Oceanside condos get green light

Coastal Commission OKs 37-unit project

It appears Crescent City’s coastline will have condominiums resting atop a bluff at the corner of Second and A streets.

Earlier this week, the California Coastal Commission took less than a minute to unanimously approve a permit for developer Randy Baugh to move forward with his two-story, 37-unit Coasta Norte project that has been a source of both community contention and bureaucratic red tape since it was introduced more than two years ago.

The quick vote and lack of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting in Long Beach surprised Baugh, who had already made several concessions — including downsizing and altering the overall aesthetics of the condos — to appease various interest groups.

“I know that the applicant, Mr. Baugh, is shocked by this,” Coastal Commission Executive Director Peter Douglas said after the development permit was okayed. “But I’d just like to thank him for his cooperative approach to this.

“We spent a lot of time working on this project,” Douglas added. “It shows that a lot of work does pay off in some instances.”

The Crescent City Planning Commission approved the Coasta Norte condominium and time-share project in November 2008.

Several local residents appealed the decision over concerns that the development would block views and access to the ocean and was in violation of the city’s local coastal plan.

The City Council upheld the Planning Commission’s decision in January, resulting in a subsequent appeal in March to the California Coastal Commission.

After reviewing the project, the Coastal Commission required a number of modifications that would increase beach access and also take into account tsunami inundation and sea-level rise.

“There were a number of conditions we had to meet,” said Baugh, president of Development Consultants, Inc. in El Dorado Hills. “But all of those had been worked out previously with Crescent City.”

Construction probably won’t start on Coasta Norte until spring 2011, and Baugh said it will likely take about 16 months to complete. He said the building will be constructed using environmentally friendly materials and methods to give it a “gold” standard by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Baugh said local residents will given the first opportunity to apply to buy a condo, and advertisements will likely start around the beginning of next year. Local contractors will also have the chance to bid on the project as it progresses.

“Our plan is to use as much local talent ... as we can,” Baugh said. “We want this to be a project that is good for all of Crescent City.”

City Planner Michele Rambo said there are still some modifications that need to be made to municipal zoning codes before Coasta Norte can officially get under way, but she expects those to be taken care of by the end of the month.

She said the new building units will also be a potential boon to the local economy because it will bring in new residents who will spend money at local businesses.

Coasta Norte’s recent approval could also mean the possibility of more condominiums on the horizon for the area around the Hampton Inn.

“It’s going to be kind of the first step for getting condo projects up here,” Rambo said. “We do have some people looking at doing projects in that area, and they were all looking at Randy (Baugh) to go first. So, there’s good possibilities for the future.”

The Coastal Commission also approved a coastal permit for Del Norte County to replace the Klamath Townsite Boat Ramp that was damaged during high river flows on the Klamath River in the winters of 1996 and 2005.