The California Coastal Commission is considering a proposal that would stop off-roading in the Oceano Dunes while still allowing drive-up camping on some portions of the beach. Though it’s an attempt to strike a compromise between off-roaders and environmentalists in the decades-long battle over the dunes, neither side is confident in the plan.
In a Jan. 28 press release, Coastal Commission staff briefly outlined tentative recommendations for the future of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA). A full report is still in the works, but in the release, staff suggest that the Coastal Commission will consider a plan that would eliminate off-roading in a five-year phased approach. The Pier Avenue ramp would close to vehicle entry, and ADA vehicular access and $10 car campsites would be available on the beach between West Grand and Pier Avenues.
While the proposal would initially increase beach camping, the park would be left with roughly the same number of spaces it has now after the five-year transition, but they would be farther north.
“Closing the Pier Avenue vehicle ramp will enable the underserved community of Oceano to directly connect to its beach, which could bring with it the types of opportunities that help other California beach towns prosper,” the press release reads. “These changes are likely to impact existing businesses catering primarily to OHV uses, but there would also be expanded opportunities for businesses catering to lower-impact beach and dune uses.”
Coastal Commission Central Coast District Supervisor Kevin Kahn said the full staff report will be available on Feb. 16. The Coastal Commission will host a virtual informational hearing regarding the recommendations on March 18.
Longtime Oceano resident Charles Varni would love to see the Coastal Commission do away with off-roading on Oceano’s beachfront entirely. Varni is part of a relatively new group called the Oceano Economic Development Council, which generally believes that the only way to turn Oceano into a thriving beach town is to ban vehicles from the beachfront.
But he’s not confident that’s going to happen. California’s off-roading community is big and powerful, he said, and the Coastal Commission has been swayed by their lobbying efforts in the past.
“State Parks, I can assure you, is going to look at this and go, ‘Uh, no,'” Varni told New Times.
The proposal to close the Pier Avenue entrance has pros and cons, he said. While it would reduce off-roader traffic in Oceano’s neighborhoods and give Pier Avenue a chance to become a walkable business district, it could also create heavy traffic at the Grand Avenue entrance and across the beachfront.
To Varni, the best compromise would be to close both entrances at Pier and Grand and open a new one at the Philips 66 site, which is closer to the SVRA itself and would at least remove the need for vehicles to drive across the beach. Still, Varni said he’s looking forward to seeing more of the Coastal Commission’s proposal.
“We don’t have the full staff report yet and that presumably is really going to spell out what this option looks like,” he said. “So we’re all kind of in a wait-and-see mode.”
Dan Hensley is another Oceano resident and an avid off-roader. He said a ban on off-roading would be detrimental to the local businesses that rely on tourists.
“Why do they want to kill the economy in a little town where it is already so expensive to live?” he said.
He and other off-roaders plan to fight the closure with all they have and instead push for the implementation of a fence that would reduce the spread of dust to nearby communities. Hensley isn’t comforted by the plan to continue car camping on the beach. He’s watched the SVRA shrink slowly over the years, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the Coastal Commission or State Parks eventually went back on their promise to keep campsites open.
“I don’t trust them for anything,” he said. Δ
This article appears in Feb 11-21, 2021.
its about time to get these vehicles off the beach. Oceano Dunes has never looked as bad as it does right now.
Organizations such as FOOD who falsely bill themselves as friends of the Oceano Dunes disregard the hazards pf vehicles on the beach and in the dunes. The wind throws the particulate left from vehicle use there as it pollutes the air an leads to various respiratory problems for those in the community. Their short-termed hedonism is seen as more important than the long-term medical problems that are all too evident. Hopefully, the dunes will be spared the effects of a few narcissistic and oblivious dune denizens.
Oceano always has been and always will be an off-roading community ❤️
It’s time to remove these multiple use bigots off the Coastal Commission staff. Can you imagine if the State Office of Civil Rights had staff personnel who promoted segregation? They need to searched out and removed from advising ANY State agency. Hate is Hate and it has no place in our public discourse.
