“Condo hotels” strain the concept of coastal public access

A new type of development is straining the idea of public access that is at the heart of the Coastal Act. The Coastal Commission is approving condo hotels, where the units are owned by individuals, but rented to the public at least three-quarters of the year, according to an AP story at the Chronicle.

In this low-key northern San Diego County surf town [Encinitas], dunes and ice plants are being cleared from land designated for public use to make way for 100 condos that will sell for an estimated $1.5 million each and 30 hotel rooms that will go for up to $600 a night. Because the project includes hotel rooms, it is deemed to be for public use by the commission that oversees a state law protecting beach access.

"It’s like a knife at the throat of the Coastal Act," said Massara, a lawyer for the Sierra Club.

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Along California’s coast, where demand for real estate is so intense that the city of Santa Barbara may build affordable housing for families earning $160,000 a year, as many as 10 condo hotel projects are pending.