STATE OF CALIFORNIA-NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY

EDMUND G. BROWN JR., GOYEIINOR

CALIFORNIA COASTAL COlVIMISSION

CENTRAL COAST DISTRICT OFFICE
72~ FRONT STREET, SUITE 300
SANTA CRUZ, CA 9~060
PHONE: (831) 427-4863
FAX: (BJ I) 427-4877

WEB: WWW.COASTAL.CA.GOV

May 9, 2016
Mayor Steve Dallas and City Council Members
City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
P.O. Drawer G
Carmel by the Sea, CA 93 921

Subject: Carmel Beach Fire Management Program .

Dear Mayor Dallas apd Council Members:

As you move forward with your deliberations regarding a new beacP, fire management program
for the City, we wanted to take this opportunity .to share with you a few thoughts from our
perspective. These will come as no surprise given they echo the comments we have consistently
provided to the City, including in our comments to your staff since the Commission's hearing on
the City's th~n proposed program in December 2015. At that time, as you are 'aware, the
Commission rejected both the City's proposed propane-only beach fire management program
and the staff recommended wood-only program, leaving the issue of beach fires in Carmel
unresolved. Several Commissioners made comments acknowledging potential health hazards
from wood smoke while also recognizing the importance of the public being able to gather
around a beach fire. They also asked that we (staff) work with the City to develop a program that
addresses potential issues while still providing for traditional beach fire opportunities at Carmel
Beach.
Since the December 2015 hearing, we have continued to work with your staff on potential
program elements, and would strongly suggest that the City pursue a hybrid program at this time.
Such a program would provide for both wood fueled fires, as have been enjoyed for decades in
Carmel, as.well as a pilot program for propane fires. We believe that such a program can strike
the appropriate balance at Carmel Beach, and we would be more than happy to work with your
staff on its particulars. We do not support an all propane alternative. We think such particulars
should include a specific number of City-supplied wood fire rings (e.g., 12 to 15) available for
use between the hours of7am and 10pm daily, provisions for users to have easy access to other
fire containment devices near the beach (e.g., barbeque, hibachi, or similar), and provisions for
users to have easy access to propane fire devices as well. Importantly, we strongly believe that
any such program needs to make sure that fires are no longer made directly in the sand, but
rather are required to be contained, and the areas around them regularly cleaned and maintained.
With that change, we also suggest that the program area be expanded to the north (e.g., to the Del
Mar parking lot area) to distribute use across the beach. We also supp01i a robust monitoring
component to allow for adaptation over time. We envision a short term permit with monitoring
and reporting mechanisms, and an LCP amendment to codify the program once its.parameters

Mayor Steve Dallas and City Council

Carmel Beach Fire Management Program
May9, 2016
Pagel

were more clearly established at the other end. (See also our recommendations from the
December Commission hearing which contain many of these components.) We think we can all
fmd a successful middle ground, and would welcome discussion along those lines.
We would suggest that such a program be put in place as soon as possible, including because
absent such a program the current status quo applies: namely, unlimited wood-fueled beach fires
are allowed directly in the sand on Carmel Beach south of Tenth Avenue every day. On this
point we again note that the City's current weekend and holiday ban remains unpermitted and
unenforceable, and we would suggest that in tandem with developing the new program, the City
takes steps to discontinue this ban as soon as possible.
We would very much welcome the opportunity to work with your staff in the manner identified
above, and would appreciate your direction to them to this effect as soon as possible. The busy
summer recreational season is almost upon us, and we would very much like to make some
progress quickly in this respect, including so that we can stand together in agreement when the
City takes the requisite CDP action.
Please don't hesitate to contact me at our Santa Cruz office ifl or my staff can help in any way
to move such a beach fire management program to fruition. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Dan Carl
Central Coast District Director
California Coastal Commission
cc: Chip Rerig, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea City Manager
Marc Weiner, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Acting Planning Director
Rob Mullane, City ofCarmel-by-the-SeaPublic Works Director