Half Moon Bay identifies fire, erosion, flooding threats

“Half Moon Bay is an isolated and isolatable region, so that is a very critical concern,” she said. 

The plan makes some specific suggestions for the city, like bolstering neighborhood Community Emergency Response Team programs and hiring a grant writer to make Half Moon Bay eligible for state and federal funding. 

Chad Hooker, Half Moon Bay Architectural Advisory Committee member, raised concerns, however, that the city continues to spend money on consultants and bureaucratic plans instead of funding the necessary projects. 

“I’m dismayed,” he said. “Did you come away after reading this document with anything more than a few small crumbs of new information? Or did you, as I did, come away from it feeling like it’s full of a lot of buzzwords, but it doesn’t tell you where to go next, what to do next, except to proceed to yet another plan?” 

The plan is a good start in identifying climate-related concerns, Councilmember Patric Bo Jonsson said, however, he acquiesced to Hooker’s point. 

“I think it’s a great beginning … we need to have resolution,” he said. “The next level is to come up with a plan that resolves some of these.” 

Having a climate document in place will make it easier for Half Moon Bay to receive state funding from sources like Proposition 4, a massive voter-passed climate bond, and Senate Bill 272, which prioritizes money for local governments with sea-level rise adaptation plans, Vice Mayor Debbie Ruddock said. 

Some councilmembers also raised concerns around potentially conflicting elements of the plan, which has been an ongoing issue as cities struggle to defend themselves against threats of both drought and fire, for example. 

This plan urges the city to bolster its downtown urban canopy to protect against drought and offer shade, though, new fire abatement standards require the elimination of flammable material — like trees — within the radius of businesses and homes. 

It can be challenging to prepare for multiple climate events at once, and a holistic approach is key, Craig said. 

“We have to be careful we don’t go too far on one side of those and miss the other sides,” she said. 

Fostering a community-based planning approach to emergency preparedness could be an effective strategy for Half Moon Bay, given its geographical neighborhood pockets, Ruddock said. 

“I like that you mentioned neighborhood planning. I’m very interested in neighborhoods, actually, and building sustainability and mutual aid,” she said. “Given the layout of Half Moon Bay along Highway 1 … neighborhood plans might be a good idea.”