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San Diego council adopts Coastal Resilience Master Plan, greenlights pilot projects at Tourmaline and Ocean Beach
Summary
The City Council voted unanimously to adopt a conceptual Coastal Resilience Master Plan and authorize initial capital work on four pilot sites — Tourmaline Surf Park, Ocean Beach Dog Beach, Ocean Beach Beachfront and Sunset Cliffs — while requiring further engineering, monitoring and local outreach.
The San Diego City Council on Tuesday adopted the Coastal Resilience Master Plan and certified a programmatic environmental impact report, authorizing initial capital improvement program work for four pilot sites to test nature‑based sea‑level rise solutions.
City planning staff presented the plan as a conceptual framework that identifies potential nature‑based solutions — including dunes, elevated beaches, restored habitats and reconfigured parking — at six coastal locations. "We are seeking approval of the coastal resilience master plan, certification of the programmatic environmental impact report, and initiation of the CIP for four prioritized sites," said Julia Chase, the city’s chief resilience officer.
Why it matters: Council members and advocates said the plan is intended to protect beaches, public access and coastal infrastructure as sea levels rise and storms grow more frequent. The plan pairs habitat goals with visitor access and emergency response needs, and staff emphasized that detailed engineering, monitoring and additional community input will follow before construction.
What the plan authorizes: Council voted to move Tourmaline Surf Park, Ocean Beach Dog Beach, Ocean Beach Beachfront and Sunset Cliffs into initial CIP design and scoping. Staff said Tourmaline was prioritized now (rather than Mission Beach) because of feasibility and safety concerns for lifeguard and emergency access at Mission Beach; additional monitoring and a yearlong data collection period was recommended for Mission Beach before design decisions.
Public reaction was mixed. Environmental groups and the Surfrider Foundation urged the council to prioritize nature‑based or hybrid solutions rather than hard armoring; Surfrider’s Zach Zielman said nature‑based approaches help beaches migrate inland and protect habitat. Neighbors around Sunset Cliffs and the Peninsula Community Planning Board opposed a proposed conversion of part of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard to one‑way traffic and urged the city to pair natural solutions with traditional engineering to protect the cliff edge.
Council caveats and next steps: Councilmember Jennifer Campbell moved to adopt the plan "as a conceptual base," emphasizing repeated council and staff assurances that the concepts require further technical study. Staff said phase 2 will include 15% design, technical studies, tribal consultation, targeted community workshops, and pursuit of additional state funding sources. The motion passed unanimously, 8–0, with Council Member Von Wilpert absent.
The council directed staff to: proceed with the requested CIP initiations for the four prioritized pilot sites, continue robust outreach (including to communities of concern and youth), and return with technical analyses, cost estimates and refined designs for each site before construction decisions are made.
