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Proposed Local Coastal Plan Update

Permit and Resource Management Department

Board of Supervisors Approves Local Coastal Plan Update

Meeting Details and Project Information

After the participation of hundreds of stakeholders, coastal advocates, and subject matter experts, the Board of Supervisors on July 17th, 2023, voted unanimously to adopt the first comprehensive update to the Local Coastal Plan in two decades.

The July 17th, 2023 Vote did the following:

  • Placed increased restrictions on industrial development including requiring a vote of the people of Sonoma County for large-scale industrial energy production facilities crossing the San Andreas fault.
  • Responded to how sea level rise has changed coastal conditions and increased risks related to climate change.
  • Added new fire prevention programs for vegetation management, defensible space, and grazing.
  • Updated public access maps to show existing and proposed future access points
  • Aligned the Local Coastal Plan’s language with the county’s right-to-farm ordinance to support agricultural uses.
  • Created additional limits to blufftop development at specific high-sensitivity sites along the coast.
  • Revised pesticide regulations to further protect fragile coast ecosystems.
  • Clarified reference maps for habitat review and to support agricultural uses.
  • Documents for the Approved Sonoma County Local Coastal Plan
    Instructions: Select the drop-down menu (">" symbol) to access:
    • Item Number (1) for the July 17, 2023, Board of Supervisors Draft Local Coastal Plan project materials. (Select desired document.)
    • Item Number 01 (2) for the July 17, 2023, Board of Supervisors approved Local Coastal Plan. (Select desired document. It may take some moments for document to load.)

Next Steps:

The California Coastal Commission will need to certify the updated Local Coastal Plan before it goes into effect. 

Purpose

The State requires Sonoma County to develop a Local Coastal Plan (LCP) to regulate land use, protect coastal resources, and guide coastal development.  In the last several decades, we have learned about changing conditions on the Coast including the need for:

  • adapting to climate change, including sea-level rise;
  • safeguarding public access;
  • protecting water resources;
  • conserving of coastal ecosystems;
  • preserving of agriculture;
  • mitigating hazards and wildfire resiliency.

The Local Coastal Plan update will address these areas while making the plan more modern and easier to understand and use.

Local Coastal Plan Update Documents

Board of Supervisors Draft
Local Coastal Plan Update Elements

Clean Version Red-Lined Version
Attachment 1a - Draft Introduction
(PDF 232 KB)
Attachment 1a - Draft Introduction
(PDF 312 KB)
Attachment 1b - Draft Land Use Element
(PDF 732 KB)
Attachment 1b - Draft Land Use Element
(PDF 1,194 KB)
Attachment 1c - Draft Agricultural Resources Element
(PDF 464 KB)
Attachment 1c - Draft Agricultural Resources Element
(PDF 359 KB)
Attachment 1d - Draft Open Space and
Resource Conservation Element
(PDF 630 KB)
Attachment 1d - Draft Open Space and
Resource Conservation Element
(PDF 1,170 KB)
Attachment 1e - Draft Public Access Element
(PDF 467 KB)
Attachment 1e - Draft Public Access Element
(PDF 950 KB)
Attachment 1f - Draft Water Resources Element
(PDF 455 KB)
Attachment 1f - Draft Water Resources Element
(PDF 809 KB)
Attachment 1g - Draft Public Safety Element
(PDF 1.96 MB)
Attachment 1g - Draft Public Safety Element
(PDF 1,214 KB)
Attachment 1h - Draft Circulation and Transit Element
(PDF 894 KB)
Attachment 1h - Draft Circulation and Transit Element
(PDF 473 KB)
Attachment 1i - Draft Public Facilities and
Services Element
(PDF 742 KB)
Attachment 1i - Draft Public Facilities and
Services Element
(PDF 642 KB)
Attachment 1j - Draft Cultural Resources Element
(PDF 105 KB)
Attachment 1j - Draft Cultural Resources Element
(PDF 133 KB)
Attachment 1k - Glossary (PDF 1.07 MB) Attachment 1k - Glossary (PDF 603 KB)

Board of Supervisors Draft
Local Coastal Plan Update Appendices

Clean Version Red-Lined Version
Appendix A - Design Guidelines (PDF 167 KB) Appendix A - Design Guidelines (PDF 287 KB)
Appendix B - Public Access Plans (PDF 546 KB) Appendix B - Public Access Plans (PDF 832 KB)
Appendix C - Right to Farm Ordinance (PDF 199 KB) Appendix C - Right to Farm Ordinance (PDF 173 KB)
Appendix D - Scenic Resources (PDF 192 KB) Appendix D - Scenic Resources (PDF 183 KB)
Appendix E - Natural Resources (PDF 402 KB) Appendix E - Natural Resources (PDF 315 KB)
Appendix F - Shoreline Protection
Structures Guidelines
(PDF 168 KB)
Appendix F - Shoreline Protection
Structures Guidelines
(PDF 131 KB)
Appendix G - Bodega Bay Focused Vulnerability
Assessment and Adaptation Strategies
(PDF 2.55 MB)
Appendix G - Bodega Bay Focused Vulnerability
Assessment and Adaptation Strategies
(PDF 5.6 MB)
Appendix H - 2010 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
(PDF 213 KB)
Appendix H - 2010 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
(PDF 250 KB)
Appendix I - Categorical Exclusions (PDF 443 KB) Appendix I - Categorical Exclusions (PDF 831 KB)
Appendix J - Historic Resources Inventory (PDF 643 KB) Appendix J - Historic Resources Inventory (PDF 693 KB)
Appendix K - State Route 1 Repair Guidelines
(PDF 3.68 MB)
Appendix K - State Route 1 Repair Guidelines
(PDF 3.7 MB)
Appendix L - Coastal Commission ADU Guidelines
(PDF 571 KB)
Appendix L - Coastal Commission ADU Guidelines
(PDF 572 KB)
Appendix M - Bodega Harbour 1977
Settlement Agreement
(PDF 34.2 MB)
Appendix M - Bodega Harbour 1977
Settlement Agreement
(PDF 34.2 MB)

