4/5/2026
Santa Monica City Council is trying to gut the Coastal Commission’s jurisdiction over the areas of our city it is currently charged to protect.
A system that has worked for 40 years to preserve our shoreline is under attack. Why do local officials want to reduce Coastal Commission oversight in Santa Monica? As always, follow the money.
Under the guise of allowing bike lanes and outdoor dining, our City Council has pushed for the passage of State Assembly Bill 1740. But AB1740 does far more than allow bike lanes and dining. It also allows local officials to approve “infill housing” on our coastline without Coastal Commission approval. What is “infill housing”? It’s whatever City Council says it is.
And AB1740 only targets Santa Monica. It’s a carve-out, a gift to developers and their friends on our City Council so they can build higher density condos along our coast. Moreover, this increased density has NO MANDATE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
We urge you to contact our Assemblymember Rick Zbur
at assemblymember.Zbur@assembly.ca.gov
and tell him to oppose this give-away. Your email can be simple: Please protect our coastline from developers by withdrawing AB1740, or amending it to remove its housing development exemptions.
Years ago, Californians fought to protect our coastline by establishing the Coastal Commission. Santa Monicans cannot allow developers and their politicians to create their own set of rules.
Please contact Assemblymember Zbur today.
