to: enforcement committee members › enforcement › 1020mva-ccd-2016... · 9. failure to record...
TRANSCRIPT
October7,2016
TO: EnforcementCommitteeMembers
FROM: MaggieWeber,EnforcementAnalyst(415/[email protected])MarcZeppetello,ChiefCounsel(415/[email protected])
SUBJECT: StaffRecommendedEnforcementDecisionRegardingProposedStipulatedCeaseandDesistandCivilPenaltyOrderNo.CCD2016.04;MarinaVillageAssociates,LLC(ForBCDCEnforcementCommitteeconsiderationonOctober20,2016)
Recommendation
TheBCDCstaffrecommendsthattheEnforcementCommitteeadopttheRecommendedEnforcementDecisiononproposedStipulatedCeaseandDesistandCivilPenaltyOrderNo.CCD2016.04(“StipulatedOrder”)toMarinaVillageAssociates,LLC(“MVA”),forthereasonsstatedbelow.ThismatterarisesoutofanenforcementactioncommencedbyBCDCstaffonMarch14,2015.
TheStipulatedOrderrequiresMVAwithinspecifiedtimeframesto,amongotherprovisions:(1)ceaseanddesistfromallactivityinviolationofBCDCPermitNo.2006.010.03;(2)removeunauthorizeditemslocatedintheBayandshorelinebandthatcannotbeauthorizedafter-the-fact;(3)applyforauthorizationforunauthorizedactivitiesintheBayandshorelinebandthatcanbeauthorizedafter-the-fact;(4)submitanengineeringreportthatevaluates:(a)thefrequency,duration,andextentoftidalfloodingandpost-floodingstandingwaterinthepublicaccessareaand(b)potentialalternativestoreducetidalfloodingandpost-tidalstandingwaterinthisarea;basedonconsiderationofpotentialalternativesrecommendedinthereport,andobtainauthorizationtoimplementtherecommendedfloodcontrolmeasures;(5)payacivilpenaltyof$210,000totheBayFillClean-upandAbatementFund;and(6)payestablishedpenaltiesforlatecompliancewithanytermoftheOrder.AllotherprovisionsaredescribedinfullwithintheOrder.TheBCDCstaffhasdeterminedthattheproposedStipulatedOrderisafairresolutionoftheallegedviolations.
StaffReport
Background.OnSeptember27,2007,theCommissionissuedBCDCPermitNo.2006.010.03,asamendedthroughSeptember2,2015(“thePermit”),toMVA,toauthorizetheconstructionofaportionofeighthomesintheshorelineband,agrocerystore,atwo-storymixedusebuilding,arestaurantadjacenttotheexistingyachtclub,andnewpublicaccessincludinga1,500-foot-longpublicaccessboardwalk,akayakboatlaunchfloatandramp,a33,000-square-foot“MarinaGreen”,asmallpark,asix-foot-wide,2,200-foot-longpathway
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alongthebreakwaterandachildren’splayareaatexistingLochLomondMarinalocatedinSanRafael,MarinCounty.
OnMarch14,2015,BCDCstaffconductedasitevisitandobservedthatMVAhadplacedrockriprapadjacenttoandbaywardoftheBoardwalk,andthatsomeunknownandprobablyuplandactivityhadcausedalargemudwaveontheedgeoftheBaywestoftheEastSpitbetweenDocksEandF,whichhadsmotheredanareaoftidalmarshhabitatofthesamesize.Stafffurtherobservedthattheslopeoftheriprapappearedtoexceeda2:1slope,andquestionedwhetherthebaseoftheripraphadbeenplacedintheBaybecauseofthepresenceofmarshvegetationgrowingupthroughtheriprapatthetoeoftheslope.
FollowingtheMarch14,2015sitevisit,BCDCstaffreviewedthePermitfileandcommencedanenforcementinvestigationtoassessMVA’scompliancewiththetermsandconditionsofthePermit.BetweenMarch20andOctober20,2015,theBCDCstaffinvestigationinvolvednumerouscommunicationswithMVA’srepresentative,ToddWright.
