MORRO BAY, San Luis Obispo County
— The California
Coastal Commission fired its executive
director Wednesday, defying more
than 1,000 people who packed a meeting to support a man they called one
of the state’s most important guardians of public access to the
coastline.
The commission’s 7-5 vote ended a contentious debate over Charles
Lester’s tenure, which his opponents said was marked by slow,
inefficient work by the agency’s staff and the stonewalling of
commissioners, and his supporters insisted was forward-thinking and
focused on keeping destructive development away from the coast.
Environmental groups accused development-oriented commissioners appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown of
pushing Lester’s ouster to
appease builders and rich movie stars who wanted to construct Malibu
mansions. More than 250 of Lester’s supporters spoke at Wednesday’s
meeting at the Morro Bay Community Center, which began at 10 a.m. and
stretched well into the night.
Lester “has always been a strong ally and friend to local government,”
said Mark Lovelace, a supervisor in Humboldt County. He said he and his
colleagues “cannot fathom what is going through the minds of the
commissioners who seek his dismissal. He is our friend.”
Read more...
Posted by Steve Sinai
29 comments:
The CC has been used by opponents to everything here in Pacifica to thwart, delay, and drive out potential builders. We have what some are referring to as a "housing crisis" due to the actions of some misguided souls in town and the eagerness of the CC staff to save the world. Our town is economically teetering on a cliff, and the CC is more than willing to push it over. In my opinion the commission should be disbanded completely. Unless the commissioners reign in their staff hand of the keys to Pacifica to the county now.
Build baby Build.
Hallelujah!
Finally the "faux enviro-managed retreat" terrorists have had their balls nipped.
They will continue to try and turn California into a sand dune but at least now it won't be so easy.
Think how great to have a string of ten story hotels overlooking Rockaway Beach. That's where we should put the new City library also, it's a much better location, and all the hotel tax would make library free.
What would be really great is a hotel complex at the top of Pedro Point, overlooking the ocean almost 270 degrees. Colt has lots more property on that hill that I'm sure he'd love to make a fair profit on.
I'm so giddy it's like Chrissmas morning.
Riptide asked readers to support Lester to stop hwy 1 widening. That comment has subsequently been scrubbed off. Clearly enviro laws and CC in particular are used to delay and defeat projects, not protect the enviroment
Once a faux-enviro always a faux-enviro.
Pacifica ha been out of balance for 30 years. Open hillsides, trail systems, clean beaches - all good. No ability to generate revenue - devastating!
Get out of the way hippies. You did your job unfortunately you never took an economics class and you don't have a clue on how to run a city.
1145, It aint the hippies running the city right now its the realtors and I thank them every day for what a great job they're dong.
Whether Palmetto Street or Library or Teacher housing this is all money well spent even if we have to borrow it.
What about a high rise hotel and casino right on Rockaway Beach?
Gamble overlooking the Pacific. Fine dining, gaming, and 1000 new hotel rooms would save our City economy.
NIMBY 201, I think we all know by now why this City is broke, and it sure isn't the result of "Realtor" influence. If it had been up to the "Realtors", this City would have a balanced City economy.
And, Realtors would not be frogging it with suggested solution leaps to City termination-- only duh NIMBIES would do that.
Gosh, have you folks read the article? The other commissioners offer an explanation for dumping Lester that doesn't support the frothy build baby build euphoria on here. Guess those commissioners are lying. All the more reason for the enviros to redouble their efforts to control not only the CCC, but local and statewide political offices. Oh, fun!
ROFLMAO Mess with the Realtors you get the horns, PacificaRiptide.com
See you next election enviroweenies!
Now that Coastal Commission is neutered we can finally build that underwater library we've always wanted.
Bwahahaha take that Pacifica Beach Coalition and your fake endangered species and bs global warming that never existed science proved it never happened maybe al gore can be new coastal commissioner
The tree huggers over on PacificaRiptide are having a conniption about this.
