The Coastal Commission on Dec. 14 approved a Seal Beach request to change the parking rate and hours for the First Street beach lot. The item was moved to the Coastal Commission’s Consent Calendar and approved with conditions. The decision was known after the editorial deadline for last week’s Sun.
“We do not foresee any issues with meeting these conditions. We have already been working towards implementing the changes and will continue to cooperate with the Coastal Commission to bring this matter to a resolution,” wrote Assistant City Manager Patrick Gallegos in an email.
Technically, the city was amending a previously approved coastal development permit. CCC staff recommended approval of the requested amendment, providing conditions were met.
The commissioners apparently agreed.
The city proposed:
• Changing parking fee collection hours to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (an addition of 1 hour).
• Changing the hourly rates to $2 an hour with a maximum of $10 per day.
• Increasing the all-day parking fee to $10.
• Establishing a new flat fee of $4 after 6 p.m.
One of the conditions the CCC requires is that signage advise the public that the beach is always open but that fees are collected between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
“There is currently one permitted parking pay station in the First Street Public Parking Lot. However, the City has indicated that one additional parking pay station has been installed without a coastal development permit,” according to the Coastal Commission staff report.
“To deal with this, the City is proposing installation of this one additional parking pay station as part of the project,” according to the Coastal Commission staff report.
Commission staff recommended that the city submit full sets of a revised final project plan showing the location of the additional parking pay station.
The applicant (in this case the city of Seal Beach) must submit the plans before the state agency issues the amended coastal development permit, according to the report.
