San Rafael, CA – To gain greater insight into the handful of remaining issues, the Marin County Board of Supervisors conducted a public workshop March 20 to discuss modifications to the Marin County Local Coastal Program (LCP) that were conditionally approved by the California Coastal Commission in November 2016.
The Local Coastal Program is the key document used by the County of Marin to manage conservation and development of rural West Marin. Shown is Point Reyes Beach, just north of the Point Reyes Lighthouse.The LCP is the key document used by the County of Marin to manage conservation and development in rural West Marin.
The Board meeting was a listening session with no vote taken. The Supervisors provided input to staff as it prepares for a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. April 24 in the Marin County Civic Center’s Board chamber in San Rafael. At that time, the Board could vote on the modifications to the LCP.
The Board heard Community Development Agency staff’s analysis and from the public on the proposed zoning regulations, including the new Coastal Commission-proposed permit requirements for agriculture and modified LCP definitions that County staff views as unclear and difficult to implement. Those modifications also impose new development requirements and restrictions that may exceed the requirements of the Coastal Act.
The Coastal Commission’s action left the County the options of accepting the modifications “as is,” accepting them with the express intent to submit amendments, or rejecting them and resubmitting the LCP. A resubmittal could be done with the Natural Hazards section, which the commission delayed taking action on at its November 2016 hearing.
The LCP has two parts – the Land Use Plan and the more technical Implementation Program. Designed to lay out the programs’ objectives, the Land Use Plan sets out specific policies to protect environmental resources and scenic landscapes, provide for public access and recreation, and maintain vibrant and productive coastal agricultural communities. The Implementation Program contains the rules, regulations, zoning classification and performance standards that make it possible to carry out the policies of the Land Use Plan.
Working together, the two components of the LCP ensure that the County government is meeting the requirements of the California Coastal Act.
Comments are welcomed at MarinLCP@marincounty.org. Read submitted comments and other documents on www.MarinLCP.org.