The Half Moon Bay City Council discussed potential options for the beleaguered Beachwood property, a saga that began decades ago when a city-sponsored project accidentally led to wetlands developing on an adjacent privately-owned site slated for redevelopment.
The root of the property’s dilemma was sparked by a flawed city drainage project in the mid-1980s. In the 1990s, when the property owner proposed constructing 83 homes on the site, the City Council noted protected wetlands had formed and a project that extensive wouldn’t be feasible. That decision prompted the owner to sue, unraveling a flurry of related legal actions.
The property owner eventually won a federal case that ended with an order for Half Moon Bay to pay nearly $41 million for the Beachwood site, which was then negotiated down to $18 million.
Half Moon Bay eventually recouped a majority of losses through insurance companies, although it still owed $2.4 million at the end of the process, and the city retained control of the Beachwood property.
Now, councilmembers are discussing future possibilities for the property, which the city currently has planned to use for habitat restoration, protection and management, and possibly as part of the Kehoe Drainage Basin. That project, still in the conceptual stages, could implement green infrastructure models like stormwater management and harvesting systems in the wetlands and surrounding areas.
Mayor Joaquin Jimenez requested the item be placed on the agenda regarding use of the property as a community park, suggesting potential basketball or volleyball courts.
Based on previous studies of the area, any recreational component would likely have to go on the outside perimeter of the property, Councilmember Debbie Ruddock said. Her suggestion was to combine stormwater management with recreational functions like a boardwalk or trail.
“If you marry the stormwater elements with a rec component — because state agencies like to see you providing public access — focusing on stormwater but including a recreational component, an access component, significantly raises our ability to position ourselves better for grant funding,” she said.
Other councilmembers said they were supportive of a focus on community parks but didn’t think the Beachwood property was the right space.
“I really admire your idea of having a community park, I think we could very well use a community park, I don’t think Beachwood is a location for our community park,” Vice Mayor Harvey Rarback said.
Ultimately, city staff will continue pursuing natural mitigation and stormwater management plans for the area, they said, with an interest in incorporating passive recreation.
(1) comment
Judge walker's decision was very flawed because there were, and still are, numerous wetland features that had no physical connection to the work that was done by the City on the property. Following the judgment, the then City Attorney "guaranteed" that the City could win an appeal. The then regressive City Council, however, chose to take the developer's bait and accepted a settlement agreement that relied on the legislature and governor (Schwarzenegger then) eliminating 4 state laws on the property. Of course, that failed in the State Senate, and the City then had to purchase a nearly undevelopable property at an absurd price.
It may be well intentioned for the current City Council to want to somehow use the property and there are small segments that could accomodate limited uses and trails would also be a legally allowed use but Highway 1 fronts the west side and neighborhoods adjoin the north and south side. There is no access from the east. Parking in the neighborhoods should be a no-go politically and parking on the highway would require widening into wetlands - not going to happen. A fine mess!
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