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Board committee opposes SB 951 unless amended, citing threat to Coastal Commission jurisdiction
Summary
The committee approved a resolution opposing Senate Bill 951 as amended to preserve the California Coastal Commission’s geographic and appellate authority, citing sea‑level rise planning and coastal access concerns. Public testimony was strongly divided between coastal‑protection groups and housing advocates.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted on Feb. 5 to send a resolution to the full Board opposing California Senate Bill 951 unless amended to maintain the California Coastal Commission’s existing geographic and appellate authority.
President Peskin, who introduced the resolution, argued the bill would remove large swaths of San Francisco from Coastal Commission jurisdiction and set a dangerous statewide precedent that could undermine protections for coastline access and sea‑level‑rise planning. “This is a solution looking for a problem,” Peskin said, adding that the Coastal Commission approves most coastal development permit applications and plays a key role in sea‑level‑rise planning.
Public comment included multiple environmental organizations urging opposition (Surfrider Foundation, Surfrider San Francisco, California Coastal Protection Network, SPEAK) and neighborhood residents concerned about commercialization and development pressure on Ocean Beach and other shoreline areas. Several housing advocates and developers urged nuance, noting that boundary changes could enable the use of certain state housing tools on underused parking lots and other coastal parcels.
After deliberation, the committee adopted Peskin’s amendment to retitle the resolution to oppose SB 951 "unless amended," and voted to send the amended resolution as a committee report to the full Board. The roll call recorded two votes in favor and one against at the committee level; the resolution proceeds to the full Board for final action.