OnNovember20,2015,BCDCstaffsentMVAaletterthatsummarizedtheallegedviolationsofthePermitandMcAteer-PetrisActandincludedproposedresolutionswithaproposedsettlementagreementattached.OnNovember25,2015,Mr.WrightsentBCDCstaffaletterconfirmingreceiptofBCDC’sNovember20thcorrespondenceandstatingthattheletterwouldbeforwardedtoMVA“whowillrespondtoyoudirectly.”Morethansixweekslater,onJanuary7,2016,BCDCstaffemailedMr.Wright(andmailedacopyoftheemailtoJohnArvin,VicePresident,MVA)statingthatintheabsenceofanyeffortbyMVAtoresolvethismatterthroughtheproposedsettlementagreement,BCDCintendedtoprepareacomplaintforadministrativecivilpenaltiesandaceaseanddesistorder.BetweenJanuary7andMay20,2016,Mr.ArvindidnotcontactBCDC.
OnMay20,2016,theExecutiveDirectorissuedaViolationReportandComplaintfortheImpositionofAdministrativeCivilPenaltiestoexpediteresolutionoftheviolations.AftertheViolationReportwasissued,MVAanditscounselmetwithBCDCstaffmultipletimestodiscusstheviolationsandnegotiatearesolution.OnAugust15,2016,theExecutiveDirectorissuedaSupplementalViolationReportandComplaintfortheImpositionofAdministrativeCivilPenaltiestoeliminatetwooftheoriginallyallegedviolations,modifythescopeofoneoriginallyallegedviolation,andprovidenoticeofsevenadditionalallegedviolationsthathadoccurred,orthatBCDCstaffhadbecomeawareof,sincemailingtheoriginalViolationReportonMay20,2016.
Violations.Insummary,theviolationsofthePermitortheMcAteer-PetrisActallegedbytheExecutiveDirector,intheOriginalViolationReportandasmodifiedandsupplementedbytheSupplementalViolationReport,includethefollowing:
1. TheplacementofriprapadjacenttotheBoardwalkataslopesteeperthantheauthorized2:1gradethatwasnotengineeredandlackedplanapproval.
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2. Theunauthorizedstockpilingofconstructionmaterialsintheshorelinebandthatcausedamudwavethatresultedinunauthorizedfill.Themudwave’sdimensionobservedbystaffisroughly.
3. TheunauthorizedworkintheBayandshorelinebandtorepairtheseawall,Boardwalk,andriprapdestroyedbyalargemudwave.
4. TheunauthorizedplacementofriprapintheBayandshorelinebandintwodifferentlocationsontheEastSpit.
5. TheunauthorizedplacementofelectricalpostsandassociatedelectricalwiringintheBayandshorelinebandlocatedadjacenttotheBoardwalk.
6. Theunauthorizedplacementofmanyutilitiesinthededicatedpublicaccessarealocatedintheshorelineband.
7. FailuretosubmittotheExecutiveDirector,gainstaffapprovalof,andrecord,twoinstrumentsthatdedicatetherequiredpublicaccessandopenspaceareastothepublicbyMarch31,2016.
8. Failuretosubmitwrittencertificationofcontractorreviewpriortocommencinganygrading,demolition,orconstruction.
9. FailuretorecordtheamendedPermitonallparcelsaffectedbythePermitwithMarinCountywithin30daysafterexecutionofamendedPermit.
10. ThefailuretoprovideandmakeavailableforpublicaccessusebyMarch,2016,apark,playground,andrestroomontheEastSpit,andastripedpathwayonexistingasphalttoconnecttheparklocatedontheWestSpittotheexistingpublicaccesslocatedontheadjacentproperty,amongotheramenities.
11. Failuretoestablishtwomembershipassociationsthatrecognizetherequirementtomaintainallthepublicaccessimprovements.
12. TheunauthorizedplacementofriprappossiblyintheBayandintheshorelinebandatthenortheasternedgeoftheEastSpit,adjacenttotheunauthorizedswitchgearcabinetlocatedonthelandwardendoftheeastspit.
