Status and remaining construction challenges

The Big Wave Wellness Center construction began September 2024 with an 18 month timeline for completion. It will provide housing for 38 adults with IDD in studio to three-bedroom apartment units in a two-story, 50,000 square foot residence as described in the Big Wave Project website (visit for the most current Wellness Center description and news releases).

 

The business center portion is still pending commercial interest.

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Since approval in 2015, the County has allowed several amendments to the overall project to modify a variety of points such as the order in which buildings would be built, number of buildings, financial considerations in mitigation requirements, and the like. Most of these modifications have been allowed due to the interest in moving the Wellness Center forward as it has gathered financial support while the Business Center has stalled. These amendments are summarized in the January 2024 Planning Staff Report for the Fourth Amendment, approved to reword the traffic mitigation at Cypress Avenue and Highway 1 intersection as follows:

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"In the instance that a signal or roundabout is denied by Caltrans or if approval has not been obtained from Caltrans by January 1, 2024, notwithstanding reasonable efforts by the Developer, as determined by the Planning Director, occupancy of the Office Park and Wellness Center shall be limited to operations that generate no more than 104 vehicles in the AM and 50 vehicles in the PM, for the life of the project or until comparable mitigation is approved and installed. The property owners shall monitor project traffic in a manner that ensures compliance with this requirement, with data provided to the County upon the County’s request.”

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The Big Wave Commercial Center was approved after more than a decade of major opposition due to its environmental impact, location and out-sized scale. Opposition has been focused on the large scale of the commercial portion of the project and not on the Wellness Center or housing for developmentally-disabled adults. The Wellness Center was coupled with the commercial project and the two were planned to be interdependent, with the business portion providing fees and employment opportunities to benefit the Wellness Center and its residents. At full development, concerns include:

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• Impact on road infrastructure of significant traffic increase on narrow neighborhood roads and Highway 1, particularly at the intersection of Cypress Avenue and Highway 1 *

• Potential impact on an already stressed sewer system and water resources

• Detrimental impact on the natural environment

• Sensibility of locating housing in a high-risk tsunami zone **

 

Much of the delay since 2015 approval has been due to the financial challenges remaining for Big Wave. In particular, the absence of commercial investors has resulted in the various amendments to the original plan and mitigation delays. It is unclear to the neighboring community how the Wellness Center will be able to rely on the commercial development as projected, nor is it clear that the mitigations for traffic and environmental impact will be completed.​

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* At full development, the project estimates 1,500 daily car trips in and out of Big Wave through narrow neighborhood roads.

Source: Hexagon Traffic Study, August 28, 2014.

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Key Features of Big Wave NPA Project

• 8 total buildings, including 5 large office buildings (The office buildings alone are equivalent to the size of approximately 1.5 Walmarts)
   

• Parking space for 462 cars
   

• Wellness Center and affordable housing for up to 50 developmentally-disabled adults and 20 caretakers - a maximum of 57 bedrooms
   

• Large boat storage facility with 92 coastal access parking spaces