Coastal Commission staff report & agenda material (large file)
Staff members with the California Coastal Commission, in a strongly worded report, have urged the agency’s governing board to deny State Parks’ plans to expand fee collection on the Sonoma Coast, arguing that such fees are unconstitutional and a barrier to beach access, in particular for low-income residents.
The staff report, which sided overwhelmingly with local officials and activists who have opposed the fees, represents the strongest opinion on the matter from within the powerful agency that oversees California’s coast. The agency’s board has a final say on whether the fees can be imposed, though the courts ultimately could be asked to take up the matter.
The recommendation that they be rejected escalates a years-long battle over State Parks’ hotly disputed proposal and sets the stage for what could be a decisive April 13 meeting of the Coastal Commission in Santa Rosa. That meeting was moved recently to the Veteran’s Memorial Building in anticipation of a large crowd.
State Parks is seeking to charge visitors at eight different locations on the Sonoma Coast where currently parking is free. Four of the parking lots are at Goat Rock and two are on Bodega Head. The remaining sites are Shell Beach and Stump Beach.
Read more at: Coastal Commission report urges rejection of proposed State Parks fees on Sonoma Coast | The Press Democrat