Section 30610.6 - Resolution of dispute involving development within unincorporated area of Sonoma County known as Sea Ranch(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that it is in the public interest to provide by statute for the resolution of the lengthy and bitter dispute involving development of existing legal lots within the unincorporated area of Sonoma County, commonly known as the Sea Ranch. The reasons for the need to finally resolve this dispute include the following: (1) Acknowledgment by the responsible regulatory agencies that development of existing lots at Sea Ranch can proceed consistent with the provisions of this division and other applicable laws provided certain conditions have been met. Development has been prevented at considerable costs to property owners because these conditions have not been met.(2) That it has been, and continues to be, costly to Sea Ranch property owners and the public because of, among other reasons, extensive and protracted litigation, continuing administrative proceedings, and escalating construction costs.(3) The need to provide additional public access to and along portions of the coast at the Sea Ranch in order to meet the requirements of this division. The continuation of this dispute prevents the public from enjoying the use of those access opportunities.(4) The commission is unable to refund 118 "environmental deposits" to property owners because coastal development permit conditions have not been met.(5) It appears likely that this lengthy dispute will continue unless the Legislature provides a solution, and the failure to resolve the dispute will be unfair to property owners and the public.(b) The Legislature further finds and declares that because of the unique circumstances of this situation, the provisions of this section constitute the most expeditious and equitable mechanism to ensure a timely solution that is in the best interest of property owners and that is consistent with this division.(c) If the Sea Ranch Association and Oceanic California, Inc. desire to take advantage of the terms of this section, they shall, not sooner than April 1, 1981, and not later than July 1, 1981, deposit into escrow deeds and other necessary documents that have been determined by the State Coastal Conservancy before their deposit in escrow to be legally sufficient to convey to the State Coastal Conservancy enforceable and nonexclusive public use easements free and clear of liens and encumbrances for the easements specifically described in this subdivision. Upon deposit of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) into the same escrow account by the State Coastal Conservancy, but in no event later than 30 days after the deeds and other necessary documents have been deposited in the escrow account, the escrow agent shall transmit the five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), less the escrow, title, and administrative costs of the State Coastal Conservancy, in an amount not to exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), to the Sea Ranch Association and shall convey the deeds and other necessary documents to the State Coastal Conservancy. The conservancy shall subsequently convey the deeds and other necessary documents to an appropriate public agency that is authorized and agrees to accept the easements. The deeds specified in this subdivision shall be for the following easements: (1) In Unit 34A, a 30-foot wide vehicle and pedestrian access easement from a point on State Highway 1, 50 feet north of mile post marker 56.75, a day parking area for 10 vehicles, a 15-foot wide pedestrian accessway from the parking area continuing west to the bluff-top trail, and a 15-foot wide bluff-top pedestrian easement beginning at the southern boundary of Gualala Point County Park and continuing for approximately three miles in a southerly direction to the sandy beach at the northern end of Unit 28 just north of Walk-on Beach together with a 15-foot wide pedestrian easement to provide a connection to Walk-on Beach to the south.(2) In Unit 24, a day parking area west of State Highway 1, just south of Whalebone Reach, for six vehicles, and a 15-foot wide pedestrian accessway over Sea Ranch Association common areas crossing Pacific Reach and continuing westerly to the southern portion of Shell Beach with a 15-foot wide pedestrian easement to connect with the northern portion of Shell Beach.(3) In Unit 36, a 30-foot wide vehicle and pedestrian accessway from State Highway 1, mile post marker 53.96, a day parking area for 10 vehicles, and a 15-foot wide pedestrian accessway from the parking area to the beach at the intersection of Units 21 and 36.(4) In Unit 17, adjacent to the intersection of Navigator's Reach and State Highway 1, 75 feet north of mile post marker 52.21, enough land to provide day parking for four vehicles and a 15-foot wide pedestrian accessway from the parking area to Pebble Beach.(5) In Unit 8, a 30-foot wide vehicle and pedestrian accessway from State Highway 1, mile post marker 50.85, a day parking area for 10 vehicles and a 15-foot wide pedestrian accessway from the parking area to Black Point Beach.(6) With respect to each of the beaches to which access will be provided by the easements specified in this subdivision, an easement for public use of the area between the line of mean high tide and either the toe of the adjacent bluff or the first line of vegetation, whichever is nearer to the water.(7) Scenic view easements for those areas specified by the executive director, as provided in subdivision (d), and which easements allow for the removal of trees in order to restore and preserve scenic views from State Highway 1.(d) The executive director of the commission shall, within 30 days after the effective date of this section, specifically identify the areas along State Highway 1 for which the scenic view easements provided for in paragraph (7) of subdivision (c) will be required. In identifying the areas for which easements for the restoration and preservation of public scenic views will be required, the executive director shall take into account the effect of tree removal so as to avoid causing erosion problems. It is the intent of the Legislature that only those areas be identified where scenic views to or along the coast are unique or particularly beautiful or spectacular and which thereby take on public importance. The restoration and preservation of the scenic view areas specified pursuant to this subdivision shall be at public expense.