Huntington Beach : City Asks Coast Panel to Ease Its Procedures

Seeking to reduce red tape for residents who plan minor improvements on property near the ocean, the city has asked the California Coastal Commission to exclude certain job categories from its permit requirement.

The commission will formally consider the request when it meets Friday in Los Angeles.

Florence Webb, a senior planner for the city, said Huntington Beach would like to do away with Coastal Commission development permits for off-street parking improvements, erecting signs, grading when less than 100 cubic yards of material is involved, building fences or walls less than six feet tall and building additions costing less than $1,000.

Moreover, coastal development permits for working at home, special events entertainment and building small irrigation systems no longer would be required under the city’s proposal.

The commission staff is recommending approval in part and denial in part, according to Richard Platt, a planning supervisor in the commission’s Long Beach office. The staff believes that minor jobs in certain geographic areas should remain under commission review, Platt said.