Hi everyone,
The California Coastal Commission blocks a lot of great housing projects in Long Beach. They equate “access to the beach” with “cheap or free parking”. This is problematic because the more ample parking we have, the more people drive and the harder and more dangerous it becomes to get to the beach without a car.
We finally have a chance to speak up and let the Coastal Commission know that “access for people” should be more important that “access for cars.”
The rest of this message is passed on from California YIMBY:
Join Senator Wiener in advocating for more housing and an inclusive coastal zone at the Coastal Commission meeting on 12/14 at 8:30 AM! You can join via Zoom.
IMPORTANT: You need to fill out the Speaker Request Form by 5pm, Wednesday, 12/13. Be sure to select specific Agenda Item “Th5” when filling out the form as there is no General Public Comment at this meeting.
Here’s the direct link: https://www.coastal.ca.gov/meetings/request-testimony/thursday/
Senator Wiener has asked YIMBYs and pro housing activists to join him in giving comment on the CA Coastal Commission housing briefing. As you know, the CA Coastal Commission has been a barrier to more housing in highest opportunity areas in the state…along the coast. Now is the time to push for a coastal zone that is more inclusive for all Californians. Below, please find the details and talking points. Please join Senator Wiener and make your voice heard and flex our YIMBY muscles!
Hearing Details:
CA Coastal Commission meeting on Thursday Dec 14th at 8:30 am. The main agenda is here and the housing item specific is below. My understanding is that the whole hearing will be both in person and remote, and that most commissioners and participants will be virtual on zoom (so feel free to participate virtually!). I also understand that the Informational Briefing on Housing (Agenda Item #5) will be taken up first thing, at 8:30 am on the 14th. Please be sure to fill in the testimony form (linked above) so they know you want to speak on this item.
For background, the CA Coastal Commission has put together the following documents in the recent past and we assume they’ll be working from them:
- Report on the Historical Roots of Housing Inequity and Impacts on Coastal Zone Demographic Patterns
- Report on Coastal Act Affordable Housing Policies and Implementation
Talking Points:
We encourage you to frame your comments from an affirmation of the importance of protecting coastal environments and ensuring coastal access for all Californians. It is always appropriate to share why it’s important to you to expand housing opportunities in coastal California.
- Climate change is California’s top environmental priority, as well as the greatest threat to the coast; and infill housing is a key tool for mitigating climate change. Failure to build housing in coastal cities will lead to more sprawl, more Californians exposed to extreme heat, and more people displaced from the state.
- We need a vision of coastal access that goes beyond people driving in & parking there. Allowing more people to live near the coast promotes coastal access.
- We need to make it faster, cheaper, and easier to build infill housing in the Coastal Zone. State housing laws like SB 35, AB 2097, and AB 2011 are important tools for achieving that goal.
- We know that the loudest voices in discretionary review processes are more affluent neighbors, especially since the coast is wealthier than inland areas of California, and that this creates barriers to building affordable housing. Building in the Coastal Zone should be reviewed under clear & objective standards that are codified into state or local law.
You can also find the above details in this Coastal Commission Meeting Action document.
Leave a Reply