SEAWALLS
The building of new seawalls are no longer permitted. They would require a permit from the Coastal Commission as well as city and county approval. Part of the Coastal Commission’s role is to protect the public’s access to the ocean. The building of new seawalls is viewed as limiting that access. Existing sea walls are most common in Cayucos, Cambria, and Shell Beach where the shoreline is narrower and the coast is rocky.
For construction of new oceanfront homes, the county approved set back from mean high tide is now at the 100- year bluff erosion rate mark.
PRIVATE STAIRS
Like seawalls-these are more common in Cayucos, Cambria and Shell Beach where the beachfront homes are located atop sandy & rocky bluffs. Buying a beachfront property with existing private stairs has additional value, not only because of the ready access—but because construction of new private stairways is no longer permitted. You can upgrade and repair your existing stairs- however- you can not tear down and completely rebuilt or built ones where none currently exist.
SEE MY UPCOMING PAGE ON THE WEB-SITE ENTITLED “OCEANFRONT PROPERTIES”.