New Coastal Commissioner Bochco Prepared to Protect the Coast

he California Coastal Commission, including three new members, began a three-day session Wednesday in Marina del Rey.

Among those joining the 12-person government body that is in charge of statewide coastal development and beach access enforcement is Pacific Palisades resident Dayna Bochco.

She is the wife of famed television producer Steven Bochco, and has an extensive resume of her own. She has many years of experience in the legal and entertainment fields and sits on the Heal the Bay board as well as the Natural Resources Defense Council's Southern California Leadership Council.

Bochco was appointed to the commission by state Sen. Darrell Steinberg as the replacement for 15-year member Sara Wan, a Malibu resident who had many supporters and critics of her environmental and public access advocacy. Steinberg's decision not to reappoint Wan was met with applause and disappointment.

The new commissioner recently spoke with Patch about her appointment and her respect for the California Coastal Act, the 1976 document that permanently established the authority of the commission and set the rules for coastal development and public access in this state. Bochco called it "a brilliant piece of legislation."

It was widely expected that the commission would consider the Marina del Rey Local Coastal Plan Major Amendment during its June meeting at the Marina del Rey Hotel, but commission staffing constraints pushed it back to later this year. The major amendment is a long-term redevelopment and land-use plan that changes zoning rules in the marina to make way for several redevelopment projects. Opponents of the redevelopment plans view the county's action as a gift to developers at the expense of county residents and claim it is against the mandate that the marina be preserved as a recreational destination for county residents.

Patch: Did you approach somebody about wanting to be on the Coastal Commission or did your appointment come as a surprise?

Dayna Bochco: A couple years ago, I approached the governor's office and said I would be interested in any environmental seat that came up, whether it be the Coastal Commission or State Parks. In general, I was interested in being helpful to our state. Nothing came up. There was a little talk about the Coastal Conservancy, but nothing came up with that.

I restated my interest once Gov. Brown got in, although I wasn't appointed by him, I was appointed by Sen. Steinberg. So it was through those channels. So it wasn't a surprise to me, although I wasn't following what was going on with the commission, so I didn't know if there were seats open or not. It was nice to learn there was something opening.

Patch: What do you know about the Coastal Commission? Is this a body you are familiar with?

Bochco: Oh certainly. I'm a Californian. I've lived on the coast my whole life. The Coastal Act was one of the more important pieces of legislation. When I was in law school, we certainly studied it. It was a brilliant piece of legislation. And now, so many years later, certainly with how difficult it would be to get any environmental legislation of this magnitude passed, it's really quite wonderful to know it's there.

Patch: What do you think is the purpose of the Coastal Commission?

Bochco: To enforce the Coastal Act and protect the coast. I am an attorney and I've had a lot of experience reading legislation. And this is one of the few pieces of legislation that I've read that is truly clear on its purpose on how it is to be applied. And I'm sure there are many, many cases that we'll encounter that will be difficult to decide, but the Act itself is very well-drafted. And the test by which you are supposed to measure whether something fits within the Act or not is pretty clear.

Patch: This was the first time I've seen a Coastal Commission appointment mentioned in the Hollywood Reporter. Do you think your role will be scrutinized more because you have a name that is known outside politics?

Bochco: I doubt it, seriously.

Patch: There is a perception from those who live outside Malibu, and even some who live in Malibu, that this city is hostile to public access. Is that a fair perception of Malibu and how can that perception be changed?

Bochco: I don't really have a perception of Malibu. Public access is a significant part of the Coastal Act. So it seems in reading the legislation, there is a real prevalence to want to have that for the public. I don't have any preconceived notions of Malibu. I don't even spend that much time there. I'm in Pacific Palisades, so I tend to stay in the Santa Monica area.

Patch: Well, you'll hear the name Malibu quite a bit on the commission.

Bochco: Oh, I am sure. In the [June meeting agenda] that I am reading, it's not so much about Malibu this time, but there are a number of cities that come up again and again.

Patch: Well, you have  coming up. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you any specifics about that.

Bochco: (laughs) All I can tell you is the staff report for that is thick.

Editor's Note: The California Coastal Commission's agenda for its June 15-17 meeting in Marina del Rey can be found here.