Today the California Coastal Commission denied the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) that would have allowed Shea Homes to put 111 houses on the Upper Bolsa Chica Wetlands. This denial means that if the Shea Company wants to build houses on this site they have to go back to the drawing boards.
Thanks so much to all the Bolsa Chica Land Trust members, friends and supporters who showed up at the hearing. Your presence made a difference for our beloved Bolsa Chica!!
In denying the CDP for this project, commissioners mentioned that this land was part of a larger ecosystem, something the Land Trust has argued since this project was first proposed about 10 years ago. Other commissioners mentioned the lack of enforcement regarding the unpermitted fill on the property. This is another issue the Land Trust has raised for years.This fill, the BCLT believes, covered then existing wetlands.
When I was on the City Council in 2002 this project came before us, and one of the representatives of the Shea Company asked me why I thought this land was part of Bolsa Chica. They have not gotten this from the beginning, but today the California Coastal Commission did get it. The proposed project on this land violates the Coastal Act, plain and simple.
It is a very happy day for all of us who value all of Bolsa Chica!
No comments:
Post a Comment