Coastal Commission Opens Office in Ventura to a Chorus of Praise

In a move hailed by both business interests and environmentalists, the California Coastal Commission opened a Ventura office Monday to serve an area from Malibu to Santa Barbara County.

The commission’s South Central Coast office relocated from a Santa Barbara building to 89 S. California St. in downtown Ventura. The new office houses 15 staff members and, at 6,500 square feet, is almost twice the size of the Santa Barbara office, said Gary Timm, assistant district director.

A downtown Ventura business leader said the move will attract out-of-town visitors doing business with the Coastal Commission.

“A business like that exposes Ventura to that many more people,” said Stan Jacobs, general manager of the Holiday Inn. Jacobs heads the nonprofit group Ventura Image Program, which beautifies and promotes the downtown area for tourists.

“It’s one less empty storefront, and the employees will need to eat somewhere and shop somewhere,” he said. “It’s a real plus.”

The state regulatory agency, headquartered in San Francisco, is responsible for overseeing coastal development throughout California. The 1,100-mile-long coastal zone over which the agency has jurisdiction varies from a few blocks wide to as much as five miles inland.

In the South Central Coast district, the Coastal Commission deals primarily with visual or environmental issues related to development, Timm said. Most of the office’s business will come from cities and developers seeking to develop in the Malibu area, as well as environmentalists trying to stop it, Timm said.

“Most of the areas that you can build on in Ventura County have already been built,” he said.

However, Timm said, one Ventura County issue is now on appeal to the Coastal Commission.

Environmental groups have asked the commission to overturn the Ventura City Council’s decision to allow travelers to stay for long periods at the Ventura Beach RV Resort, which lies in a flood plain.

The Coastal Commission is expected to hear the issue in May, Timm said.

Nancy Hubbard, owner of the RV park, said the new office is more convenient for her because she will spend less time driving to Santa Barbara to meet with commission staff members.

“It certainly will make a difference as far as picking up staff reports and dealing with staff,” said Hubbard, who has an office in Ventura.

The environmental community in Ventura County also welcomes having a Coastal Commission office, said Richard Handley, vice chairman of the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a group of ecologically minded surfers concerned about the coastline.

“We would get a chance to know the staff better and work with them,” Handley said.

Staff members moved into the office over the weekend. Half of the boxes are still unpacked, and employees are still trying to find things, Timm said Monday. “It’s pretty hectic now,” he said.

Some of the staff who were working in the Long Beach district office voluntarily moved to Ventura County. A few people who lived in Santa Barbara now have longer commutes to work, Timm said.

Ginger Smith, an office assistant who lives in Ventura, said she was thrilled with the new location.

“I’ve cut my commuting time from 40 minutes to 10 minutes,” Smith said.