Newsom signs law granting Santa Monica local coastal permit authority

Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1740, a law that gives Santa Monica a defined path to a certified Local Coastal Program after more than 50 years without one. Once certified, the city will be able to process most coastal development permits locally, though the California Coastal Commission will retain oversight. Separately, Newsom's office had proposed a trailer bill that would have exempted the Ocean Avenue Project from the Santa Monica Land Use Plan and constrained the Coastal Commission's ability to require project changes.

The certification of the Local Coastal Program allows Santa Monica to manage its coastal development permits locally, which could change the speed and cost of local construction projects. The proposed trailer bill, however, threatened to undermine this local authority by exempting major projects from local planning and limiting regulatory power.

The California Coastal Commission is reviewing the city's Local Coastal Program plan regarding development activities in Santa Monica.