Dear Assemblyman Connolly,
Your SB 423 floor vote will be very important for the future of California.
The citizens of California expect you to prevent impactful changes to our coastline. SB 423 is opposed by environmental groups, first responders, cities, and constituents like me because it would extend the provisions of SB 35 — already CEQA exempt — to the coastline, overruling the Coastal Commission, and reducing affordability requirements. The Commission is not opposed to affordable housing. Their job is to maintain access to and quality of the coast for everyone.
Your constituents are not opposed to affordable housing — but SB 423 reduces affordability requirements to just 10%, with no occupancy requirement. This creates a situation in which luxury units — 90% of what’s developed — will likely be used as vacation property, and not add to community housing stock. SB 423 gives developers what they’ve always wanted: assess to build market rate housing on the coast with few restrictions.
Please remember that the Coastal Commission was created by the citizens of California through the initiative process, and it shouldn’t be discarded without public knowledge and participation.
The coast belongs to all of us.
I urge you to vote No on SB 423.
Sincerely,
Amy Kalish, Director
Citizen Marin
Citizenmarin.org
Mill Valley CA 94941
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THE COASTAL COMMISSION:
“The Coastal Commission was created with the consent of the citizens of California. The California Coastal Commission was established by voter initiative in 1972 (Proposition 20) and later made permanent by the Legislature through adoption of the California Coastal Act of 1976.”
Why is it being gutted without public awareness or consent?