Coastal Planning

Overview 

A Local Coastal Program (LCP) consists of (1) a Land Use Plan (LUP) and (2) a Local Implementation Plan (IP) which together contain the land use policies, zoning requirements and development standards to carry out the California Coastal Act of 1976 requirements and implement its provisions and policies within the City’s coastal zone.  The Coastal Act became effective January 1, 1977.  All cities in the Coastal Zone required to have an LCP; however, to date only 75% of the California coast line is covered by a certified LCP.

The City’s Coastal Zone generally extends inland to Interstate 5 and includes five miles of coastline in the City with 20+ acres of public beaches and 15 public beach access ways.  The LCP only applies to lands within the Coastal Zone which represent approximately 15% of the total land area of the City.    

Within the City’s Coastal Zone is an area covered by an existing Categorical Exclusion Order E-82-1.  The City of San Clemente Categorical Exclusion Order was approved by the California Coastal Commission in 1982 pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 30610(e) and 30610.S(b), categorically excluding, from the permit requirements of the California Coastal Act, categories of development within the specifically defined geographic area shown here at this link. The full text of the Categorical Exclusion Order can be found here at this link. 

The City’s key LCP objectives are to retain local control throughout the LCP Update process in order to implement the vision and long terms goals for San Clemente.  It is essential that the LCP reflects local preferences and unique conditions in San Clemente.

The goals of obtaining a fully certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) are to give the City more control over approving projects within the City’s Coastal Zone and to provide greater certainty to local property owners and businesses. The result of this LCP update effort will be a streamlined Coastal Development Permit process for local property owners by enabling them to obtain a single permit from the City. 

Status

Certified 2018 Land Use Plan

Certified Land Use Plan (LUP) 
Appendix A: Biological Assessment 

The City’s original Land Use Plan (LUP) was certified in 1988 and was comprehensively updated in 1996.  On August 10, 2018, the California Coastal Commission certified the City’s comprehensive Local Coastal Program (LCP) Land Use Plan (LUP) update. To view the City’s Certified LUP, click this link. To view Appendix A, the Biological Assessment, click this link.

The LUP is the first piece of a Local Coastal Program (LCP) that contains the land use related policies for the City’s coastal zone. The adoption of a new LCP will give the City more control over approving projects within the City’s Coastal Zone and will streamline the Coastal Development Permit review process for project applicants.

Draft Implementation Plan

The City prepared it first Implementation Plan (IP) in 1996 and it was approved by the City Council for submittal to the CCC.  The CCC rejected the City’s submittal unless “suggested modifications” to the IP were adopted by the City; however, the City found the changes unacceptable and efforts on the IP ceased until recently.

The City’s Draft IP is currently in development. The City’s LCP consists of (1) a completed and certified LUP and (2) a Local Implementation Plan (IP or LIP) which contains the zoning ordinance and development standards intended to implement the policies of the City’s Certified LUP.  Together, these documents will comprise the Local Coastal Program which implements the California Coastal Act in the Coastal Zone portion of the City. 

A draft IP and Land Use Plan Amendment (LUPA) was released for a six-week public review period that concluded in March 2022.The Draft LUPA is to correct an inadvertent error contained in the definition of “Major Remodel” regarding the starting point for tracking changes to structures. Following the public review period, the City received comments from the Coastal Commission. Since then, City staff continues to work on draft documents, Specific Plan updates, and housing element implementation efforts that will become part of a public hearing draft that will be re-released to the public for public review when ready. The previously released documents are accessible at the links below:

• Draft Local Coastal Program Implementation Plan
• Draft Land Use Plan Amendment

Please check back here for future updates. 

View the Draft San Clemente Coastal Strategic Plan

Link to Sand Replenishment Projects Specific Web Page

Submit a Comment Regarding the Nature Based Sand Retention Concepts

Public Comments Received
View the 8/7/24 Draft Memorandum: Preliminary Conceptual Designs of Nature Based Sand Retention Structures
View the 7/18/24 Public Meeting #3 Nature Based Coastal Resiliency Project Feasibility Study Design Concepts Presentation
Community Meeting on Coastal Resiliency Concepts Scheduled July 18, 2024, 4:00pm, San Clemente City Hall

February 2024:

Public Comments Received
2/29/24 Presentation Regarding Nature Based Coastal Project Feasibility
2/29/24 Video of Presentation Regarding Nature Based Coastal Project Feasibility
2/15/24 Second Meeting on Draft Nature Based Sand Retention Concepts scheduled for Thursday, February 29^th, from 4-7pm in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.

