Capitola City Council · Thursday, October 8, 2026, 6:00 PM · Item A · General Government / Public Hearings

MajorEnvironment & climate, Planning & development

Accepting Coastal Commission changes for Cliff Drive Resiliency Project

In plain English

Capitola has been rewriting parts of its Local Coastal Program — the city's coastal land use policies (Land Use Plan) and coastal zoning rules (Implementation Plan) — as part of the Cliff Drive Resiliency Project, which addresses bluff erosion, sea-level rise and public access along Cliff Drive. The City Council adopted those amendments in January 2026, but on July 10, 2026 the California Coastal Commission approved them only with two wording changes. Modification 1 deletes the phrase "notwithstanding other LCP provisions" from Policy VII-12, so Cliff Drive resiliency projects no longer expressly override other coastal policies. Modification 2 rewrites the zoning table footnote so coastal armoring supporting public paths and accessways along Cliff Drive is allowable "if it meets applicable LCP provisions, including Capitola LCP policies II-4, VII-9, and VII-12." A yes vote accepts both changes, and the amendments take effect once the Coastal Commission's Executive Director confirms it.

The wording decided here sets the rules that will govern any future seawall or other armoring and public path work along the eroding Cliff Drive bluff, which staff say is already undercutting the existing armoring; it also affects whether the city can get a coastal development permit before its project funding expires.

Key facts

  • On July 10, 2026, the Coastal Commission certified Capitola's Local Coastal Program amendments with two suggested modifications; under the Coastal Act the city must consider them within six months of that action.
  • Modification 1 removes "Notwithstanding other LCP provisions" from Land Use Plan Policy VII-12, which allows resiliency and adaptation projects along Cliff Drive that use the best available science, enhance public recreational access, and protect/enhance sensitive habitat and paleontological resources.
  • Modification 2 changes Footnote 2 of Zoning Table 17.32-1 to read that coastal armoring supporting public paths and coastal accessways along Cliff Drive "is allowable if it meets applicable LCP provisions, including Capitola LCP policies II-4, VII-9, and VII-12."
  • The Land Use Plan states Capitola's bluffs are eroding "from up to 1.5 to 3 feet per year" and that the armoring at Cliff Drive "is being undercut by ongoing and episodic erosion."
  • The city received a Coastal Commission grant for the Cliff Drive Resiliency Project, and updating the Local Coastal Program is a requirement of that grant; the city has prior approvals from the Planning Commission (September 4 and October 2, 2025) and the Council (ordinance adopted January 22, 2026).

Reasons to support

  • Staff say the modifications largely restate rules that already apply: every coastal development permit must already be found consistent with the Local Coastal Program under Municipal Code 17.44.130, so the changes do not set a stricter standard and "do not prohibit or otherwise preclude future coastal armoring along Cliff Drive."
  • Accepting the changes is the only path that makes the amendments effective; staff note the city has funding for Cliff Drive improvements, including armoring, and that the coastal development permit "could be considered prior to the funding expiring."
  • If the Council rejects the modifications, it must either redraft and restart the Coastal Commission review process or let the revisions lapse, in which case, per the attached flow chart, "Capitola continues to work under two zoning codes."

Reasons to oppose or change it

  • Deleting "notwithstanding other LCP provisions" strips Policy VII-12 of its override effect, so a Cliff Drive project would have to satisfy Policy VII-9, which permits seawalls and revetments only to protect existing structures or beaches in danger, only when nonstructural and less damaging alternatives are infeasible, and only with all unavoidable impacts mitigated — a higher bar than the city's original wording set up.
  • The modifications were added by Coastal Commission staff in a July 9, 2026 addendum responding to public comments, and the Council is being asked to accept them without further negotiation, taking the version drafted and approved locally in January 2026 off the table.
  • Capitola's own Land Use Plan states that armoring structures, while protecting development inland of them, cause "a series of adverse coastal resource impacts, including ultimately leading to a loss of beach" — so residents who want the public beach preserved may push for stricter limits on armoring rather than a footnote that keeps it allowable.

Official wording

Consideration and Potential Adoption of Resolution Accepting Coastal Commission Recommendation for Local Coastal Program Amendments Recommended Action: Adopt a resolution accepting the California Coastal Commission’s recommendations for the Cliff Drive Resiliency Project’s Local Coastal Program Amendments.
Official agenda

Summary written by claude-opus-5 from the agenda and the Staff report (agenda packet, pages 133-156). It can contain mistakes. The official documents govern.