Neighbors from Calle del Embarcadero are appealing the Planning Commission’s decision to approve a coastal permit for a proposed residence in Stinson Beach. The residence, to be built by realtor Heidi Hjorth of Mill Valley, would be the largest development on the calle and has been opposed by neighbors since August. Critics have argued that the 1,400-square foot residence with an attached 535-square foot garage will exacerbate flooding in the area (the lot, now vacant, catches flood waters in heavy rains) and will clash with the neighborhood’s aesthetic character. Community Development Agency staff identified a loophole concerning building in floodplains in county code that persuaded the commissioners to uphold their approval of the permit during an appeals hearing on Feb. 9. At that meeting, neighbors Kathleen Hurley and Erika Lowry, among others, opposed the project on grounds that it would violate the Local Coastal Program by encroaching on a 100-foot setback from Easkoot Creek and by its location in a 100-year floodplain, which county code forbids. In a seven-page appeal sent to the Board of Supervisors, neighbors pointed out the county code’s contradictions and called on supervisors to interpret the code “to effectuate the purposes of the legislation.” (County code states that only the Army Corps of Engineers can determine whether an area lies in a floodplain, but the Army Corps has not done so: the Federal Emergency Management Agency is in charge of defining floodplains in its insurance maps.) Neighbors also criticized the scientific findings of a biologist hired by Ms. Hjorth to assess whether the proposed property met the 100-food setback requirement. They argued that not only were the biologist’s findings at fault, but also questioned his credentials.