Letter: Coastal Development Permit complicates building a fire pit on private land

This summer while camping on our family’s coastal land, I thought it would be a good idea to get a fire pit to help keep our campfires contained.  It seemed like a good idea at the time. Who could object?  I was trying to help keep our fires safe, reduce the damage to the land by having only one "mom approved" place for a fire.

I had heard both the good and bad stories about the coastal commission: the need to get a permit to put up a fence, move your gate, repair your porch, etc.  This lead me to the question, do I need a permit to install my fire pit?

According to the local Planning and Building department, I would need what is called a "CDP" or coastal development permit.  Ok, I said what will that cost me?  About $1,000 was the nice planners answer. Agast, I asked how long will it take?  Typically CDPs take about a year (so much for the 2005 season).  Still game but disbelieving, I asked what do I need to do to get one of these CDP’s?

Here is the list I was given:

Geotechnical Survey cost about $5,000
Botanical Survey cost about $3,000
Wetland Survey cost about $3,000
Archeological Survey cost about $2,500
Permit Cost about $1,000

To help keep my property safe and my neighbors safe from fire, I would need to spend about $15,000, wait one year, hire an attorney to argue my need for a firepit, and then just maybe, I’ll get a permit to go BUY a fire pit for $149.00.

Oh, I almost forgot. The planner also said that most coastal properties are subject to attacks for prescriptive rights trails to the ocean (you cannot get to the ocean from my property).  So, I could spend $15,000, loose my property rights, and all to help do what I think is right: buy a fire pit to help keep our lands safe from fire.

I’ve gone from supporting the coastal commision believing they do good work, to well, believing they are out of control and creating problems for the average person who is just trying to do a good thing.

I think that if we as Californian’s want to protect our coastline, we should.  If a property is important enough to have then California should buy it.