Planning commission denies Corniche Master Association bid to bar short‑term rentals in Monarch Hills

The Dana Point Planning Commission on July 14 denied Coastal Development Permit CDP‑25‑0004, which the Corniche Master Association had filed to prohibit short‑term rentals (STRs) of less than 30 days within the Monarch Hills condominium subassociation.

Case planner John Champ told the commission the Corniche Master Association’s master CC&Rs include a 30‑day minimum rental term, but Monarch Hills’ CC&Rs — recorded later — contain a seven‑day minimum that has permitted short‑term rentals for decades. Champ said the city has tracked STR activity in Monarch Hills since 2013 and that the subassociation currently had about 45 active STR permits at the time of the hearing; Champ said prior CDPs approved for other subassociations (Corniche Sur Mer and Ritz Point) involved communities that had no history of active STRs and therefore were materially different. Champ told commissioners staff does not…