September 2023:

Public Comments Received
9/27/23 Community Meeting Presentation
9/27/23 Video of Community Meeting

June 2023:

 “Critical Erosion Hot Spots” Report - identifies which beaches in the greater San Clemente region are experiencing the worst erosion and which beaches appear to be somewhat more stable.  The preliminary findings in this report will be used by the City to develop coastal resiliency solutions aimed at reducing erosion, stabilizing and widening the beaches in the City using nature-based  or “green” solutions as a first priority.”  

February 2023: Presentation to the Beaches, Parks, and Recreation Commission.  

Background

In 2022, the City of San Clemente initiated a process to identify feasible solutions to promote long term resiliency of the City’s shoreline by retaining and reducing the loss of sand along the City’s shoreline.

The City has an approved a comprehensive Local Coastal Program (LCP) Land Use Plan (LUP) which was certified by the California Coastal Commission (CCC) on August 10, 2018. In addition, the City completed a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment (SLRVA) that was submitted to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) in December 2019 and a Coastal Resiliency Plan which was submitted to the CCC in December 2021. 

The City has also published a public review draft LCP Implementation Plan (IP) which was submitted to the CCC in April 2022 as a final deliverable of a CCC Round 5 LCP Planning grant and remains an in-progress working draft. 

Completion of the LUP, SLRVA and the Coastal Resiliency Plan represent the beginning of the phased adaptation efforts to advance coastal resiliency in the City. These documents outline a path forward for the City to address sea level rise (SLR) by reducing risks from, and exposure to, coastal hazards. The City’s coastal resiliency planning efforts are ongoing as the understanding of the dynamic interplay among variables in climate science, including green house has emissions scenarios and sea level rise predictions, continues to evolve.

Building on the momentum, accomplishments, and past success achieved in part by grants awarded to the City, in March 2022 the City received notification of a fourth LCP Planning Grant (i.e., a CCC LCP Round 7 Grant) to support continued coastal resiliency building efforts in San Clemente. The focus of this latest grant funding is the advancement of key recommendations in the Coastal Resiliency Plan which include re-establishment of a shoreline monitoring program and development of one or more nature-based shoreline management projects. A key City goal is the protection of the public beach which serves as a natural shoreline protective buffer that supports a sustainable, healthy and resilient environment for all.

As part of the 2022 Grant award, the City has re-establishing an ongoing, annual shoreline monitoring program as describe above.

The City will prepare a Nature Based Coastal Resiliency Project Feasibility Study focused on identification of critical erosion hot spots in the City and opportunities to develop one or more nature-based pilot project(s) that provide multiple public benefits (e.g., sand retention and ecosystem benefits).  The City desires to identify one or more coastal resiliency pilot projects and /or strategies that are environmentally sensitive, financially feasible and that can be approved through the regulatory permitting process.

Study Overview

The City’s primary goal is to identify and evaluate locally appropriate, optimized coastal resiliency projects that are “nature-based” or “green infrastructure” projects or strategies. The City desires to conduct this effort as efficiently and economically as possible utilizing applicable and relevant scientific and technical data available to optimize utilization of available grant funding.

This Study builds on, and utilizes, the information collected under Shoreline Monitoring Program and is intended to facilitate key recommendations contained in the City’s 2021 Coastal Resiliency Plan to promote long-term coastal resiliency in San Clemente. A key recommendation in the Plan (see Executive Summary, Page 7) is to “Prepare a feasibility study to identify critical erosion hot spots in the City and develop one or more pilot projects that provide multiple benefits (e.g., sand retention and ecosystem benefits) such as a living shoreline, coastal dune system or cobble berm structure.”

The major study phases/tasks are summarized below.

