San Diego Surfrider Policy Manager Julia Chunn-Heer testifies at the January Coastal Commission hearing.
Congratulations to Surfrider Foundation's San Diego Chapter on not just one, but TWO significant victories.
The California Coastal Commission met in downtown San Diego and on the agenda, two items of interest to the chapter: Opportunistic Beach Nourishment in Oceanside and a proposal for the installation of “erodible” concrete in front of the Solana Beach Tennis Club.
Chapter volunteers worked with the city and Coastal Commission staff on the Oceanside proposal for several months, concerned about the potential negative impacts to surfing in the region, proper surf monitoring and correcting language that asserted impacts to surf in the past and future were likely to be positive. From San Diego Surfrider's website:
We successfully advocated that the city place sand in two sites instead of one to help reduce impacts and that they increase surf monitoring pre and post project using the methodology from our surf monitoring study. During the week leading up to the hearing, we were still in discussions with Coastal Commission staff and the city of Oceanside. But the city agreed to all of our demands, the language in the permit regarding surf impacts was corrected, and the item was moved to the consent calendar; a win-win for all parties.
The second item, which was to install 100 feet of “erodible” concrete in front of the Solana Beach Tennis Club (SBTC).
Because it has yet to be proven to work, Surfrider has steadily advocated against erodible concrete for years. From the chapter:
At the end of the day, in what was a 8-3 vote but later became a 9-2 vote, the Commission wisely recognized that the applicant must prove that the material will erode prior to installation; and if they are allowed to install any of this material and it does not perform as expected, it must be removed. We are thrilled that the Commissioners decided to hold the applicants accountable and protected precious coastal resources.
The hearing is available online here
Read article in the San Diego Reader
Read Surfrider’s Letter to the Coastal Commission concerning erodible concrete (see page 8)
See Surfrider’s Letter re the Oceanside beach nourishment (see page 5)
Props to our southernmost California chapter for well-earned victories! Here's to 100 percent protection.