Coastal Commission may vote on proposed Sand City resort

The California Coastal Commission may vote Thursday or Friday on whether to approve a proposed 360-unit hotel project in Sand City.

Opponents of the proposed Monterey Bay Shores Eco-Resort say it could negatively impact the dwindling snowy plover population. The federally threatened bird species nests and raise their broods on the Central Coast largely because it isn’t as developed as other areas.

Representatives from several environmental organizations attended Wednesday’s meeting of the California Coastal Commission in Santa Barbara, which will continue Thursday and Friday.

Members of the Audubon Society say they’re concerned about the resort because it would be in the middle of a habitat formally recognized by U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Volunteers recently found a two-egg plover nest in the area where the resort would be built.

Ultimately, the fate of the resort plan will be decided by the Coastal Commission, The project’s developers say the proposed resourt could bring an economic boom to the area.

This is the developer’s third hearing before the state Coastal Commission since the 1990’s. The panel has rejected the project twice before.