by Kevin Cody
Hermosa Beach City Councilmember Raymond Jackson compared his work as a newly appointed California Coastal Commission to his work on Council. Except instead of responsibility for Hermosa’s 1.4 square miles, the Coastal Commission is responsible for California’s 840-mile-long coastline, from the Oregon to the Mexico borders.
“It’s like the Council, but with considerably more homework. I’ll never be an expert. But I’ll try not to walk into meetings without a grasp of the issues. I’ll understand the issues enough to do what’s best for our coastline,” he said.
Jackson’s first Commission meetings are this week, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, June 10, 11, and 12.
Agenda items include San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant monitors, Santa Barbara’s General Plan Housing element, and new playground equipment for Venice beach.
“Like on the Council, we’re dealing with competing interests. Developers versus residents. Elon Musk is a perfect example,” Jackson said.
Musk is suing the Commission for denying his request to increase SpaceX rocket launches bearing Skylink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base from 36 to 50 per year. The base’s Santa Barbara and Ventura neighbors are already unhappy with the current number of launches, which light up the night sky and produce sonic booms.
Even President Donald Trump has attacked the Coastal Commission.
“This might finally spell doom for the Coastal Commission, which should not even exist as an organization,” Trump said at a recent meeting with Los Angeles officials, and residents displaced by the Pacific Palisades and Altadena fires.
Another formidable interest the Commission confronts is the Sacramento legislature, which wants more affordable housing built in the coastal zone.
“I anticipate pressure on the Commissioners from Sacramento,” Jackson said.
“The reality is the pickle we’re in is of our own making. We downzoned from R3 to R1 and lost doors.
“But now the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. We’re being hit by a mandate from Sacramento to build more homes, which is not beneficial to us.”
“I’m from Florida. I don’t want our coastline to be like Miami and Fort Lauderdale, where rich developers scooped up all the land. Over development means limited beach access,” Jackson said.
“Like at the local level, people with competing needs will disagree. That’s when leadership is needed. Officials need to stand up and defend their positions.”
Jackson said he doesn’t anticipate conflicts between his duties to Hermosa residents, and to coastal residents statewide.
“The assumption is the coast is for everyone, and Hermosa’s decisions have been based on that,” he said.
He cited the dining decks as an example.
“The decks could have been perceived as taking away beach access by taking away parking. But we designed the decks so there would be a net gain in parking spaces,” he said.
Short term vacation rentals are another subject cities, including Manhattan Beach, have come into conflict with the Coastal Commission over.
Hermosa is currently being sued for not having Coastal Commission approval for its Short Term Vacation Rental policy.
Jackson said he believes Hermosa’s policy of allowing short term vacation rentals in the downtown commercial zones is consistent with Coastal Commission policies.
“We have 150 units that qualify as short term rentals. We’re not a city that bans them,” he said. He noted that short term rentals worsen the housing crisis by taking longterm rentals off the market.
Jackson said he does not anticipate having to recuse himself on issues common to Hermosa and the Coastal Commission, unless he has a financial interest in the issue.
He noted that six of the 12 Coastal Commission Commissioners are elected officials from coastal counties. The other six represent the public. The Governor, the Senate Rules Committee and the Speaker of the Senate make the 12 appointments.
Jackson was appointed May 22 to a four year term by the Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Senate Leader Mike McGuire (D-North Coast).
He represents the Commission’s South Coast Region, which was previously represented by Long Beach Vice Mayor Uberto Uranga. The South Coast region includes the Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
“No way shape or form,” Jackson answered when asked if his appointment was influenced by former Long Beach City Councilmember Suja Lowenthal, who served as Hermosa’s City Manager from 2016 until last month. Jackson had been a strong supporter of Lowenthal prior to her resignation last month.
Jackson said he was recommended to Rules Committee Chair McGuire by Los Angeles County Second District Supervisor Holly Mitchell and State Senator Ben Allen (D-24th District).
The Coastal Commission was created through a voter initiative in 1972 (Proposition 20) and has jurisdiction over development along all 840 miles of California’s coastline, from the Oregon to the Mexico borders. In the South Bay, its jurisdiction extends 1,000 yards inland from the mean high tide line. ER
Thanking Easy Reader for covering this story of Mr. Jackson’s appointment to the California Coastal Commission. My wish is that he will do everything he can to preserve the Coastal Commission and the Coastal Act and call out any attempt to diminish its mission.
I remember that day in the early 1970s that we were driving back from Malibu along the coast, where we could barely catch glimpses of the ocean all along the way. Buildings of every kind blocked the views of sky and water, when suddenly the news came over the car radio that the Coastal Act had passed.
I can still feel the joy and gratitude that came over me, knowing that from that day forward our precious coast would be protected.
Our coast is again in a desperate fight for its life, even from corrupt California elected officials, and spiteful threats from the Federal Government.
Coastal is such a mixed bag. The commissioners are typically political cronies of the highest order. We all love it when they make the Ritchie Rich’s in Malibu allow coastal access – even if none of us will use it. But Coastal fleeces companies for millions each year to get projects approved. Coastal also is full time employment for ex-Coastal employees in law firms and consulting firms. The agency cuts both ways and we should watch to see how Jackson votes.