition in attacking the Coastal Commission staff. And worse yet, they know that with enough political persuasion they can get Commissioners to take up their cause and recommend approval of their project despite clear violations of the Coastal Act.

Therein lays the irony, if not hypocrisy. These very same politically motivated Commissioners are now joining their well-heeled developer friends to oust the Executive Director and replace him with someone of their liking. If this "coup" is successful, the public and responsible developers will suffer alike.

Many of us who have been involved in citizen enforcement of the Coastal Act have been watching the constant political machinery erode the protections of public access and protections of the natural beauty for decades. This latest attack on the Executive Director comes as no surprise.

But if we really want to ensure the law is fully enforced, and the enforcement is fair and efficient, we cannot allow special treatment for the wealthy or politically connected developers. We need to make it clear that applicants who follow the rules will be treated fairly and expeditiously, and those who create the backlog by trying to skirt the law are not rewarded with exceptions to the rule.

We don't need a new Executive Director. Commissioners who are creating the problem in the first place need to stop or be replaced. The public needs to stand up and make it clear once again: we support open public access for all and preservation of the natural beauty of our coast. Those principles are not for sale.

Opinions expressed by LBREPORT.com, our contributors and/or our readers are not necessary those of our advertisers. We welcome our readers' comments/opinions 24/7 via Disqus, Facebook and moderate length letters and longer-form op-ed pieces submitted to us at mail@LBReport.com.