Half Moon Bay limits offices in downtown

“We really want to preserve our small town character and this ordinance does that,” Mayor Harvey Rarback said according to video of the meeting.

The temporary restriction applies only to new businesses on the 300, 400, 500 and 600 blocks of Main Street and was proposed in response to two recent conversions of a retail storefront to offices. Boutique Studio 508 was recently replaced by the law offices of Robyn Dunlap at 508 Main St. adjacent to Mac Dutra Plaza in the heart of downtown, and the former home of a bagel shop called The Press at 643 Main St. is now the office of Ocean Blue Real Estate.

Several other vacant storefronts, including the former home of restaurant Pasta Moon, are also on the market and the listing for that space specifically mentions offices as a possible use. The city’s code, as it’s currently written, does not include limits on the number of offices downtown, said Community Development Director Jill Ekas.

“We’ve had two recent conversions from retail to office uses and you’re vulnerable for more,” she said. “It takes so many years to get the conversion back to what you’re looking for because leases can be very long, which is why when we see things like this it is urgent.”

According to a city survey, 42% of Main Street frontages are inactive and compromise the walkability and energy of the area. In addition to offices, vacancies, parking lots and City Hall, for example, were all counted as “inactive.”

“Forty-two percent is really high,” Ekas said. “It doesn’t seem like that sometimes because we get used to certain businesses having the shade drawn or whatever it is, but if you go up and down those four blocks, both sides of the street with real intent looking at what’s there and ‘can I go in or out of this business, would I tell my friend come meet me here’ — you’ll see the gaps become really evident.”

Councilwoman Debbie Ruddock did not want an exception in the ordinance for existing businesses, specifically the aforementioned law offices of Robyn Dunlap.

“I’m very concerned about this concept of grandfathering because one of the businesses is on a key corner of our Main Street,” she said. “I don’t want to lose the option of a diner with a takeout window or restaurant or retail in the future. I believe the community can make those decisions about their values for downtown and what they want to see there. My vision is not a law office.” 

City staff acknowledged the concern, but said state law would not allow the ordinance to apply to existing businesses.

Those who spoke during public comment, including the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, supported the urgency ordinance, but Dunlap, owner of the law office Ruddock referenced, described it as a government overreach. 

“[The ordinance] seems to be put forth haphazardly when there are other actions that could be done to solve these problems without infringing on people’s property rights,” Dunlap said. 

With the temporary prohibition on new offices on Main Street in place, staff is currently finalizing longer term zoning amendments for the city’s mixed-use districts aimed at enhancing the vibrancy of those areas, which include downtown. The proposed amendments will be the subject of a Planning Commission meeting Dec. 10 before they go before the council in January.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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