Coastal resources: coastal development permit application: higher education housing project.

Assembly Member Alvarez's coastal development legislation modifies how California's higher education institutions navigate the coastal permit process, introducing new provisions for parking requirements and streamlined plan amendments. The bill grants universities greater autonomy in determining parking space allocations for student, faculty, and staff housing facilities, while requiring the California Coastal Commission to emphasize active and public transportation infrastructure in development plans.

The legislation establishes an expedited review process for minor modifications to university development plans. Under the new provisions, the Commission's executive director can designate proposed changes as "de minimis" if they pose no impact on coastal resources and align with existing coastal protection policies. These determinations must occur within 10 working days of submission, though three Commission members may require a full public hearing by objecting to the de minimis classification.

To enhance transparency, the bill requires the Coastal Commission to maintain a public online database of university development plans, amendments, and notices. This repository must include project descriptions, approval status, imposed conditions, and processing timeframes, with updates occurring at least monthly. The legislation also codifies coordination requirements between universities and local governments during the planning process to maintain consistency with local coastal programs.