Coastal Battle With Del Mar Will Have Implications As Malibu Deal With Ocean Rise
Written by 991KBU on October 7, 2019
In what may be a taste of what is to come for Malibu … another coastal city is digging a line in the sand over how to protect property against rising sea levels.
It’s Del Mar … a small city just north of La Jolla.
That city has taken the position that “managed retreat” along the beach will not work in Del Mar.
The San Diego Union Tribune reports the Delmar is gearing up for a battle in preparation for a Coastal Commission hearing on the issue next week.
The commission’s staff has recommended its board reject Del Mar’s plan.
They want Del Mar to adopt a list of 25 modifications that Del Mar officials worry could be a “back door” to managed retreat.
Managed retreat requires communities to look for ways to remove structures from low-lying beaches or seaside bluffs that are threatened by the rising sea.
In some cases, public agencies would step in and buy private property, or facilitate a move in some other way so that nature can take its course.
Planning for sea-level rise is a relatively new requirement of the Coastal Commission.
And what happens in Del Mar .. may happen in Malibu.