• Data Collection to identify critical erosion areas/hot spots: This task will support an opportunities and constraints analysis and involve a literature review for data on the local sediment budget in this part of the Oceanside littoral cell, field reconnaissance and resource mapping, compilation of wind and wave run-up data.
• Public Outreach & Involvement activities and events will occur to ensure meaningful opportunities for public engagement throughout the multi-year Study process. The first public outreach meeting will likely be held via a City Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to maximize stakeholder engagement and a total of four public outreach meetings are planned to obtain feedback from the community and interested stakeholders on locations and project types that should be considered as well as opportunities for public review and comment and contributions of citizen science, on the Draft Reconnaissance Study Report.
• City & CCC Staff Coordination will occur regular check in points, at least twice per year, for the duration of the Study.
• Development of Nature Based Resiliency Conceptual Designs involves the preparation of 30% schematic conceptual designs for multiple, nature-based solutions for the City beaches developed with the benefit of public input.  The preliminary design concepts will be evaluated for function and performance as well as for potential effects upcoast and downcoast and are intended to support future additional technical analyses, environmental review and permitting.
• Identify Permit Requirements, Data Needs and Funding Opportunities to support the next phase of the Project.  This list would be developed to identify all potential permit/ approvals needed as well as the agencies responsible for issuing permits. This task will also identify the anticipated level of CEQA/NEPA review for the pilot projects and/or scaled up projects, as appropriate and any data gaps or additional technical studies and outline performance goals and a monitoring program required to support project advancement and community buy-in. A preliminary list of funding sources will also be identified.
• Prepare Preliminary Design & Final Feasibility Study Report for public review and comment draft and preparation of a final report compiling/encompassing the information obtained from all previous tasks. It is currently envisioned that there will be a minimum 30-day public comment period for the public review draft. The final report will be revised to address public and CCC staff comments and will summarize all opportunities and constraints and include project recommendations for implementation and next steps for City consideration.

Key Deliverables & Work Products and Schedule

Information developed as part of the Nature Based Coastal Resiliency Project Feasibility Study will be published here, when available, and can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

• February 2023: Presentation to the Beaches, Parks, and Recreation Commission. For the presentation, click here.
• Identification of Critical Erosion Areas in City: June 2023. For the report, click here.
• Draft Nature Based Resiliency Concepts Report: Anticipated in December 2023
• Preliminary Draft Feasibility Report: Anticipated in December 2024
• Final Feasibility Report: Anticipated in July 2025

May 2024 Shoreline Monitoring Report for the South Orange County Region

City of San Clemente Beach Monitoring Program Spring 2024 Beach Profile Survey Report

The general objective of the City of San Clemente monitoring program is to document changes in the condition of the active coastal zone between Dana Point Harbor in the north and San Mateo Point in the south, thereby providing a basis for evaluating the impacts of both natural events and beach replenishment operations for the South Orange County region. The program is regional in scope and includes semi-annual beach profile surveys at 12 representative coastal sites. Data is generally collected each May (Spring) and October (Fall).

The most recent survey was performed on May 1 and 2, 2024 in good conditions.  This was the fourth beach profile survey conducted under the current monitoring program which was restarted by the City of San Clemente in October 2022.  The next surveys will be conducted in October 2024 and data will be reported as soon as it is available.

Key findings from the May 2024 Surveys:

1. Shoreline erosion predominated in the study area over the most recent winter season (October 2023 to May 2024).  The greatest losses were concentrated in the region between Linda Lane (SC-1680) and San Clemente State Beach (SC-1623).  Gains were confined to three sites (Shorecliffs, SC-1720; Capistrano Shores, SC-1705; and Dije Court, SC-1695).  The greatest loss measured 75 ft (SC-1680), while the greatest gain measured 19 ft (SC-1695). 
2. Historical minimum beach widths were measured at North Beach (SC-1700) and Capistrano Shores (SC-1705).
3. At the south end of the study area (SC-1605), the beach was inaccessible at the time of the survey.  The land-based crew performed the survey from the community at Cyprus Shore.

Notes / Revisions:

1. Mean High Water Beach Widths

While the beach profile data reference Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW), beach widths have been measured since Fall 2023 at Mean High Water (MHW) in order to make use of publicly-available LiDAR data collected between recent monitoring programs.  These data supersede those provided prior to Fall 2023.

2. Landward Limit Revisions

The City’s contractor made revisions to the landward limit of the beach in Fall 2023 at Transects SC‑1680, SC-1645, and SC‑1623 based on input from community stakeholders.  The beach widths provided herein reflect these changes.

