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June 4, 2007
Stop Efforts to Ebb Coastal Development
AB
1459 (Levine) would prohibit cities, counties, and the
Coastal Commission from ever permitting the construction of
condominium hotels, timeshare units, and fractional
interests in on California’s coast.
This
prohibition would eliminate a vital method of financing
hotel construction, dilute local control; damage tourist
based economies, and restricts the authority of the Coastal
Commission. The prohibition and the negative impacts are
unnecessary since the California Coastal Commission is
exercising careful review of projects on a case-by-case
basis.
Tourism, California’s fourth largest employer and fifth
largest contributor to the gross state product, will suffer.
So will Redondo Beach.
Lodging development is a key driver for the growth of
tourism in California and Redondo Beach. Condominium hotel
units, fractional interests and timeshare interests have
become an important component of financing lodging
construction. The proposed legislation will stop the
creation of significant new lodging accommodations in the
Coastal Zone. This will negatively influence jobs and
economic growth in coastal communities, heavily dependent on
tourism revenue.
The negative economic impacts of AB 1459 are even more
troubling because the California Coastal Commission has
given considered review to the projects that have been
brought before them. Since 1989, the Coastal Commission has
considered eleven condo-hotel projects. When the projects
were approved, the commission imposed appropriate conditions
to protect the public’s interest in access to the coast and
overnight lodging. The Coastal Commission at a meeting on
April 11, voted to oppose AB 1459.
March 30, 2006
Development Lessons Learned
by Others
By Marna
Smeltzer
President and CEO
 We humans tend to overcompensate when faced with tragedy. What has happened
to the economy in Santa Barbara is an excellent example of how well meaning
measures to eliminate risk can come back to haunt future generations. There
can be intended and unintended consequences that will haunt a community for
decades. If you look closely at Santa Barbara and other beach communities’
economic issues, there is a message for our Redondo Beach business
community.
An oil spill off Santa Barbara’s pristine coastline launched a rush of
measures to preserve the environment and quality of life of their beautiful
small community. As often the case, business growth--in this case
residential developers were singled out as the problem. Significant
restrictions were put in place and cast in stone. Over thirty years later
the pain from the slow growth movement is serious and there seems no
operation will quickly heal the patient.
Symptoms? Santa Barbara and its immediate surroundings have plenty. Here are
just a few. Housing prices now make a single-family house out of reach
except for the wealthy. Commuting is growing traffic congestion near
gridlock on the 101 and side streets during peak driving times. Employers
are leaving for less costly locales where employees can afford to work and
live. Middle class families are also moving away leaving the community with
the tag of “geriatric ghetto”. Spillover growth is now out of control miles
away in northern Santa Barbara County. Yes, the region is still tranquil and
beautiful on the surface, but the economics of the area are in shambles.
There are other examples of beach communities that now find themselves
behind in seeing economic vitality grow in their back yards. Dana Point for
the last few years has been struggling with developing a plan and funding to
rebuild their downtown.
Here they suffer from the other side of development that had unintended
consequences. To open up traffic through their community they changed their
main through two-way streets into wide one-way corridors. This opened up
traffic flow so well that nobody stopped to enjoy the many attractions and
shopping in the city! Now community leaders face an long and expensive
battle to restore their downtown.
As in most of these cases both sides of these city’s plight acknowledge that
all of the results were not expected—but they continue to justify the means
and are unbending in finding solutions that could relive or correct their
situations. We should learn from others’ experiences and apply a reality
check to our passions when we address the future of our city. We should be
careful what we ask for, well--you know the rest!
Click here
to contact the Redondo Beach Chamber
for more
information
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