@Crystal Do you live in Oceano or anywhere near? Others from elsewhere in the state or out-of-state who are the predominant users of Oceano Dunes and the associated beach are seldom negatively impacted by the denizens of the dunes. Those of us who live here must bear the brunt of your ill advised position.
Norman, do you live in Oceano? And what makes you qualified to promote your preposterous assumption which asserts that blowing sand particles from vehicles dust causes respiratory problems? Have you ever conducted a field study?
TRUMP2424
Norman Murphy. I agree with Crystal Dawn. Oceano has always been an off-roading community. It has been for a hundred years. We built a home in Oceano 35 years ago because my family and I enjoy off-roading in the Oceano Dunes. My Parents and my Grandmother drove there vehicles on this beach. I am a denizen of the dunes. I will be disappointed if the Coastal Commission changes our SVRA. This would mean my Children and Grand Children would not be able to enjoy riding, camping and being part of the off-roading community that help and look out for each other. I support Friends of Oceano Dunes. I support the Jerk Pirates Group. They are the best example of people helping people out on the dunes and the entire community. I want my Grand Children to learn from this type of group. Oceano is a unique Beach that affords families to recreate and camp beach front for very little money. I would hate to see this become like all the other Beach Towns where you pay $300-$400 per night to be at a Beach front hotel. I think this might be what is in Oceano’s future if you shut down the dunes to off-roading. I have to wonder if Resort Developers are behind this fight to change Oceano.
@Norman Yes, I do live in Oceano. In fact, I moved here because of the off-roading community. My grandparents raced sand drags here back before the majority of the beach was taken from the off roaders. Not everyone that lives in Oceano shares your opinion and the Mesa doesn’t count as Oceano 😉 As far as who “predominantly” uses the dunes? I’m out there every day from one end to the other, and I see people from all walks, but at least 4-5 days a week it’s mostly locals -fishing, surfing, walking, off roading and much more. Not sure why you think we’re all weekenders? I live as far into the dunes as you can legally get and we breathe just fine, the birds are abundant, and the only thing I wish we could “keep out” of oceano, are those that don’t know how to share and play well with others. I do know one thing for certain though, I didn’t cut down eucalyptus tree’s to build my house, or decide to live next to miles of sand dunes and complain about the sand, I didn’t help to decimate the monarch population, and I don’t live a life where I seek to suck the fun out of everything for everyone… Crazy, I know. Lol
There is enough beach for everyone, always has been and always will be ❤️
Last but not least, it makes zero sense to turn what is now pristine Oso Flaco into an OHV area – if what you care about is the environment… leave well enough alone. Lets all go back to enjoying this beautiful place we live and stop bickering, life is too short. #NotLA #NotTheBay
Thank you for your perspective Crystal Dawn.
California’s coast is over 1000 miles long and has over 400 beaches and only one of those places allows offroad vehicles on the beach. ONE. Can’t people who don’t like that go literally anywhere else? Especially since offroad vehicles have been allowed for decades and decades, people who moved to the area should have considered one of the numerous other beach towns before throwing their weight around because they didn’t do their research and moved to a place with things they don’t like.
The Coastal Commission needs to release their authority over governing the State Parks and allow the State Parks to work with the APCD, San Luis Obispo LCP, Coastal Act and local government to oversee this SVRA. The OHV Commissioners are being ignored. They provide oversight over every SVRA in California, yet they are ignored by the CCC. It’s time to let State Parks do their job in managing the park. Most residents in the area approve of the SVRA. Most businesses approve of the SVRA. It’s the ONLY OHV recreation beach location in California. Its super special and very disingenuous of the small number of residents who continue to make false claims against the OHV enthusiasts. I find it ironic that people in California demand equality, rights for all, etc.. but OHV can be called names and told we’re horrible people. This isn’t right. Make things right. Keep Oceano Dunes SVRA open!
The irony here is most of the decision makers will rarely if ever frequent Oceano Dunes.
