The City of Pacifica will be holding another Public Meeting with the Sea Level Rise Citizen’s Working Group this Thursday, April 26 at 6PM at the Community Center; 540 Crespi Dr., Pacifica.
The description of the meeting is “Intro to Adaptation Strategies.”
If you are concerned about property rights, property values, or Sea Level Rise in Pacifica, please plan to attend the meeting on Thursday.
See the Facts below to give you a better sense of what might come out of these meetings if concerned homeowners are not involved in this process. The California Coastal Commission has written a 95-page document called the “Residential Adaptation Policy Guidance,” that will help to shape Pacifica’ s Local Coastal Program (LCP). The LCP contains the set of rules and ordinances that people must follow within the coastal zone. This summer, the Coastal Commission is expected to finalize the document dealing with residential structures (homes), called the Residential Adaptation Policy Guidance.
RESIDENTIAL ADAPTATION POLICY GUIDANCE FACTS
The Residential Adaptation Policy Guidance (RAPG) moves forward with guidelines on residential but not on commercial or public facilities. Our communities include all three and there is no clear delineation between them. Because of our development type, it is impossible to deal with one property type, ignoring the adjacent business or street that carries the sewer pipes.
The RAPG states that any type of armoring is harmful, when, in fact, the berm in Pacifica provides a habitat for endangered species, in addition to protecting homes and the golf course.
The RAPG was created by Coastal Commission staff without public input or consultation with the industries impacted, such as property and liability insurance and lenders.
If a home or business is drawn into one of the vulnerability zones, and the owner would like to make modifications to his or her property, he or she will be forced to agree that the property will not be armored or protected. If a property is drawn into one of the vulnerability zones, it will be restricted in the amount of remodeling or modifications he or she can make to a property.
If a property is drawn into one of the vulnerability zones, it could make it difficult to get a loan or obtain insurance.
If a property is drawn into one of the vulnerability zones, the owner may be required to prove that he or she has sufficient resources to remove his or her home when the CCC and the city government decide it is necessary. According to the RAPG, hotels and multi-family properties will be required to provide a bond, letter of credit, cash deposit, lien agreement to prove there are resources to remove the building.
If a home is drawn into one of the vulnerability zones, property values will decline. This could affect property values in adjacent neighborhoods and even the remainder of cities on the coast.
Some of the properties that are drawn into any of the “vulnerability” zones will be condemned. The CCC and the local government will decide which properties will be condemned and when that will happen.
If a property was built after January 1, 1977 – even though the owner received prior permission from the CCC to build – it is ineligible for any type of protection or armoring, even if neighboring properties are eligible.
If a property was built before January 1, 1977, it might qualify for temporary shoreline armoring or other protections. But, this is not the case if the property has been remodeled or modified in the past 40 years.
Taxes will be impacted as properties are condemned and public utilities are forced to be relocated, while tax-generating commercial properties are lost, as well.
Increased litigation between property owners and governmental agencies will occur, at the expense of the taxpayers.
The CCC has committed to “managed retreat,” which will result in increased pressure on all property owners on the coast to surrender their property in the shortest timeframe legally possible.
Submitted by Jim Wagner
1 comment:
People, read this carefully " If a property is drawn into one of the vulnerability zones, it will be restricted in the amount of remodeling or modifications he or she can make to a property.
If a property is drawn into one of the vulnerability zones, it could make it difficult to get a loan or obtain insurance.
If a property is drawn into one of the vulnerability zones, the owner may be required to prove that he or she has sufficient resources to remove his or her home when the CCC and the city government decide it is necessary.? If you live in West Fairway, West Sharp Park, Rockaway, or Linda Mar you should be laser focused on this process. Someone will draw that arbitrary line designating you in "the zone". This could change your property rights, your equity position, pretty much your life. For the rest of you, what do you think will happen to property values citywide if half our city, with most of our businesses, is devalued or rendered worthless?
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