If it's your property you should be able to build whatever you want on it.
Can you imagine telling our forefathers in 1776 "Oh by the way, in 250 years you won't be able to do what you want with your property"?
that's what coastal commission was doing to developers.
So if it's your property you should be able to put a toxic waste dump on it or build on an eroding bluff top or an earthquake fault or in the path of a landslide.
Our forefathers in 1776 might not have thought about planning, zoning, and building codes. But few people today would be so stupid as to think that we shouldn't have them.
@9:41 - Bogeyman argument. There is a middle ground that is good for the owner and the neighbors.
941, "to put a toxic waste dump on it or build on an eroding bluff top or an earthquake fault or in the path of a landslide" is something that could foreseeably put the public in harm's way and that's an easy/lazy argument to make to justify the forfeiture of one's liberties. You have no idea what our forefathers in 1776 were thinking about when they drafted a very wise document called the Constitution, followed by the Bill of Rights. But I am pretty darn sure they would have shook their collective heads in shame at the concept of "monster homes", "rent control" and the abused usage of "eminent domain", amongst many other manifestations of a government that is way too big and way too controlling. Also, I don't think it was ever the intent of the Framers to have government agencies like the CCC and EPA, with little or no accountability to the people, assume the role of the Legislative Branch of our government.
Do you really think that many of the issues we face today are all that different than those experienced back in England circa 1776? I suggest you consult a good history book so you can fully understand why we left England in the first place.
9:56 I'm all for middle grounds but I don't see a middle ground in 7:54's statement that "If it's your property you should be able to build whatever you want on it." Maybe 7:54 is trolling, trying to provoke a response to an obviously extreme and foolish statement.
1055, 956, 941, 754... 240-250 years later is a very different world.
US population today US Cencus is estimated at 322,987,000 and counting. US Population Wikipedia,
1776, was roughly 2,000,000. Difference 320 million, time gap of 240 years.
Not sure what any of this has to do with failure to develop our City with balance for the benefit of the community which lives here.
And a core question outstanding is when do the NIMBIES exhibit good will toward supporting progress and financial stability for the benefit and improvement of this City-- rather than dividing the community, fighting financial and economic infrastructure solutions, obstructing progress, and promoting City disincorporation (leading to complete failure of the incorporated City where we live)?
NIMBIES, as we've all come to know them, will never abandon their mission of NOTHING FOR PACIFICA. It is a reflection of themselves. It's the "I got Mines" in full swing. It's Lancelle to Hall with a whole bunch of litigation thrown in the middle with Loeb.
These stingy people have no common sense or compassion for anyone but themselves. Better to waste the whole city than give up one iota of their little piece of paradise. They think they are smarter than everyone else but will be the first to duck when the shit really starts flying.
Thanks for nothing Pacificans for Sustainable Development.
Good bye Pacifica, it was nice knowing you.
NIMBIES are bad unless it's about airplane noise in Park Pacifica. Those NIMBIES are good.
Thanks, 459, for first laugh of my day..."They think they are smarter than everyone else but will be the first to duck when the shit really starts flying." Those nimby idiots!
The airport noise nimbys are aligned with Fred Howard. Fred Howard was one of the original members of the Friends of the Pacifica Hills. He started the nimby, noobee, hippie movement in Pacifica.
Fred Howard and Peter Loeb hijacked the city council and put a bunch of self serving puppets on council who would do anything to stop building and growth.
No one who is aligned with Fred Howard or Peter Loeb should ever be on Pacifica's city council.
Jim Wagner is on the airport noise NIMBYs.
Yikes! Somebody better tell Wags to check his alignment.
The only time the airplanes are heard at my house in Vallemar is when it's raining. I would guess airline noise would be worse up in Fairmont being they are closest to the airport.
Airport noise? You kidding? Been at Fairmont Shopping Center lately? I understand that someone recently petitioned the City to rename Gateway Drive to "Runway #5".
6:47
I did say Fairmont, didn't I?
Post a Comment