Affordable housing still a point of tension in Half Moon Bay

The Metzgar Street project, however, would be subject to Senate Bill 35, legislation that allows developers to bypass local review for affordable projects if it’s located within a city that isn’t meeting its state housing standards. 

Half Moon Bay Planning Commissioner Rick Hernandez, who attended the June 16 City Council meeting where the project was discussed, expressed general support, though he said project developer MidPen Housing could work with the city to meet Half Moon Bay’s design criteria. 

Pushing projects away will ultimately lead to the city continuing to fall behind on its housing requirements and losing more local control in the long run, Hernandez said, noting he was hopeful the developer could work productively to address resident concerns like traffic flow on the residential street. 

“If we don’t meet our standards, we’re going to lose control,” he said. “We block projects, this three story project will turn into a 5 story project.” 

Residents, however, largely seemed less concerned with Half Moon Bay’s ongoing tensions with the California Department of Housing and Development and more anxious about the building’s proposed 52 units and 64 parking spaces. They issued a repeating refrain — it’s not the creation of affordable housing itself, but rather, its size and scope. 

“I am not against the proposal,” Metzgar Street resident Reyna Diaz said. “I am only really concerned about the three stories and the density. I think that we have a beautiful view, and with three stories, is way too high.” 

The proposed development, which would create 52 units ranging from one to three bedrooms, is designated for families earning up to 60% of the area median income, with units reserved for families earning up to only 15% of the area median income, farmworkers and the formerly unhoused. 

Another common issue for residents is how the proposed build could impact parking and traffic on the street. Only 64 parking spaces isn’t enough for a development of this size, they argued, and could create a traffic safety hazard for those walking to the local senior center, Sea Crest School or simply crossing the road. 

“I fear for those kids, and I fear for my father, who’s trusting everybody else is going to look at his cane as he crosses the street,” resident Heather Burgett-Svanevik said.

Issues were also broached that the project’s design, which features several detached buildings with sloping roofs, does not align with Half Moon Bay’s design standards. Architectural Advisory Committee Chad Hooker said that though he thought the proposed development would be an interesting test of SB 35 for the city, he was surprised by how little the design standards were utilized. 

“We worked pretty hard on the architectural design standards a couple years ago, and from the renderings I’ve seen tonight, it’s like they’ve never been looked at,” he said. 

Some, however, spoke in favor of the project — which MidPen said could begin construction by the end of 2027, pending entitlement — and the need for affordable housing for the city’s working class and Latino populations. 

“We work really hard for the community, from teachers to housekeepers, cleaners, we really put an effort in,” resident Carolina Carbajal said through a translator. “That community are the people that need that type of housing, as well, and it’s really sad to have that debate continuously.” 

The Half Moon Bay Planning Commission will discuss SB 35 standards further at its upcoming meeting June 23. 

holly@smdailyjournal.com

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