San diego coastal commission

The California Coastal Commission is facing new efforts in the state legislature to roll back some of its regulatory powers over housing and transportation projects. The commission , formed in to protect the state's coastline from unchecked development, holds sweeping power to review, delay and outright block just about anything that happens in the coastal zone; from home renovations to big infrastructure projects.

Supporters say the agency succeeded in protecting many of the coast's natural resources, and the ability of all Californians to access them.

San diego local coastal program

But a growing chorus of critics argues the commission is undermining the state's housing and climate goals. Even in the coastal zone's most urbanized areas, new apartment buildings and improvements to bike and public transit infrastructure can face lengthy and expensive review timelines with no guarantee of approval. Catherine Blakespear D-Encinitas.

Blakespear recently introduced SB , which would streamline the commission's approval of converting vehicular lanes to bike lanes. The bill was partially inspired by KPBS' reporting on a bike safety project in Point Loma that fell apart due to the commission's review process. But SB does not cover projects that replace vehicular lanes with bus-only lanes, pedestrian promenades or parkways that enable tree planting.

It also does not streamline any project that reduces street parking. The Coastal Commission's sway over the legislature will be put to the test by several other bills introduced this year that don't have the agency's support. SB from Sen.