NegotiationsandSettlementAgreement.AfterreceivingthefirstandsecondViolationReports,MVAanditscounselmetwithBCDCstafftoinitiatesettlementdiscussions.Duringnegotiations,BCDCstaffdeterminedthatanyagreementreachedbetweenthepartiesneededtoaddressandrectifythefrequenttidalfloodingandpost-tidalstandingwaterinthepublicaccessarealocatedbetweentheeastparkinglotandtheheadofthebreakwatertrailbasedonreportsreceivedbyBCDCstafffromthepublicandCityofSanRafaelthatthefloodingofthisareaisanongoingissuethatoccursduringregularhightideevents.Assuch,staffdetermined
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thisportionofthepublicaccessarearegularlyfloodsandwillcontinuetocausemaintenanceandaccessibilityissuesunlesscorrectiveactionistaken.
TheViolationReportsproposedatotalpenaltyof$563,500;BCDCstaffultimatelyagreedthattheywouldacceptMVA’sproposedpenaltyof$210,000ifMVAcommittedtoresolvingthefloodingissuebypreparingareportandimplementingitsrecommendations,afterobtainingapermitamendment.Thecostofthereportandimplementationofitsrecommendationsisnotlimitedsolongasitisnotunreasonableandthefloodingissueisrectified.
ThecontentsoftheStipulatedOrderisnotlimitedtoa$210,000penaltyandremediatingthetidalfloodingandpost-floodingstandingwaterissuesinthepublicaccessarea.Insummary,theStipulatedOrderrequiresMVAwithinspecifiedtimeframesto,amongotherprovisions:(1)ceaseanddesistfromallactivityinviolationofBCDCPermitNo.2006.010.03;(2)removeunauthorizeditemslocatedintheBayandshorelinebandthatcannotbeauthorizedafter-the-fact;(3)applyforafter-the-factauthorizationforunauthorizedactivitiesintheBayandshorelinebandthatcanbeauthorizedafter-the-fact;(4)submitproofofrecordationwithMarinCountyofalegalinstrumentthatpermanentlyguaranteesrequiredpublicaccessareas;(5)submitforreviewandconcurrenceproposedCC&Rsforeachandeverymembershipassociationthatmayinthefutureassumeresponsibilitytomaintainpublicaccessimprovements;(6)makeavailableforpublicusepublicaccessamenitiesthatwererequiredtobeopenedbyMarch2016;(7)submitanengineeringreportthatevaluates:(a)thefrequency,duration,andextentoftidalfloodingandpost-floodingstandingwaterinthepublicaccessarealocatedbetweentheeastparkinglotandtheheadofthebreakwatertrailand(b)potentialalternativestoreducetidalfloodingandpost-tidalstandingwaterinthisarea;andobtainauthorizationtoimplementtherecommendedfloodcontrolmeasures;(8)payacivilpenaltyof$210,000totheBayFillClean-upandAbatementFund;and(9)payestablishedpenaltiesforlatecompliancewithanytermoftheStipulatedOrder.
OnSeptember13th,BCDCstaffandMVAreachedasettlementinprincipleonthetermsofanagreement,whichisprovidedintheproposedStipulatedOrder.TheBCDCstaffhasdeterminedthattheproposedStipulatedOrderisafairresolutionoftheallegedviolationsandwillprovideBCDCwithimportantdataregardingtheimpactsofsealevelriseonpublicaccessareasthatwererequiredpriortothe2011adoptionofBCDC’ssealevelrisepolicies.Attachmentstothisstaffrecommendationinclude:(1)TheStipulatedOrder;(2)ThePermit;and(3)aVicinityMapandtwoimagesofthesite.
VicinityMap–LochLomondMarinaSanRafael,CA
LochLomondMarinaSanRafael,CA
ShorelinePublicAccessatLochLomondMarina(GoogleStreetview)SanRafael,CA