Stop Seawalls in Pismo Beach

The City of Pismo Beach approved a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) that authorized the construction of a new 120-foot-long and 40-foot-high seawall that would cover the entirety of the bluff face (as well as the toe of the bluff at the beach) fronting a home at 117 Indio Drive in Pismo Beach and a new 110-foot-long and 40-foot-seawall that would cover the entirety of the bluff face (as well as the toe of the bluff at the beach) fronting 2151 and 2141 Shoreline Drive in Pismo Beach. The Surfrider San Luis Obispo Chapter is urging the California Coastal Commission to find substantial issue with these new seawall projects due to their detrimental impacts on local bluffs and beaches, and the negative precedent that such a decision will set for future decisions made by the City as well as future decisions made by this Commission.

Our primary concern is that, in approving the CDPs, the City has incorrectly interpreted the definition of the term ‘existing,’ as included in the City’s Local Coastal Program and the Coastal Act to define entitlements to shoreline protective structures.  

The appeal contends that that the City-approved seawall would protect a structure that is not allowed such protection under the LCP and that, even if it were allowable, does not appear to have been appropriately evaluated in terms of alternatives, impacts, and mitigations, all of which could lead to adverse, unmitigated, and not allowable coastal resource impacts.

The California Coastal Commission is expected to discuss these proposed projects at their December 14th, 2023 meeting.