After Monterey’s Big Sur STR vote — The Coastal Commission May No Longer Be Newport’s Firewall

The California Coastal Commission’s mid-August action on Monterey County’s vacation-rental rules is a wake-up call. Commissioners approved a plan that bans “commercial” (unhosted) STRs in Big Sur and the Carmel Highlands and caps STRs elsewhere in the unincorporated coastal zone at 4% of single-family homes – with new permits layered on top. In plain terms: the Commission is now on record accepting significant coastal STR limits when presented through a county’s Local Coastal Program amendment.

For years, many in Newport Beach assumed the Coastal Act’s mandate to maximize public access would reliably shield STRs from outright bans. Monterey County just showed that’s no longer a safe bet. Housing pressure, neighborhood impacts, and environmental concerns were persuasive enough for the Commission to green-light a partial ban and strict caps – including eliminating 37 unhosted rentals in Big Sur alone. If that rationale carried the day there, it can travel.

In our recent “News You Can Use,” we flagged coverage from KSBW, KION, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Local News Matters outlining the decision and its implications, alongside the Commission’s own staff materials. Together, they paint a clear picture: the policy landscape has shifted, and the Commission is willing to balance coastal access against STR limits when local governments package those limits inside a certified coastal program.

What does this mean for Newport Beach? We cannot count on the Coastal Commission to be our firewall. If the City goes down the road again of severe restrictions on STRs in Newport, the Costal Commission may not have our back. Our best defense is local – constructive engagement with city leaders, accurate data, strong compliance and good-neighbor rules. These, backed by a broad coalition and a deep management from our community, will demonstrate that STRs can coexist with housing goals and coastal access.

NBSTRA will keep members informed and mobilized as the policy conversation evolves here at home.