Nearly every seat was filled at the Big Sur Multi-Agency Facility on March 10 for a Land Use Advisory Committee meeting, an unusual turnout for the forum, according to LUAC members.
The meeting focused on a proposal from EOS Investors, the company behind Big Sur Campground and Cabins, Riverside Campground and Cabins, and the Pheneger Creek Community Housing Project, to modernize these properties while addressing deferred maintenance issues.
Robin Bot-Miller, chief operating officer of EOS Investors, presented alongside Mike Linder, a consultant for EOS and local Big Sur resident. The project consolidates improvements across all three properties into a single proposal.
Linder described the initiative as a redevelopment prompted by Coastal Commission requirements. “We’re now five years in,” he told Monterey County Now. “The Coastal Commission forced us to come forward with this massive project, so here we are with all three properties in one big project… I think this is a change for the better.”
LUAC members acknowledged the detail and thoughtfulness of the plan, noting its alignment with existing land-use codes. The committee voted unanimously to recommend approval, sending the plan to the County Planning Commission for the next stage of review.
The proposal includes the addition of 24 new housing units, bringing employee housing to 30 units. Twenty-eight of these units would be reserved for employees, with two designated for local community workers.
Visitor accommodations will change, with total units decreasing from 130 to 107, and the 23 removed sites converted to tent-only camping. Traditional RV use will no longer be permitted; instead, visitors would use fixed “park-model units,” which are legally considered RVs but cannot be brought from outside.
The plan also proposes 61 tent-only campsites—50 at Riverside Campground and 11 at Big Sur Campground—with 13 sites designated as affordable. Linder indicated that these changes, alongside the addition of an on-site café, aim to reduce off-site traffic and retain visitors within the campground.
Christina DiPaci, a LUAC member, commented on the broader community impact. “I completely understand the project in a different light,” she said. “There’s going to be a major improvement and it’s going to change how Big Sur interacts with Riverside. It’s a thoughtful and considerate approach, and a change needs to happen.”
For outdoor hospitality professionals, the proposal highlights key considerations for campground redevelopment, including balancing visitor capacity, employee housing needs, and local traffic management, as well as compliance with regulatory requirements.