State review of local land‐use decisions: The California coastal commissions

Abstract

The California Coastal Zone Conservation Commissions have been required to review virtually all development projects approved by local government within approximately 1000 yards of the coast. Whereas 97% of all permits were approved in some fashion by the regional commissions, this article examines the 4% of regional commission decisions that were significant or controversial enough to be appealed to the State Commission in the first 2Vi years of permit review. The regional commissions were found either to have imposed conditions on or to have denied more than 50% of the projects originally approved by local government and subsequently appealed to the State Commission, whereas the State Commission held even more restrictive views of permissible development. It examines a number of reasons for these findings, including differences in policy mandates, the presence of state‐appointed commissioners, and the willingness of environmental groups to become actively involved in the appellate process.