Status

On April 11, 2023 a presentation was provided to the City’s Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission to report the data and observations obtained by the City’s Fall 2022 (October) shoreline monitoring program.  A link to the presentation can be found here.  This informational update reports on the first of 7 surveys that are planned through the end of 2025.  The City is collecting local and regional data to support the City’s ongoing coastal resiliency planning and regional collaboration efforts and the data is also being made publicly available for use by others including the County of Orange and OCTA . 

State of the Coast 2022 Presentation: The Presentation presents the first results of the City of San Clemente Shoreline Monitoring Program which was re-initiated in 2021.  The Presentation reports the findings of the Fall 2022 Beach Profile Survey. The general objective of the monitoring program is to document changes in the condition of the beach and shorezone thereby providing a basis for evaluating the impacts of both natural events and beach replenishment operations.  The program includes semi-annual beach profile surveys at 12 representative coastal sites from Dana Point Harbor in the north to San Mateo Point (i.e, Cotton’s) in the south.

The next scheduled surveys will be conducted in May 2023 and October 2023.  Additional technical program deliverables can be found here.

Background

In September 2022, the City of San Clemente formally reestablished a local Shoreline Monitoring Program that had been inactive for approximately 15 years.  Prior to 2022, the last complete shoreline survey of the San Clemente area was conducted in 2007.

The City’s primary goal in reestablishing a Shoreline Monitoring Program is to build a database of information on shoreline changes in San Clemente and vicinity, thereby providing a basis for evaluating effects of sea level, El Niño conditions as well as beach sand replenishment projects. The data will be used to develop a comprehensive understanding of seasonal, annual, and long-term coastal changes in the region.  The data derived by the Shoreline Monitoring Program will also be used to inform the City’s Nature Based Coastal Resiliency Project Feasibility Study described below.

San Clemente is located within the northern part of the Oceanside Littoral Cell. This littoral cell stretches from the San Juan Creek north of the City all the way to the La Jolla Canyon in the south near the Scripps Pier at U.C. San Diego and crosses municipal boundaries as well as County lines. 

The program results will provide planners and engineers with the data needed to make informed decisions related to enhancing local coastal resiliency.  The data acquired along each transect will form a continuous profile from the back beach to the offshore terminus of the transect. The offshore terminus will be the 45-ft depth contour or at a distance of 6,000 feet offshore whichever is first reached when proceeding offshore). On October 11, 2022, the Beaches, Parks, and Recreation received a presentation on the program. Click here for the powerpoint.

Program Overview

The City’s reestablished Shoreline Monitoring Program is intended to document coastal changes (i.e., shoreline morphology) in the broader region on longer time scales including seasonal, annual and long-term. The San Clemente Shoreline Monitoring Program is funded through the end of 2025 in part by a grant from the California Coastal Commission.

Beginning fall 2022, bathymetric data was collected with a digital acoustic echo sounder operated from a shallow-draft inflatable survey vessel. A dynamic motion compensator, which filters the data record to reduce the influence of wave contamination and vessel motion, was used. The boat transited each transect from the offshore terminus to the surf zone. The position of each sounding was obtained with a GPS receiver. To improve the accuracy of each position, differential corrections transmitted in real-time from the Wide Area Augmentation System were utilized (DGPS). Calibration of the echo sounder was verified at the beginning and end of the survey using a standard “bar check” procedure. Additionally, the speed of sound in sea water was obtained at the offshore end of each transect using a device that measures conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) along a vertical profile within the water column.

The City’s Shoreline Monitoring Program complements the site-specific video-based surf and wave monitoring implemented beginning in November 2018 in support of the upcoming 50-year USACE coastal storm damage reduction project in San Clemente currently scheduled to occur in late 2023 or early 2024.

The USACE video-based monitoring encompasses the area near the San Clemente Pier, roughly from Mariposa Point to T-Street, and provides daily imagery of the beach with the capability to produce above-water topography and derive surf zone bathymetry.

In addition to documenting the condition of the full extent of the City’s shoreline, the program results will offer regional and long-term context for site-specific findings and provide ground-truthing. The City program also will allow planners and engineers to evaluate the fate of nourishment placed on the City’s beaches as the beach sand moves offshore and onshore and upcoast and downcoast to adjacent beaches.

