Arcata delays Local Coastal Program adoption to coordinate with Coastal Commission staff

The city’s proposed comprehensive update to its Local Coastal Program (LCP) was continued to Oct. 15 after city staff reported that Coastal Commission staff requested substantive changes that require additional coordination. Planning staff said the changes could not be adopted as simple conditions of approval and instead require amendments that staff and Commission staff must finalize.

Planning staff described a multi‑year public engagement record on the LCP and said the requested revisions from the Coastal Commission staff are technical and substantive enough to warrant a three‑month delay. “At this point I’m requesting that the city council continue this item to October 15 when we would bring that item back for adoption with those amendments that we coordinate with the Coastal Commission staff,” the planning director said.

Staff emphasized that the continuation is intended to allow staff to address Commission comments and finalize the draft; the city will hold noticed public hearings as part of the resumed process. A council motion to continue the hearing to Oct. 15 passed by voice vote. No substantive policy decisions were adopted tonight.

Nut graf: The LCP update — a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s coastal regulations — remains under review by the California Coastal Commission staff. Staff requested additional time to coordinate amendments; the council set Oct. 15 as the date to resume consideration and potential adoption.

Background: Staff described more than a decade of prior public engagement on the draft LCP and said the current continuation is a coordination step with Coastal Commission staff rather than an extension for new public comment; public hearings will remain the formal vehicle for input.

Ending: Staff said they are committed to a three‑month timeline and will return with a revised draft and the Coastal Commission’s recommended amendments at the Oct. 15 meeting.