Gov. Newsom took the unusual step of issuing a second Executive Order to warn the California Coastal Commission and its staff to not “issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor’s executive orders.”
Newsom’s order was issued in response to recently issued CCC guidance that suggested eligible rebuilds are subject to Coastal Act exemption provisions and procedures, which the governor’s office called “erroneous guidance (which) threatened to create confusion and delay in rebuilding efforts for impacted communities.”
His latest Executive Order reiterates that all permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for eligible rebuilds. The order further directs the Coastal Commission to stop issuing guidance or attempting to enforce permitting requirements that conflict with the Governor’s Executive order issued on January 12, 2025, which waives the CEQA and Coastal Act requirements, as well as a subsequent order issued on January 16 to streamline the building of accessory dwelling units to assist in creating more temporary housing.
The CCC exemption applies only to those projects which propose to replace structure(s) “substantially damaged or destroyed” with new structure(s) that do not exceed 110% of the height and footprint of the previously permitted structure(s).
Rebuild projects that don’t qualify as an eligible rebuild must go through the normal CCC approval process.
