The first half of the story was written with an AI Assist.
This week, the city council approved a memorandum of understanding with the California Coastal Commission (Agenda, Item 4I) establishing a framework to pursue a fully certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) — both a Land Use Plan and Implementation Plan — by December 31, 2027.
City Planning staff noted the MOU is non-binding but represents a formal commitment to good-faith cooperation toward LCP certification. Work would build on the city’s 2018 draft LUP, updated to reflect changes in sea level rise science, the commission’s environmental justice policy, and the city’s realignment plan. A community engagement process is expected to begin with a July 2026 kickoff and will include approximately four to six months of public outreach.
Once the city holds a certified LCP, applicants in the coastal zone — currently required to obtain permits from both the city and the Coastal Commission — would go through a single local permitting process. Staff noted that currently, coastal permits can take four to six months, and some businesses abandon projects rather than navigate the dual process. Third Street Promenade, located within the coastal zone, would be directly affected.
Councilmembers Ellis Raskin and Lana Negrete asked staff to confirm that LCP certification would not reopen or expand existing development standards; staff affirmed it would not. Council Member Natalya Zernitskaya asked staff to confirm that public access to the coast via transit, bike, and bus — not just automobile — would be incorporated into the LCP framework; staff confirmed it would.
Mayor Caroline Torosis called the speed of the agreement “incredibly unusual” and credited both city and Coastal Commission staff for moving quickly.
But Controversial Santa Monica/Coastal Commission Legislation Still Moves
But as the city and coastal commission are having a kumbaya moment over the renewed effort to create an LCP, legislation that would largely exempt the city from Coastal Commission permitting continues to advance in the legislature. Assembly Bill 1740, authored by Rick Zbur (D-Santa Monica) has been controversial locally, but a scaled-back version passed the full Assembly yesterday.
The timing of the city’s renwed interest in planning its LCP with support from the Commission came after several local community groups protested that AB 1740 had neither been vetted properly nor was appropriate for Santa Monica. In fact, just this week the Santa Monica Democratic Club voted to oppose the measure.
Mayor Pro Tem Zwick recused himself due to his employment with the Housing Action Coalition, which advocates for housing production, citing the LCP’s potential future impact on housing in the coastal zone.
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