County OKs Big Wave project: Development combines office park with housing for individuals with developmental disabilities

The project combines an office park and housing for individuals with developmental disabilities just north of Half Moon Bay on the coast.

Although the board approved the project in 2011, it was delayed due to challenges by environmentalists who argued the project did not fit in with “sensitive coastal zones.”

The board’s decision was almost immediately appealed to the California Coastal Commission which has the authority to tweak the project or halt it altogether. The groups who appealed included the Committee for Green Foothills, the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Surfrider Foundation, the San Mateo County League for Coastside Protection and the Pillar Ridge Homeowners Association.

The project, however, has been scaled down significantly since the 2011 proposal.

The board’s decision could be appealed again to the California Coastal Commission but Horsley said he feels confident the scaled-down project in Moss Beach will pass muster with the commission.

Project founder Jeff Peck, a El Granada resident with an adult daughter who is developmentally disabled, expects Big Wave to be appealed again to the Coastal Commission but expects a different outcome this time.

Coastal Commission staff has reviewed the new project and “determined there are no significant issues,” Peck said Wednesday.

The Big Wave Wellness Center and Office Park is comprised of a 97,500-square-foot residential facility for up to 50 developmentally disabled adults and a business park with 155,000 square feet of offices in five two-story buildings.

The Wellness Center will consist of three buildings with 57 bedrooms to accommodate both residents and about 20 staff members.

The project intends to provide employment to residents who will maintain the office park grounds and work in a delicatessen on site.

The project also consists of 554 private parking spaces on the north parcel and boat storage and 92 coastal access public parking spaces on the south parcel.

Some wetlands will also be restored as part of the project, Horsley said.

“It’s a good compromise from the original proposal,” he said.

The county lacks facilities for adults with developmental disabilities and the office park is helping to subsidize the housing component of the project, Horsley said.

The lack of housing and jobs for adults with developmental disabilities in the county is a “real crucial problem,” Peck said.

Big Wave is just a small step toward providing housing and jobs for the 12,500 people in the county who are disabled, Peck said.

The offices could also provide some traffic relief to the coast if more people are able to work closer to where they live, Horsley said.

The project also includes a path for bicyclists and pedestrians along Airport Street to Highway 1.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project at its Tuesday meeting.

bill@smdailyjournal.com

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