Under the Coastal Act, the Commission works to ensure that new overnight lodging in the coastal zone provides for a range of affordability and that existing lower cost overnight facilities are protected. Lower cost lodging for visitors to stay near the coast most commonly include hotels, motels, hostels, cabins, and campgrounds. Protecting, encouraging, and providing lower cost lodging helps provide equitable coastal public access and recreation for people of all income levels. This webpage provides resources for visitors looking for lower cost lodging in the coastal zone, and resources for local governments and permit applicants looking for guidance on Local Coastal Program policies and Coastal Development Permits related to overnight lodging.
The Coastal Commission held an informational briefing about lower cost overnight accommodations at its July 11, 2024 public hearing. The briefing gave an overview of the Commission’s authority over lower cost overnight accommodations and the recent challenges and opportunities with protecting and providing lower cost facilities in the coastal zone. The video is available to watch here and the presentation is available here.
In September 2023, the State Coastal Conservancy hosted a webinar on how to access and apply for their grant funding, including for lower cost overnight accommodation projects. A recording on the webinar can be found here. Slides from the webinar here. A Q&A document from the webinar here, and the chat transcript here.
As directed by AB 250 (2017), the State Coastal Conservancy completed its study titled Explore the Coast Overnight: An Assessment of Lower-Cost Coastal Accommodations. The intent of the study is to identify barriers to accessing lower cost overnight accommodations, identify potential criteria to use for prioritizing funding of lower cost overnight accommodation projects, and identify potential funding sources and opportunity sites for lower cost overnight accommodation projects.
The Governor signed AB 250 (Gonzalez-Fletcher) into state law on October 15, 2017. The bill requires the State Coastal Conservancy to develop and implement a lower cost coastal accommodations program that improves existing and develops new lower cost accommodations within 1.5 miles of the coastline. The bill also amends the Coastal Act by adding Section 30607.8, which authorizes the Commission to reassign in-lieu mitigation fees for lower cost overnight projects that remain unspent after seven years.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about lower cost coastal lodging as it relates to the Coastal Commission’s work, please contact StatewidePlanning@coastal.ca.gov
