Coastal Commission in La Jolla: how coastal building permits work

What the Coastal Commission process means

The California Coastal Commission is the state agency that protects the coast. Its process is the set of public steps for reviewing building near the coast, in an area called the coastal zone. No one can promise how a given La Jolla project will turn out.

In this guide:

• The Coastal Development Permit (CDP)
• Appealable areas: places where a City permit can be appealed to the state
• The Local Coastal Program (LCP): the City’s coastal plan and rules
• How City and state roles fit together
• Where to read more: bluff homes, remodel rules and guides

Our sources are the Coastal Commission’s own pages, the Coastal Act (the state law), and the San Diego city code. They do not replace advice on your lot or your application.

The Coastal Development Permit (CDP)

A Coastal Development Permit (CDP) is the permit you usually need before building in the coastal zone. Either the Commission or the city issues it. The Coastal Act counts almost everything as “development,” apart from a few small cases. It even includes using land or water more heavily when nothing is built. The CDP makes sure a project follows the coastal rules in Chapter 3 of the Coastal Act.

In the City of San Diego (check your own lot with the City or a lawyer):

• Coastal Overlay Zone: an extra map layer that protects public access to the coast and coastal resources. The CDP steps are in the city code, Chapter 12, Article 6, Division 7.
• When the City needs a CDP: usually for work in that zone. It is not needed if a listed exemption applies (section 126.0704), if the site sits fully where the state issues permits, or if it is in an area the state has not yet handed to the City (a Deferred Certification Area).
• Split lots: if part of a lot is under the state, that part may need its own state CDP or exemption.
• Exemptions: the city code lists work that does not need a CDP, with some limits.

Weston and Compass are not land-use lawyers and do not issue permits.

Appealable areas

Once the state approves a city’s coastal plan, the city issues most CDPs. The Commission keeps permit power over some land, such as tidelands (land the tide covers) and other public trust land. It can also hear appeals on some kinds of projects.

In San Diego:

• When you apply, the City decides if your project is in the appealable area. That is the part of the coastal zone where a City permit can be appealed to the state.
• If it is, a City-approved CDP can be appealed to the Coastal Commission.
• In most cases, City appeals must be used up first, though not always.

Section 30603 of the Coastal Act lists projects that can be appealed. Examples include work between the sea and the first public road along the sea. It also covers work within 300 feet of a beach (or of the high tide line where there is no beach), within 100 feet of a wetland, estuary or stream, or within 300 feet of the face of a coastal bluff. These distances come from the law. They are not a map of any lot.

The Commission posts appeal forms for each county, including San Diego. Timing and results depend on the project, so ask a lawyer.

The Local Coastal Program (LCP)

The Coastal Act requires each coastal city to write a Local Coastal Program (LCP). An LCP is the city’s coastal plan: its land use plan, zoning rules and zoning maps, plus other steps in sensitive coastal areas. Once the Commission approves it, the city issues most CDPs. The Commission still hears some permits and appeals, and it must approve changes to the plan.

The City’s CDP steps aim to match its LCP. The La Jolla Community Plan gives background on the area. It does not decide permits. To learn what rules cover a lot, and which agency reviews a project, check with City Development Services, a land-use lawyer and, when needed, the Coastal Commission.

Where this fits with other guides

You can talk about fees with Weston directly. This form does not give a commission quote.

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