Showing ordinances that apply to Loma Mar, CA
Loma Mar is an unincorporated community (population 134) in San Mateo County, California. Because Loma Mar is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, San Mateo County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The coastal development rules below are the ones that govern your area.
San Mateo County administers its own certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) and issues Coastal Development Permits (CDPs) for projects in the Coastal Zone, which covers roughly 240 sq miles from Devil's Slide south through Pescadero, Año Nuevo, and the Santa Cruz County line. Projects in the Coastal Zone typically require a CDP from County Planning; certain appealable areas (near the shoreline, in sensitive habitat, or in rural areas) can also be appealed to the California Coastal Commission. ESHA (Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area) buffers, public access, and view corridors are key LCP policies.
Under the California Coastal Act of 1976, San Mateo County was certified to issue its own CDPs via its Local Coastal Program (LCP), originally certified in 1981 and amended since. The Coastal Zone in San Mateo County extends from Devil's Slide in the north through Pacifica (except where Pacifica has its own LCP), Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton, El Granada, unincorporated Half Moon Bay fringes, San Gregorio, Pescadero, and Año Nuevo. Most new development, land divisions, change of use, and many exterior modifications in the Coastal Zone require a CDP. Categorical exclusions apply for certain minor improvements, repair/maintenance, and some single-family additions in non-appealable areas. Appealable-area projects (within 300 ft of the mean high tide line, in sensitive habitat, on agricultural land, or in rural areas) can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission after County action. LCP policies require: 100 ft ESHA buffers around riparian, wetland, and sensitive species habitat (reduced to 50 ft on case-by-case basis); public shoreline access easements for most waterfront projects; agricultural protection (preserve Prime Ag Land, ag cluster subdivisions); view protection along scenic coastal corridors; sea-level-rise adaptation and bluff retreat setbacks. Coastal bluff development must include geotechnical and coastal engineering review. Seawalls and shoreline armoring face strict Coastal Act §30235 limits.
Unpermitted coastal development: Coastal Act violations $1,000-$15,000 per day plus civil penalties up to $15,000,000 in aggregate, restoration required, possible demolition. Habitat damage: restoration required plus CDFW/USFWS enforcement. Public access obstruction: CCC enforcement under Coastal Act.
See how Loma Mar's coastal development rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.