The Shoreline Monitoring Program includes beach profile data collection each Spring (May) and Fall (October) along 12 shore-perpendicular beach profile transects located between Doheny State Beach to the north and Cotton’s Point near the City’s southern terminus.

Six of these locations are historical transects utilized in the Coast of California Storm and Tidal Waves Study for the San Diego Region (CCSTWS-SD). Five of the locations were established in October 2001 specifically for the City’s Shoreline Monitoring Program. The twelfth transect was established at North Beach to monitor the movement of opportunistic beach sand material placed in May 2005 and November 2017.

Transects included in the Shoreline Monitoring Program are shown below.

San Clemente Shoreline Monitoring Program Beach Profile Transects

Shoreline Profile Monitoring Transect Location Map

The information collected by the City will be published on the City website and presented annually to the City’s Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission as well as the Planning Commission and City Council. Data will also be shared with adjacent jurisdictions including the City of Dana Point, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, OCTA, Caltrans, State Parks and Orange County Parks and other entities working on local and/or regional coastal resiliency plans and projects.

Annual summary reports will be prepared which will focus on the findings and observations obtained by the Shoreline Monitoring Program and will be used to inform next steps and implementation actions from the wide range of coastal resiliency adaptation strategies identified in the City of San Clemente Coastal Resiliency Plan (2021). The City identified a range from green (soft) to grey (hard) and are more fully described in the City’s December 2021 Coastal Resiliency Plan.

Data from this Program will also be used to inform the City’s Nature Based Coastal Resiliency Project Feasibility Study which will kickoff in November 2022.

Key Deliverables, Work Products and Schedule

Information and reports developed as part of the Shoreline Monitoring Program will be published here, when available, and can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

• 2023 Fall Beach Monitoring Report (click here) 
• April 2023 Presentation to the San Clemente Beaches, Parks & Recreation Commission (click here)
• 1^st Shoreline Monitoring survey in Fall 2022
• 2023 Spring Shoreline Monitoring Report (click here)
• Spring & Fall surveys in 2023, 2024 and 2025
• Annual Shoreline Monitoring Reports in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025

10/16/24 Press Release - City of San Clemente Begins its Search for Offshore Sand

7/12/24 City Receives California Coastal Commission Grant for Sand Source Investigation

10/14/24 Update: The City’s Sand Compatibility and Opportunistic Use Program (SCOUP) was unanimously approved by the California Coastal Commission (CCC) on Wednesday. This approval is the first of four required permits to implement SCOUP. A SCOUP program is a preapproval of beach sand placements, so that the City is ready if beach compatible sand and funding for placement become available.

The City expects to submit the remaining permit applications in the coming weeks. It is anticipated that the program could be authorized within a year, and could potentially allow up to 300,000 cubic yards per year of opportunistically available beach quality sand to be brought to City beaches to abate coastal erosion and promote long term coastal resiliency.  

10-14-24 Press Release - First Approval Received in Effort to Restart the SCOUP Program

California Coastal Commission Important Public Hearing Notice, Coastal Permit Application | October 9, 2024

 Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment (SLRVA) 

The City completed a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment (SLRVA) in 2019 to identify facilities and critical public infrastructure along the coast that may be at risk in the future with rising sea levels.  The City’s SLRVA is available at this link. The SLRVA was submitted to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) as a final LCP Planning Grant deliverable in 2019.

On December 7, 2021, the City Council approved a Coastal Resiliency Plan that builds upon the findings and recommendations contained in the City’s 2019 Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment (SLRVA). The Coastal Resiliency Plan outlines a range of actions, projects and adaptation strategies for improving long term resiliency in the City. The Coastal Resiliency Plan was published for a six week public review and comment that was conducted October 7, 2021 through November 18, 2021. 

The Coastal Resiliency Plan was presented to the City’s Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission at 6:00PM on October 12, 2021 and to the City’s Planning Commission at 7pm on November 3, 2021 and the approved by the City Council on December 7, 2021. The Coastal Resiliency Plan was submitted to the California Coastal Commission on December 8, 2021 as a final LCP Planning Grant deliverable.

9/5/24 Regional Beach Sand Project III: Phase I Update

7/19/24 Receiver Site Presentation

12/5/23 Report Regarding Memorandum of Understanding with San Diego Association of Governments for Regional Beach Sand Project III, Phase 1