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Planning Commission votes to remove planned beach-access collector from roadway master plan; council approval required
Summary
After staff recommended removing a planned C1 collector (project labeled 18V in staff materials) because of wetland and drainage concerns and proximity to a funded bond project, the Planning Commission voted to remove the project from the roadway master plan and recommended the change to City Council; developers and condo owners debated wetlands impact and dune-surge risk.
The Planning Commission voted to remove a planned C1 collector — identified in staff materials as project 18V — from the city’s roadway master plan after a staff presentation summarized developer concerns about jurisdictional wetlands, drainage and proximity to an already-funded nearby beach access project.
Jorge Chavez, a traffic engineer with Public Works, reviewed the item’s procedural history: the roadway master plan had previously classified the alignment as a C1 collector (project 18V) requiring a 60‑ft right‑of‑way with a 40‑ft roadway and public improvements. The developer later requested deletion, citing wetlands and constructability issues. Staff told commissioners that the bond-funded beach access road three (project 18AA in staff maps) will be built approximately a quarter‑mile north and that engineering staff assessed proximity and drainage issues.
Developer engineer Steven Grunwald (DCCM) testified that constructing the collector at the proposed alignment would impact roughly 0.8 acres of jurisdictional wetlands, exceeding a conventional 0.5‑acre threshold that typically triggers a full U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting process. He said that the road would also breach ridge dunes with elevations near 22–23 feet, reducing natural storm-surge protection and potentially increasing flood risk to immediately adjacent development.
Property owners and condominium representatives — including Charles W. Crawford Jr. (CCMS), Casey Patterson and owner Mike Broker — urged removal of the project from the master plan, citing dune protection, safety concerns (congested spring-break traffic and beach safety) and the existence of a nearby funded access project. The commission voted in favor of removing the planned collector from the roadway master plan; staff noted that the Planning Commission’s action will be forwarded to City Council, which must approve the master-plan amendment for it to take effect.
The record reflects some inconsistent references to the project identifier (staff materials used "18V" while the motion record later referenced "18B"); the commission vote removed the planned collector as presented in the staff packet and recommended City Council consider the amendment.
The commission’s recommendation will proceed to council for first and second reading; staff advised commissioners to record their support to inform the council decision. The developer and county/habitat considerations will continue to be part of the subsequent permitting and design process.
