Lee Tromble, on behalf of property owner Daniel Dahan, has submitted an application for a conditional use permit to allow development of a small recreational vehicle (RV) park consisting of four park model guest lodging units. The project site is located in the Smith River area of Del Norte County, just south of the Oregon border, west of U.S. Highway 101.
The parcel encompasses approximately 0.7 acres of primarily flat bluff-top land, as well as the coastal bluff face and sandy beach below. The project proposes four park model units to be utilized as short-term visitor-serving accommodations. The units would be located along the western edge of the bluff-top portion of the site. Each unit would include a deck, as well as a detached, stick-built structure intended to function as a bedroom and bathroom. All structures would be located at least 16 feet from the top of the bluff.
The site is located within the California Coastal Zone and is governed by the Del Norte County Local Coastal Program (LCP). The property carries a General Plan land use designation of Visitor-Serving Commercial and a zoning designation of Commercial Recreation. Recreational vehicle parks are permitted within the Commercial Recreation zone subject to approval of a conditional use permit.
The project site is bounded by U.S. Highway 101 to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The northern boundary abuts Pelican State Beach, which includes a loop drive and a public access trail. White Rock Resort, an existing park model RV park under the same ownership, is located to the south. The parcel contains a beach access trail that is identified on a recorded parcel map for the use and benefit of both the resort parcel and the subject parcel. East of the site, across U.S. Highway 101, is another parcel owned by the applicant that contains an existing multi-unit building and has recently been approved for a five-unit RV park. Additional residential development is located further north and south along U.S. Highway 101, as well as the California Agricultural Inspection Station to the north.
The site is currently developed with a vacant restaurant building known as the former Nautical Inn, which has been unoccupied for several years and is in a state of disrepair. The project proposal includes demolition of the existing structure down to the foundation, as well as removal of surrounding hardscape associated with the former restaurant parking area. Demolition activities would be conducted from the east side of the structure to avoid impacts to the coastal bluff. Existing reinforced masonry walls defining the bluff edge would remain in place, and foundation elements near the bluff face would be retained. Excavated materials would be stockpiled on existing paved areas as far from the bluff as feasible and removed in a timely manner. Standard construction best management practices would be implemented to control dust, erosion, and runoff.
Vehicle access to the site is currently provided via White Rock Loop, which connects to U.S. Highway 101 and extends south through the adjacent White Rock Resort property. The project proposes a minor realignment of internal circulation to accommodate a proposed on-site wastewater disposal system, resulting in a counterclockwise loop road configuration around the system. Access would remain ungated, and the project would require an updated Caltrans encroachment permit for access to U.S. Highway 101.
Water service would be provided by the Smith River Community Services District, which has confirmed availability of an adequate service connection. Wastewater disposal would be provided by a proposed Wisconsin mound on-site sewage disposal system, consisting of two 1,500-gallon septic tanks with an effluent pumping system, designed for an estimated wastewater flow of approximately 800 gallons per day.
The project would provide four on-site parking spaces, one for each lodging unit, consistent with Del Norte County Code parking requirements for rooming and lodging uses.
Surrounding Land Uses and Settings:
The project site is bordered to the north by Pelican State Beach, which provides a public access trail to the sandy beach below. Both the General Plan land use designation and the zoning district for the beach is Public Facility. East of the project location, across Highway 101, is the former Pelican Beach Inn and a single-family residence. The former inn property is zoned Commercial Recreation, with an underlying land use designation of Visitor-Serving Commercial. It is currently developed with a managers quarters and three motel units contained within a single building. It is under the same ownership as the subject parcel, and a Use Permit for a five-space RV park utilizing park model RVs was approved by the Del Norte County Planning Commission in August 2025. The single-family residence has a zoning designation of Rural Residential and Agriculture, three-acre minimum (RRA-3), and a General Plan land use designation of Rural Residential, allowing one dwelling unit per three acres (RR1/3). South of the parcel is White Rock Resort, an RV park developed with park model RVs and also owned by the applicant. The resort property is zoned CR and the General Plan land use designation is VSC. West of the subject property is the Pacific Ocean.