What is a Local Coastal Program?

In 1976, the California Legislature enacted the Coastal Act, which created a mandate for coastal counties to manage the conservation and development of coastal resources through a comprehensive planning and regulatory program called the Local Coastal Program. The primary goal of the Local Coastal Program is to ensure that the local government’s land use plans, zoning ordinances, zoning maps, and implementation actions within the Coastal Zone are consistent with the requirements, provisions, and policies of the California Coastal Act.

In Sonoma County, the Local Coastal Program consists of three components: The local Coastal Plan, the Coastal Zoning Ordinance, and the Coastal Administrative Manual. The Local Coastal Plan is a broad, long-range policy document that guides resource protection and future development in the Coastal Zone, which is implemented through the Coastal Zoning Ordinance and Coastal Administrative Manual.

Once the Local Coastal Plan has been recommended by the Planning Commission and approved by the Board of Supervisors, it will be reviewed by the California Coastal Commission and certified for consistency with the California Coastal Act. Once certified, the updated Local Coastal Plan policies will be the standard of review for development in the Coastal Zone, with the exception of jurisdiction retained by the Coastal Commission, which included public trust lands and tidelands, as well as appeals to approvals between the first public road and the sea; within 300 feet of a beach or the mean high tideline where there is no beach; within 300 feet of a coastal bluff edge; or within 100 feet of a wetland, estuary, or stream.

Public Participation and Next Steps

From the beginning of the County’s Local Coastal Program, there has been strong citizen participation. Over 500 members of coastal communities have participated and these workshops generated over 400 comments from individuals, interest groups, agencies, and research organizations. 

Public Hearings, Consideration, Review, and Certification

Once the Board reviews and adopts the Local Coastal Plan, the Board adopted Local Coastal Plan will go to the Coastal Commission for review and certification in a public hearing.

Previous Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission Public Hearing Agendas:

  • November 10, 2021: Noise, Vibration, and Light Policy, Public Safety Element, Public Facilities & Service Element.
  • December 9, 2021: Circulation and Transit Element, Water Resources Element, Agricultural Resources Element.
  • January 13, 2022: Cultural & Historic Resources Element, Land Use Element (partial)
  • February 3, 2022: Land Use Element, Open Space & Resource Conservation Element (partial)
  • March 3, 2022: Open Space & Resource Conservation Element (complete), Public Access Element.
  • March 28, 2022: Initial review of Local Coastal Plan incorporating Planning Commission changes
  • June 29, 2022: Continue Review and Recommendation to the Board of Supervisors
  • August 30, 2022: The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors held a public workshop to provide an update on the Local Coastal Plan as recommended by the Planning Commission. 
  • October 4, 2022: The Board of Supervisors held a hearing on the LCP and asked staff to make additional recommendations before the item was returned to the Board.
  • April 4, 2023: The Board of Supervisors held a hearing on the LCP and asked staff to make additional recommendations before the item was returned to the Board.

Implementation

After certification, the Local Coastal Plan will be implemented through an updated Coastal Zoning Ordinance and revised Administration Manual. These documents are subject to the same public review, hearings, and certification process as the Local Coastal Plan, with opportunities for public input and recommendations at each step.

Previous Local Coastal Plan Drafts

Our Local Coastal Plan History

1980 Local Coastal Plan

The process of preparing the Sonoma County Local Coastal Plan (LCP) began in 1978, and from the beginning included strong citizen participation. The Draft LCP was completed and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in May 1980, certified by the Coastal Commission in December 1980, and became effective in January 1981.

However, the adoption and certification of The Sea Ranch portion of the LCP were deferred due to disagreement about public access and pending litigation between the developer Oceanic and the Coastal Commission. Following the resolution of these issues with a settlement agreement, the County developed the Land Use Plan for The Sea Ranch. In 1982 the Coastal Commission certified The Sea Ranch portion of the LCP and the LCP implementation plan that included the Administrative Manual and the Coastal Zoning Ordinance.

1989 General Plan & Local Coastal Plan

In 1989 the County adopted a new General Plan, which directed the County to update and revise the Local Coastal Plan to be consistent with the new General Plan. In 1993, 1995, 1999, and 2001 the Coastal Commission certified amendments to the LCP, which adopted technical changes to ensure consistency with the General Plan.

Current Local Coastal Plan

View the current adopted Local Coastal Plan.