August 30, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Climate Change in SM

City Council approves local coastal program land use plan.

By Sam Catanzaro. 

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released a special report that warns we have just 12 years to implement changes to the global energy infrastructure to keep the impacts of global warming at moderate levels. Santa Monica, which has many areas right at sea level, are among the areas that stand to be the most affected.

“There is no documented historic precedent,” said IPCC said in their report   “Some of the most affected areas are small islands, megacities, coastal regions and high mountain ranges.”

The IPCC report suggests that the impacts of climate change could come sooner, rather than later, due to a combination of higher sea levels and more intense rainfall, if carbon emission is not reduced within the next twelve years.

“Scientists have been warning us for years that we can expect to see more extreme weather with climate change. The heat waves, wildfires, and heavy rainfall events of recent months all over the world underscore these warnings,” said Hoesung Lee, chair of the IPCC.

The Santa Monica City Council took steps this week to address the impacts of climate change when at their regular meeting on Tuesday, October 9, unanimously approved the Local Coastal Program (LCP) Land Use Plan at last night’s meeting – the first update to the plan since its adoption in 1992.

According to the City, the update is an important step toward aligning the LCP with current City policies related to mobility, sustainability and adaptation to sea level rise, as required by Coastal Commission guidelines.

“We have been working for more than two years with Coastal Commission staff to ensure that our updated LCP Land Use Plan will support a coastal development permit process that aligns with our sustainability and mobility goals,” said David Martin, Director of Planning and Community Development. “In addition, our planning process utilized the Coastal Commission’s guidelines and the latest sea level rise science and modeling to develop policies to prepare Santa Monica for the advent of sea level rise. The Land Use Plan outlines policies for hazard zone properties as well as a roadmap for adaptation to make our City more resilient as measurable sea level rise occurs.”

The Land Use Plan consists of seven policy areas that address State Coastal Act requirements. Two of the most important policy areas address access to the beach and sea-level rise. The access policies ensure beach visitors have many options to access the coast, including management of shared parking resources and a comfortable pedestrian and active transportation environment. The sea level policies will prepare Santa Monica to plan strategically to protect beach infrastructure and coastal assets. Sections of the California coast are already experiencing destruction from wave run-up and storms. While Santa Monica has not yet experienced effects of sea level rise, adopting these policies now makes Santa Monica one of the first Southern California cities to begin this preparation.

The LCP Land Use Plan adoption follows two years of outreach and analysis. Residents may remember the OWL visualization tool on the Pier in late 2016 depicting the impacts of sea level rise. Community feedback from the OWL as well as from public meetings and other outreach tools informed the Final Draft LUP adopted by Council.

The LCP Land Use Plan will now move forward to the Coastal Commission for certification for conformance with the Coastal Act.The next step will be development of an Implementation Plan, including an update of the Low-Cost Lodging Mitigation Fee.Until full certification including the Implementation Plan, the Land Use Plan will serve as a basis for Coastal Commission’s review of Santa Monica’s Coastal Development Permits. The combined process in the future under City authority will integrate coastal sensitivity unique to Santa Monica and streamline the review process for projects in the Coastal Zone.

in News
<>Related Posts

SMMUSD Board of Education Changes Start Time for September 4 Meeting

August 30, 2025

August 30, 2025

Residents Can Tune In via Livestream or Make Public Comments Remotely The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced a revised...

Pacific Park Ferris Wheel to Glow with 90-Foot American Flag for Labor Day

August 30, 2025

August 30, 2025

The tribute will feature the Ferris wheel’s 174,000 LED lights in a custom computer-generated show of red, white, and blue...

State Launches Task Force to Tackle Homeless Encampments

August 30, 2025

August 30, 2025

The task force, comprising multiple state agencies, will target encampments along state rights-of-way in California’s 10 largest cities Gov. Gavin...

Santa Monica Flea-Borne Typhus Cluster Under Investigation as L.A. Cases Rise

August 29, 2025

August 29, 2025

County Confirms 106 Cases So Far in 2025 After a Record 187 Last Year Health officials are warning Los Angeles...

CHP Launches Annual Statewide Labor Day Crackdown on Impaired Driving

August 29, 2025

August 29, 2025

All Available Officers Will Patrol California Roads August 29–September 1 The California Highway Patrol will deploy every available officer this...

Santa Monica Historic District Tour Showcases Early 20th Century Bungalows

August 29, 2025

August 29, 2025

The Third Street Walk, led by Conservancy board president Mario Fonda-Bonardi, will highlight the architectural and historical significance of the...

Newsom Signs Order to Protect Clean Energy Projects Amid Federal Rollbacks

August 29, 2025

August 29, 2025

The order aims to secure federal tax credits for clean energy projects before they expire due to HR 1, dubbed...

Muscle Beach Championship Returns to Venice on Labor Day

August 29, 2025

August 29, 2025

The event will feature competitions across categories including bodybuilding, bikini, men’s physique, classic physique, angel bikini, and couples The iconic...

Film Review: Relay

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

FILM REVIEWRELAYRated R112 MinutesReleased August 22nd This movie plays like a chess game, mentally and physically – on foot and...

Santa Monica’s E-Bike Voucher Program Marks One-Year Milestone

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

A city blog post highlighted personal impacts, with one family avoiding a second car purchase for a commute to Burbank,...

Westside Classics Car Show Set to Roll into Venice Beach

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

The show will feature a curated lineup of vintage sedans, low-slung cruisers, and unique custom builds The Westside Classics Car...

Westside Chefs Shine at the Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival in September

August 28, 2025

August 28, 2025

South Bay’s Culinary Festival Returns With Two Nights of Food, Wine, and Music Santa Monica, Westchester, Los Angeles, and West...

(Video) Public Transit Returns to Pacific Palisades

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The Return is Part of a Broader Summer Overhaul, Aiming to Boost Connectivity Across the Westside Public Transit Returns to...

Raising Cane’s Plans New Location on 3rd Street Promenade

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The move marks the chain’s latest expansion in California Louisiana-based fast-food chain Raising Cane’s confirmed to the Santa Monica Mirror...