(e) Within 30 days after the effective date of this section, the executive director of the commission shall specify design criteria for the height, site, and bulk of any development visible from the scenic view areas provided for in subdivision (d). This criteria shall be enforced by the County of Sonoma if the deeds and other necessary documents specified in subdivision (c) have been conveyed to the State Coastal Conservancy. This criteria shall be reasonable so as to enable affected property owners to build single-family residences of substantially similar overall size to those that property owners who are not affected by these criteria may build or have already built under the Sea Ranch Association's building design criteria. The purpose of the criteria is to ensure that development will not substantially detract from the specified scenic view areas.(f) On and after the date on which the deeds and other necessary documents deposited in escrow pursuant to subdivision (c) have been conveyed to the State Coastal Conservancy, no additional public access requirements shall be imposed at the Sea Ranch pursuant to this division by any regional commission, the commission, any other state agency, or any local government. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the provision of the access facilities specified in this subdivision shall be deemed adequate to meet the requirements of this division.(g) The realignment of internal roads within the Sea Ranch shall not be required by any state or local agency acting pursuant to this division. However, appropriate easements may be required by the County of Sonoma to provide for the expansion of State Highway 1 for the development of turnout and left-turn lanes and for the location of a bicycle path, when the funds are made available for those purposes. The Legislature finds and declares that this subdivision is adequate to meet the requirements of this division to ensure that new development at the Sea Ranch will not overburden the capacity of State Highway 1 to the detriment of recreational users.(h) No coastal development permit shall be required pursuant to this division for the development of supplemental water supply facilities determined by the State Water Resources Control Board to be necessary to meet the needs of legally permitted development within the Sea Ranch. The commission, through its executive director, shall participate in the proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board relating to these facilities and may recommend terms and conditions that the commission deems necessary to protect against adverse impacts on coastal zone resources. The State Water Resources Control Board shall condition any permit or other authorization for the development of these facilities so as to carry out the commission's recommendation, unless the State Water Resources Control Board determines that the recommended terms or conditions are unreasonable. This subdivision shall become operative if the deeds and other necessary documents specified in subdivision (c) have been conveyed to the State Coastal Conservancy.(i) Within 90 days after the effective date of this section, the commission, through its executive director, shall specify criteria for septic tank construction, operation, and monitoring within the Sea Ranch to ensure protection of coastal zone resources consistent with the policies of this division. The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board shall review the criteria and adopt it, unless it finds the criteria or a portion thereof is unreasonable. The regional board shall be responsible for the enforcement of the adopted criteria if the deeds and other necessary documents specified in subdivision (c) have been conveyed to the State Coastal Conservancy.(j) Within 60 days after the date on which the deeds and other necessary documents deposited in escrow pursuant to subdivision (c) have been conveyed to the State Coastal Conservancy, the commission shall refund every Sea Ranch "environmental deposit" together with any interest earned on the deposit to the person, or the person's designee, who paid the deposit.(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on and after the date on which the deeds and other necessary documents deposited in escrow pursuant to subdivision (c) have been conveyed to the State Coastal Conservancy, a coastal development permit shall not be required pursuant to this division for the construction of any single-family residence dwelling on any vacant, legal lot existing at the Sea Ranch on the effective date of this section. With respect to any other development for which a coastal development permit is required within legally existing lots at the Sea Ranch, no conditions may be imposed pursuant to this division that impose additional public access requirements or that relate to supplemental water supply facilities, septic tank systems, or internal road realignment.(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if on July 1, 1981, deeds and other necessary documents that are legally sufficient to convey the easements specified in subdivision (c) have not been deposited in an escrow account, the provisions of this section shall no longer be operative and shall have no force or effect and thereafter all the provisions of this division in effect before enactment of this section shall again be applicable to any development within the Sea Ranch.(m) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the provisions for the settlement of this dispute, especially with respect to public access, as set forth in this section provide an alternative to and are equivalent to the provisions set forth in Section 30610.3. The Legislature further finds that the provisions of this section are not in lieu of the permit and planning requirements of this division but rather provide for an alternative mechanism to Section 30610.3 for the resolution of outstanding issues at the Sea Ranch.Ca. Pub. Res. Code § 30610.6
Amended by Stats 2022 ch 97 (SB 1497),s 20, eff. 1/1/2023.Amended by Stats 2006 ch 538 (SB 1852),s 593, eff. 1/1/2007.