For decades, the Oceano Beach and dunes have been used for vehicular recreation and ATVs. These last five months, since the shelter-at-home order, a vehicle-free Oceano Beach has been a blessing for our community and the entire South SLO County.
State Parks is completing a Public Works Plan (PWP) for the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, which will impact the life of our community long into the future and is scheduled to be submitted to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) this coming October.
The PWP cannot be implemented without the commission’s approval. The commission has found that the present management of the Oceano Dunes is out of compliance with the Coastal Act, the Local Coastal Plan, and its operational permit. It is fair and reasonable that it stays vehicle-free until a sound and satisfactory plan for their management is decided.
Reopening Oceano Beach and dunes to the pre-COVID-19 vehicular traffic would be folly under our present health emergency. The COVID threat from thousands of motorized tourists driving on our beach and dunes is not tolerable or safe for Oceano. We need to protect our hospital’s capacities from the number of injured that come in when the vehicles drive on our beach and dunes.
We respectfully request that the area remains vehicle-free until the PWP is released, approved, and certified by the California Coastal Commission.
Lucia Casalinuovo, president
Oceano Beach Community Association
