County reports emergency Coastal Act permit for Highway 1 retaining wall near Timber Cove

Permit Sonoma's director reported to the Board that the director had issued an emergency coastal development permit last Friday for repairs to Highway 1 north of Timber Cove, and described the nature of the emergency work. The board added the report to the agenda under Government Code emergency‑meeting provisions and received the item as informational; no board action was required.

Key points: Director Tennis Wick (Permit Sonoma) told supervisors Caltrans had notified the county that a portion of the outbound roadway about three‑quarters of a mile north of the Timber Cove Inn had become compromised after recent storms. Permit Sonoma issued an emergency coastal development permit that authorizes roughly 65 feet of retaining wall to permanently protect the road, the director said. Under the county code and state law, directors may issue emergency coastal permits in urgent situations but must report grantings to the board at the next scheduled meeting.

Procedural notes: The board voted to add the report to the regular agenda under Government Code section 54954.2(b)(2) and cited Government Code section 30624 and Sonoma County Code section 26C‑341.2 as the basis for emergency coastal permitting authority. Supervisors asked questions and thanked staff; the board did not take additional action because the director has the delegated authority to issue the permit and the item was informational.

Next steps: Permit Sonoma said it will supply further details as Caltrans finalizes repair plans and that staff were improving notification processes to ensure timely board reporting for similar items in the future.