Development · Santa Monica
Santa Monica and the Coastal Commission set a path toward a local coastal program
Santa Monica approved a collaboration framework with the California Coastal Commission aimed at completing the city's first comprehensive Local Coastal Program.
What happened
The confirmed facts.
Santa Monica authorized a memorandum of understanding with the California Coastal Commission to coordinate preparation of a Local Coastal Program. The program combines land-use policies with an implementation plan for the city's Coastal Zone, which includes much of Downtown and Third Street Promenade.
The City says certification would give it greater approval authority over certain events, tenant improvements, adaptive reuse, outdoor dining, housing, and transportation projects while maintaining Coastal Act protections. The stated goal is certification by the end of 2027.
Coastal Commission collaboration framework
Covers much of Downtown Santa Monica
Could shift more project approval authority locally
Certification targeted by the end of 2027
Why owners may care
Useful context, without pretending one headline sets value.
A certified local program could make parts of the coastal-zone approval path more predictable, but current rules remain in force until the process is complete. Each property still requires zoning, coastal, use, and project-specific review.
Primary source
Read the complete announcement.
This page is an original summary. Project schedules, approvals, tenant plans, and public programs can change after publication.
Santa Monica, Coastal Commission enter into MOU to collaborate on plan to complete Local Coastal Program
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