Comment period still open for disputed plan
Creative solutions are in the works for California Department of Parks and Recreation’s (DPR) contentious proposed program to charge $8 per day parking fees at Bodega Head, Goat Rock, Stump Beach and Shell Beach.
The proposal would turn an estimated 295 free parking spots at Stump Beach, Goat Rock and Shell Beach into paid parking spaces for the first time, according to Nancy Cave, North Coast District Manager for the California Coastal Commission (CCC).
During an April 13 CCC meeting, county staff and hundreds of Sonoma County residents and leaders packed Santa Rosa’s Veterans Memorial Hall, voicing strong opposition against the proposal, citing mitigated impact concerns, income disparity, freedom of religion and the need to foster stewards of the coast.
An $8 fee, the public said, is a barrier to access. It’s against the California Coastal Act and against Sonoma County’s Local Coastal Plan, which both require maximizing public access to the coast.
Because of the contention and issues raised in April, CCC continued the hearing to let Sonoma County Parks and Recreation (SCPR) and DPR have a chance to reconfigure the proposal with the help of CCC.
Since that April hearing, DPR and SCPR have met once in hopes to bridge the gap between DPR’s need for additional revenue and the county’s desire to keep beach access free.
“We’re encouraged by the willingness to negotiate,” CCC interim executive director Jack Ainsworth said Wednesday, June 8 at the CCC meeting in Santa Barbara. “We’re moving forward to some creative solutions to address the issues raised at the last meeting.”
On Friday, May 4, Ainsworth and commissioner Steve Kinsey met with SCPR director Caryl Hart, Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department director Tennis Wick and Sonoma County Fifth District Supervisor Efren Carrillo to discuss the county’s concerns and wishes.
“We’ve made it clear what we want,” Carrillo said. “Obviously there is still a lot of work and details to cover, but we remain committed to have coastal access for folks.”
The three parties will continue to meet through September to develop a solution that works for all involved.
In an effort to provide access, the county has proposed to take over management of Bodega Head and Willow Creek, which was managed by LandPaths prior to its closure.
Neither site would be under the proposed parking fee, maintaining free accessibility to visitors.
To pay for the operation of the parks, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors set aside enough transient occupancy tax (TOT) funds to support Bodega Head for one year, with the goal to provide longer management.
DPR’s Karl Knapp said joint management options are currently being discussed with the county.
Carrillo said the county is also looking for more baseline information from DPR on the impacts the proposal will have on each area.
“We need the baseline information on negative impacts,” Carrillo said. Potential negative impacts include safety on Highway 1, the narrow, two-lane access road to each beach.
Many stakeholders expressed concern about people parking on the highway to avoid paying the fee.
DPR has acknowledged the concerns. When DPR staff and SCPR staff met with CCC vice chair Dayna Bochco, commission deputy director Dan Carl and Ainsworth on Wednesday, June 1, DPR obliged to coordinate with CalTrans, California Highway Patrol and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department to address and mitigate safety concerns.
During the June 1 meeting, the three parties also pinpointed the need for providing programs for increasing access to low income individuals.
In the original proposal, DPR offered its Golden Bear Pass, which costs $5. The Golden Bear Pass enables any person receiving supplement security income, CalWORKS or anyone 62 years of age or older to be eligible for the pass.
The four-page application is only available in English and applicants must have previous tax statements and it requires sign off by a caseworker.
Knapp said the agency is reviewing “various options to allow more affordable access (with) differing pass options (and) free days to allow those with lower incomes to enjoy the unique resources.”
“We are also desiring to work with Sonoma County on creating a program to jointly recognize a reciprocal park pass,” Knapp added.
The three parties will also focus on providing unfettered coastal access to Native Americans who identify the beaches as sacred land, establishing partnerships with nonprofit organizations to help with site management and refining the scope of physical changes and additions to each beach.
Ainsworth will provide a progress report on the proposal during the CCC’s September meeting, to be held at the Newport Beach Civic Center in Newport Beach.
The public hearing on the issue is still open, allowing people to chime in on the proposal.
Written comments can be sent to Nancy Cave, North Central Coast District Manager at the California Coastal Commission at 45 Fremont St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94105.
