Some local governments and counties must adopt beach access and use plans, submit them for certification, and follow commissioner review timelines.
Sec. 61.015. BEACH ACCESS AND USE PLANS. (a) Each local government with ordinance authority over construction adjacent to public beaches and each county that contains any area of public beach within its boundaries shall adopt a plan for preserving and enhancing access to and use of public beaches within the jurisdiction of the local government. Such beach access and use plans must be consistent with the policies in Section 61.011 of this code and the rules promulgated thereunder and Chapter 63 of this code and shall to the greatest extent practicable incorporate the local government's ordinary land use planning procedures. A municipality may adopt and apply any appropriate ordinances within its extraterritorial jurisdiction to effect the purposes of this subchapter. (b) Local governments shall submit proposed beach access and use plans to the commissioner for certification as to compliance with such policies and rules. The commissioner shall act on a local government's proposed beach access and use plan within 90 days of submission by either approving the plan or denying certification. In the event of denial, the commissioner shall send the proposed plan back to the originating local government with a statement of specific objections and the reasons for denial, along with suggested modifications. On receipt, the local government shall revise and resubmit the plan. The commissioner's certification of local government plans shall be by adoption into the rules under Section 61.011. (c) A littoral owner proposing construction adjacent to and landward of a public beach in the area described in Section 61.011(d)(6) shall submit a development plan to the appropriate local government. The local government shall forward a development plan for small-scale construction activity that includes 5,000 square feet or less or habitable structures two stories or less in height to the commissioner no less than 10 working days prior to acting on the development plan. The local government shall forward a development plan for large-scale construction activity that includes more than 5,000 square feet or habitable structures more than two stories in height to the commissioner no less than 30 working days prior to acting on the development plan. The commissioner may submit comments on the proposed construction to the local government. (d) The local government shall review the proposed development plan and the commissioner's comments and other information the local government may consider useful to determine consistency with the local government's beach access and use plan. (e) If the proposed construction is required to be permitted by the local government under Chapter 63 of this code, the local government shall consider the issuance of the permit concurrently with the certification under this section, unless otherwise provided by rules promulgated under Section 61.011 of this code. (f) The local government, after considering all appropriate information, shall make the determination and shall certify that the construction as proposed either is consistent with the local government's beach access and use plan or is inconsistent with the local government's beach access and use plan, in which case the local government must specify how the construction is inconsistent with the plan. (g) The local government may include in the certification any reasonable terms and conditions it finds necessary to assure adequate public beach access and use rights consistent with Chapter 63 of this code. (h) The requirements of this section take effect only on adoption of final rules by the commissioner under Section 61.011 of this code. Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2478, ch. 871, art. I, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 295, Sec. 8, eff. June 7, 1991; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 245, Sec. 2, eff. June 18, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1256 (H.B. 2819), Sec. 11, eff. September 1, 2007.