Excuse the long post, but I was sent this letter and it is important to understand the background to this workshop. Of course, this missive presents one point of view, and there are others. This workshop will take place during/after a Board of Supervisors Meeting that begins at 9 am, which can be attended by zoom (links provided below letter). It is anticipated that the workshop will begin at 1:30 pm. The public comment deadline is Monday, January 5th by 5:00 pm.
I am writing to inform you of an upcoming Monterey County Board of Supervisors meeting that may have important implications for housing protections and land-use policy in Big Sur.
The Board will be holding a workshop on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, beginning at 1:30 p.m., to consider possible amendments to Monterey County’s Vacation (Short-Term) Rental Ordinances.
At this meeting, County staff will ask the Board to provide direction on potential changes to several sections of the Monterey County Code, including the Coastal Zoning Ordinance (Title 20), the Inland Zoning Ordinance (Title 21), and business licensing regulations (Title 7). These ordinances regulate vacation rentals and homestays countywide, including within the Big Sur coastal zone.
This workshop is being held in the context of ongoing litigation challenging portions of the County’s vacation rental regulations. As a result of that lawsuit, the County has temporarily paused enforcement of certain ownership-related provisions while the court review is underway. County staff is now seeking guidance from the Board on how the ordinances might be amended moving forward.
Although the item is framed as a countywide policy discussion, Big Sur is uniquely affected. Our community has extremely limited housing, much of it in guesthouses and secondary units that function as workforce housing. Changes that allow or expand vacation rental or homestay use in these units risk permanently removing housing that is essential to the people who live and work here. Countywide approaches do not always reflect Big Sur’s distinct land-use policies, environmental constraints, and housing realities.
The January 6 meeting is a direction-setting workshop, not a final vote. However, the guidance given to staff at this meeting will shape draft ordinance amendments that could move quickly to the Planning Commission later this month and return to the Board as early as February or March. Any changes affecting the coastal zone would also require certification by the California Coastal Commission.
We all should continue to follow this process closely and present a public comment in writing soon as well as testify at the meeting. We want to ensure that our community is aware of this meeting and the issues under discussion, given their potential impact on Big Sur.
Can’t attend, but would like your voice to be heard, write to … (deadline Monday 1/5 at 5 pm)
cob@countyofmonterey.gov
Subject Line: Public Comment – Vacation Rental Workshop, January 6, 2026
Attached you will find the Final Meeting Agendas for the County of Monterey Board of Supervisors Meeting onTuesday, January 6, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
The agenda(s) and agenda packet(s) can be found online by visiting the following link:https://monterey.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Due to the size limitations the agenda packet could not be attached to this e-mail, but can be found by visiting the followinglink.
Once there, you can navigate to the agenda packet by:
- Locating the correct legislative meeting body followed by date.
- On the same row, you will find a list of available options be sure to select “Agenda Packet”
- If the option is not presented, the packet may be located by selecting “Searchable Meeting Details.”
- You will be taken to a separate page and the packet may be found under the header entitled, “attachments”
You may participate through ZOOM. For ZOOM participation please join by computer audio at:
https://montereycty.zoom.us/j/224397747
OR to participate by phone call any of these numbers below:
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
Enter this Meeting ID number: 224397747 when prompted. Please note there is no Participant
Code, you will just hit # again after the recording prompts you.