Marine Housing Plan Opponents May Sue

Environmentalists and surfers say they are thinking of filing a lawsuit following the California Coastal Commission’s approval this week of a controversial, 120-unit housing project on Camp Pendleton near the famed Trestles surfing beach.

“We’re examining the merits of legal action,” said Tom Pezman, a spokesman for the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group that has been leading the fight against the housing plan. “There’s not many alternatives other than litigation. First we want to speak to the leaders of the surfing community and determine what level of support or interest we have.”

The commission’s 7-4 vote on Tuesday was reached in spite of its own staff’s recommendation to reject the plan.

The vote reversed the commission’s earlier decision two months ago that rejected the Marine Corps plan to build 128 townhomes for officers and their families on the bluffs overlooking the surfing area.

At the August meeting, commissioners expressed concern about the homes’ visual impact and asked the Marines to see if another suitable location could be found for the project on the 125,000-acre base.

When the Marines returned on Tuesday, officials said that other locations were limited due to artillery training areas, topography, protected habitats and the fact that housing is needed at the north end of the base.

“We came back, reevaluated all the land that we own, and found that this is the best site for us,” said Lt. Megan Mason, a spokesperson for the Marine Corps.

In response to concerns that the homes would be visible from the beach, the Marines Corps eliminated eight units from the development, moved the project back 600 feet from the ocean and clustered the remaining townhomes closer together, Mason said.

But opponents of the project still contend that the 40-acre area is sensitive habitat that should be off limits to development.

“We’re talking about an area . . . that offers the kind of coastal experience that’s rapidly disappearing in California,” Pezman said, adding that surfers and environmentalists have collected about 10,000 signatures on petitions opposing the plan. “It’s critical habitat, with wetlands nearby.”

Pezman said that the foundation needs to collect $25,000 to $40,000 to cover legal costs.

The Marines expect construction to begin in early spring on the first phase of the project, which will consist of 76 homes, Mason said.