My concern is vehicle beach access for disabled park guests for all beach activities including beach camping. Disabled vehicle access should have priority over atv recreation opportunities because there is a standing legal mandate which must be addressed by our government shareholders. In addition to resolving ADA beach access concerns, we must also focus on caring for our homeless population which has resided in the Dunes for more than 50 years. We cannot turn our backs on our silent neighbors (the homeless) and expect to be successful in our efforts to maintain public safety and health. The amount of trash, drugs, crime, arson, and victimization, etc., are the most destructive forces in the Dunes, not the naturally blowing sand. Our homeless population residing in the Dunes are rarely, if ever, mentioned nor their issues resolved. Whatever the solution, these two issues are the most profound legal concerns which must have priority over all others. Suspention of ATV riding in the Dunes DOES NOT HAVE LEGAL STANDING in a court of law. ADA beach access and Homeless population issues do have legal standing in court. Guess which vehicle access priority the ATV Dunes Riders are going to exploit next? Priorities. Priorities. Priorities.
I hope the coastal commission holds firm. This activity is an anachronism and it’s far past time for it to be done. Protecting endangered species, biodiversity and coastal habitat must be the priorities for management. People have discovered how wonderful peace and quiet and nature appreciation is here when it was closed to vehicles and there won’t be any shortage of customers coming to the area for that. Burning fossil fuel simply to drive around making noise and pollution and disturbing everything at a time when climate change is causing massive disasters is the height of stupidity. The coastal commission is finally doings its job to enforce the laws that have been ignored for years. Huge thanks to them.
I will look forward to the day when the dunes deaths, spinal cord injuries and head trauma survivors will cease. And the causes move to the 8 other OHV parks State Parks manages.
LEAVE THE DUNES ALONE!!!! IF YOU DON”T LIKE THE DUST, MOVE!!!!!! I grew up in OCeano, no dust respiratory problems……huh. As for the mesa, go cut down more trees for houses and complain about the dust…………makes sense.
It’s the dunes not all the development on the mesa…..give me a break. Bored retired rich people ruining the fun for all.
Arguments that hinge on: “Well, it has been going on forever. Thus, it should continue” are more than suspect. Lynchings were acceptable in the distant past. Should we bring them back because it happened for centuries? Hopefully, we learn from our mistakes and move on to improve our community? Misuse of the Oceano Beach is not acceptable.
Norman Murphy, Do you really think that families enjoying activities like driving on the beach to camp, fish, off road should be compared to lynchings. I believe these activities are the best use of our Oceano Dunes. My family and I have been doing them for many years. I can’t think of any one group of people that would enjoy the Oceano Dunes more than off roaders. Off roaders are a large group of good people. The beach, sand and dunes are the perfect place to enjoy off roading and camping. Who else would enjoy these sand dunes? If you can name a group of people, they have the rest of the California coastline. What I find suspect are the name calling and false claims used by the people wishing to shut down vehicle’s using the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular recreation area.
Have lived in Oceano near the Dunes for more than 30 years. The medical problems suffered by those with asthma and other respiratory issues as a result of dust from the dunes is very real as are the many thousands of dollars lost in medical payments that are picked up by the citizens for unpaid emergency medical services. It is easy to understand this is the only beach on the West Coast that allows vehicles on the beach–FOOD and disciples are merely unregulated hedonists who think only of themselves. You can bet as soon as this article was published FOOD members called all their friends and associates to comment or “like” their inane posts. That one organization can foist its B.S. on the community is pitiful.
Anyone that has lived in Oceano for 30 years, should have known that the Pismo Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area was already established. It was established in 1982. The dunes were full of campers and off roaders long before that. So why move to an area that has dunes where the dust blows naturally from the dunes and then complain about it and vehemently oppose the large Off-Road Activity that went on in the dunes long before you moved there.
You have overestimated the power of this thread. No one from FoOD cares or reads this old thread. They have 28,000 followers. They are busy litigating in court against the Calif. Coastal Commision to promote “Access for All” in the Oceano Dunes.