Coastal Commission OKs Bolsa Chica Project

Rejecting a staff report and pleas from environmentalists, the California Coastal Commission on Thursday approved a plan to build 3,300 homes in one of Southern California’s largest ecologically sensitive wetlands.

The decision in favor of the Koll Real Estate Group ended one of the longest controversies that recently came before the commission, but it might have opened the door to a long fight in the courts over how much development should be allowed on Bolsa Chica, the home to many rare species on 1,600 acres next to Huntington Beach.

The commission’s 8-3 vote cleared the last major governmental hurdle for the Koll Group to build 900 homes on 185 acres of wetlands and the other homes on a surrounding mesa. The commission also approved a plan by the company to spend $48 million to restore the remaining wetlands, which make up 1,100 acres along Pacific Coast Highway.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers now must review the plan, and if approved, construction is expected to begin in the next two years.

“When I grew up, my father taught me a lesson,” Commissioner Sam Karas of Monterey said in explaining his vote for the project. “Half a loaf of bread is better than no bread. If we don’t allow any development, we’ll end up with no bread.”

But opponents of the plan vowed to challenge the decision. They contend it violates the state Coastal Act, which prohibits residential developments in wetland areas.

“I am not happy,” said Connie Boardman, president of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust. “They are ignoring the Coastal Act. They threw it out the window. It’s outrageous. We will be talking with our lawyers this week.”

The vote marked a sweetly triumphant moment for the Koll company, which endured countless hours of public hearings to win approval for the massive project.

“I am speechless,” said Lucy Dunn, the Koll Group’s senior vice president. “I think this is the best thing. We are finally moving out of process and toward implementation of restoration.”

The vote, characterized by some as a litmus test of the commission’s stand on coastal development, was made following an emotional 12-hour public meeting where more than 100 people spoke and another 100 sat patiently.

Coastal Commissioner Fran Pavley, an environmentalist and Agoura Hills council member, said she was disappointed that her colleagues sided with development interests over environmental concerns.

“I can’t tell you how uncomfortable I am,” Pavley said. “This is an historic vote for the commission and to accept this is outrageous.”

In a concession to environmentalists, Koll agreed to dedicate 794 acres of wetlands and pay $7 million toward its restoration even if it decides against developing that portion of the lowlands. Also, the commission required the company to build homes 50 feet farther away from the bluffs than originally planned.

But those agreements did little to mitigate the anger of opponents.

“I’m disgusted,” said Huntington Beach Mayor David Sullivan. “I thought the commission was supposed to protect the coast, not rape it. Bolsa Chica is going to become a rich people’s backyard.”

Added Gordon LaBedz, a spokesman for the environmentalist Surfrider Foundation: “We will not go away. We are committed to saving all of Bolsa Chica with or without governmental help.”

For about a decade, Bolsa Chica’s future created a controversy and divided the community. Saving the wetlands had become a cause celebre for some environmental groups.

“Giving away the Bolsa Chica to the Koll company is like giving up Yosemite for a toxic waste dump,” said Mark A. Massara, a Sierra Club spokesman. “The Coastal Commission action demonstrates once again that government neither understands nor appreciates wetlands for sustaining life on planet Earth.”

But other environmental groups applauded the commission’s vote.

“I think it’s wonderful” said Chuck Smith, president of Amigos de Bolsa Chica. “We are moving forward, we’ve got restoration, and we’ve got protection for the wetlands.”

During the hearing, one commissioner resigned because of a conflict of interest over the Bolsa Chica matter.

“I feel that this issue is important enough that it’s unfair to the people of California not to have a full contingent,” Commissioner Madelyn Glickman said before she stepped down. Glickman has a research grant with Metropolitan Water District, which owns a small portion of land in the project.

She was replaced by Sara Wan, an environmental activist from Malibu and vice president of the League for Coastal Protection.

Wan, Commissioner Francesca M. Cava and Pavley voted against the plan.

Commission planning staff in November released a 260-page report that recommended changes to the Koll Group’s plan and called for 900 fewer homes in order to protect the wetlands ecosystem. The recommendation said Koll could build 2,500 homes on a mesa flanking the wetlands, eliminating the 900 homes from the wetlands because they do not conform with state laws for coastal development.

The plan developed by Koll, in which the company agreed to pay for restoration of the wetlands if it could build the homes, was approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors last year.

Still in question is an alternative to Koll’s restoration plan that was developed by the federal government in which the U.S. Department of the Interior would buy the entire wetlands, while the company would build on the surrounding mesa.

The federal restoration would be financed in part by $62 million contributed by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which in exchange would be permitted to proceed with expanding their ports.

The federal plan foundered late last year when Koll turned down a $17.5-million offer from the federal government. Officials said talks are continuing.

Concerns over possible pollution from an operating oil field apparently led to the announcement that action on the federal plan to buy the wetlands would be delayed.

But Koll Group officials called the pollution issue “a red herring,” and said they have cleanup agreements with CalResources, the oil operator at the site.

Bolsa Chica includes an oasis of salt marshes, home to brown pelicans, snowy egrets and terns. Southern California once had 53,000 acres of coastal wetlands but that number shrunk as the population boomed and development near the ocean skyrocketed. Only 13,000 acres of coastal wetlands remain, a 75% loss.