As a Planning and Regulatory Document. The city will use this SMP to protect the shoreline environment, increase public access to the shoreline, and permit suitable shoreline uses. The city will also use this SMP in conjunction with other existing regulations and plans to ensure that no net loss occurs to shoreline functions. Finally, the city will use the restoration elements of this SMP and the related Restoration Plan to attempt to improve shoreline functions compared to current conditions. The Long Beach SMP is a planning document similar to a comprehensive plan in that it presents goals and implementing strategies. It is different in that the SMP specifies use, development, protection and restoration of only the jurisdictional shoreline of the city. The SMP is also a regulatory document with uses and development standards enumerated in regulations similar to the city’s zoning regulations. In order to protect shoreline functions, all development proposals relating to the shoreline area must be evaluated in terms of this SMP. The Long Beach SMP provides regulatory parameters within which development may occur or is prohibited. It allows that a use or activity may be considered, but the community should be able to ensure that development is carried out in such a manner that the public’s interest in protecting the shoreline is achieved.
