The Coastal Permit Administrator approved Coastal Development Permit 2024‑0011 on Jan. 9 for property at 49551 North Highway 1 in the Westport area, authorizing demolition of five structures (a mobile home, three sheds and a barn), removal of a 5,000‑gallon water tank and related infrastructure, and implementation of a habitat restoration plan to return the parcel to a more natural state.

Project planner Shelby Miller told the administrator the parcel is in the coastal zone and contains environmentally sensitive habitat areas (ESHAs) including wetlands, coastal dune willow, and riparian associations. The application includes a wetland delineation, biological assessment, bat survey, archeological report and a tentative habitat restoration plan. The plan proposes limited, temporary impacts to ESHA, mapped construction access routes to minimize disturbance, use of the existing parking area for staging, and post‑demolition soil stabilization, channel restoration, and native revegetation.

Miller said project materials show coordination with state agencies. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed bat survey materials and noted the little brown bat was under review for possible federal listing but not yet listed; the agency recommended consultation if the species becomes listed prior to work. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) provided recommendations to clarify measurable outcomes in the restoration plan, adopt best management practices, and ensure monitoring and mitigation commitments are included in the staff conditions. Miller also noted the recently updated CDFW filing fee (reflected in the conditions of approval) and that the applicant has applied for required permits with the Regional Water Quality Control Board and CDFW.

Alejandra Prendergast, representing the applicant Save the Redwoods League, told the hearing the structures are hazards, some already collapsed and occupied by transients, and removal is a condition of the Bureau of Land Management’s planned acquisition and subsequent passive recreational use of the parcel.

The administrator adopted the project’s mitigated negative declaration under CEQA and approved the CDP with 46 conditions of approval, reflecting agency recommendations and mitigation measures. As with other approvals, two appeal periods apply: a local 10‑calendar‑day appeal to the Board of Supervisors followed by a 10‑business‑day appeal to the California Coastal Commission.

Conditions require that mitigation measures from the Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement and water quality permits be incorporated, that restoration includes measurable performance criteria and monitoring, and that the applicant secure other required state permits prior to work.