Next week, the Coastal Commission will vote on a decision that could affect the entire California coast. The city of Pacifica has asked the Coastal Commission to approve a coastal land use plan that would allow neighborhood-scale seawalls, which are known to cause beaches to shrink and ultimately disappear. Please email the Coastal Commission by 5:00 p.m. on Friday May 2, and ask them to reject Pacifica’s coastal land use plan as currently drafted!

What’s Happening

Pacifica, like all coastal cities and counties, must have a Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) approved by the Coastal Commission. The plan describes how the city will address new development and sea level rise within its coastal zone. Its policies and goals aim to protect the coast’s integrity, ensure public access, and safeguard marine life and sensitive habitats.

But Pacifica’s proposed LCLUP designates two neighborhoods – the Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park areas – as “Special Shoreline Resiliency Areas” (SSRAs). These SSRAs would enable large-scale seawalls fronting these entire neighborhoods, despite the known fact that seawalls accelerate beach erosion. The Rockaway Beach and West Sharp Park neighborhoods have already seen significant loss of sandy beach areas over the years and consistently face issues with public access and flooding due to high tide and wave action.

Why It Matters

Seawalls and other similar “hard armoring mitigation” responses to sea level rise unfortunately contribute to our disappearing beaches. As our coastlines evolve and move with time, these structures impede the beach’s ability to adapt to the moving shorelines, interfering with sand regeneration and movement. Instead, these seawalls exacerbate erosion leading to beach loss, and as a result add to the disappearance of beaches which have contributed to the coast’s charm and character for decades.

If Pacifica’s LCLUP is approved, this would set a dangerous precedent for the entire state. The Coastal Act has always been held to prohibit the construction of seawalls to enable new development, precisely because of the known impacts to beaches and coastal ecosystems. Approval of Pacifica’s LCLUP would signal to other cities that the door has been opened to neighborhood-scale seawalls elsewhere on the coast. It moves away from more effective nature-based solutions and instead relies on hardening of the shoreline as a response to sea level rise.

California is known for its world-renowned beaches, inviting surfers, naturalists, and the public locally as well as internationally to enjoy its scenic views, recreational opportunities, and famous waves. Our communities have fought long and hard to maintain and protect these beaches, and we must continue to advocate for them in the face of issues such as sea level rise.

What You Can Do

Email the Coastal Commission and ask them to reject Pacifica’s proposed SSRAs, and clarify that neighborhood-scale seawalls are not permissible under the Coastal Act and do not protect our beaches and coastlines! All comments must be made by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 2.