Dana Point council denies CNLM appeal, upholds need for subsequent EIR on preserve trail-hour changes

At its Oct. 7, 2025 meeting, the Dana Point City Council voted to deny an appeal from the Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM) and to uphold the Planning Commission’s determination that CNLM’s Coastal Development Permit application for the Dana Point Preserve is not exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and requires a subsequent environmental impact report (EIR).

The appeal challenged the city’s conclusion that CNLM’s proposal to limit public access—reducing trail use to four days a week, narrower daily hours, and a reduction of roughly 3,000 public-use hours per year—was not eligible for CEQA exemptions. City staff recommended denial of the appeal both on procedural grounds (a late appeal fee) and on the merits. The council voted to adopt staff’s recommendation.

The decision matters because the proposal would limit access to the only trail on the Dana Point Headlands, which provides access to five scenic viewpoints along the Pacific Ocean. Staff said the change could affect public access and scenic resources and that a subsequent EIR is necessary to evaluate potential impacts in detail and identify mitigation or…