New coastal campground approved on Central Coast

UPDATE 7/11/17 10:00 PM: The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved a new campground at the Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

The commission voted to approve the plan Wednesday night.

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California Coastal commissioners toured the Fort Ord Dunes State Park, taking the first step in building a proposed campground that will be like nothing else on the central coast.

“To open this area up to the community, to have another opportunity for recreation and for people to enjoy those really special natural and cultural resources is such a great feeling,” said Brent Marshall, Monterey District Superintendent, California State Parks.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation is proposing to build the campground which will have almost 100 campsites for rv’s and tents, a beach access trail, sites for biking and hiking along with other buildings and amenities.

“It’s real quiet and does not seem like your typical busy along the freeway type of rv places that you see everywhere else,” said Michael Mastoriani of Prunedale. “It’s more natural without having to go very far.”

Before Parks and Rec can break ground, the California Coastal Commission has to approve a development permit.

“Under the law you can’t really put development into dunes,” said Dan Carl with California Coastal Commission, Central Coast District. “So one of the issues is how do we balance these issues under the law that we implement the coastal act in terms of protecting the dune, but also providing for this public recreational access improvement.”

The commission also said there is concern around preserving and protecting natural and cultural resources, plants and habitat.

“The dunes, currently they’re degraded,” said Carl. “A lot of them are covered with asphalt, a lot of them are covered with nonnative invasive species like ice plant. So they’re not in their natural state and they need some help.”

Some community members take issue with possible lead contamination from ammunition that was used and stored when the site was an army training base.

“Lead fragments and lead dust still remain on both sides, heavily on both sides of where they plan to do rv park and camping,” said Mike Weaver with the Fort Ord Community Advisory Group. “So the concern is that the dust comes up every afternoon with the winds. Children and parents are going to be ingesting lead dust.”

Park officials said they are taking preservation and safety seriously. Lead and undetonated ordinances have been cleaned up in the areas they want to build the campground and projects are in place to restore dunes, improve habitat and public recreation.

If approved project officials are hoping to break ground on the campground in 2018.