The original plan was to demolish two of four tennis courts and construct a 32,276-sf spa facility for the use of hotel guests. The hotel's current facility is 333,840 sf, sitting on nearly 18 acres. A separate 7,840-sf banquet facility was built and completed last year.

The City Council tentatively approved the project last October. But because the hotel sits atop a cliff overlooking Salt Creek Beach--a public beach frequented by visitors daily--the Coastal Commission's final approval is conditioned upon several changes. Specifically, the developer, PRS Group, will be required to both realign and maintain the public trail to the beach, as well as some viewpoints and rest areas. The Coastal Commission, a public agency that can block seaside development if a proposed project impedes public access to the beach, says it won't give final approval to PRS's plan until all of the its requirements are met.

In an interview with GlobeSt.com last October, Ritz Carlton officials noted that a parking program for the hotel had been approved and that the concerns of many neighbors in the area had been met.