Half Moon Bay to try out Poplar Beach bonfire pits

“As a teenager in Half Moon Bay, there’s no movie theaters, no bowling alleys, nowhere I can afford to eat out with my friends … and nowhere that really stays open after dark,” she said. “Having a safe place for teenagers to engage in community and follow our ancestors and gather by the fire and tell stories and socialize, I think that’s something pretty special.”

Councilmembers seemed to agree, and approved the pilot program unanimously. Councilmember Robert Brownstone said he admired Standez for taking on the project, which is made more complicated by neighbors’ concerns around late-night parties and trash remnants on the beach.

“I know people on Poplar Street, they’ve been very sensitive about parties on the beach, people coming up at night, and they’re drunk and yelling, and [the neighbors] will go and for inspect the beach the next morning,” Brownstone said. “That’s the challenge you will be willing to accept to sort that out and get the community support that you have.”

Having a safe, legal way to conduct beachside bonfires will hopefully alleviate many of neighbors’ concerns, Standez said, arguing that it will be more productive than having police break up gatherings.

“Truly, you don’t need floodlights and PA system to chase 30 teenagers off the beach. Of course that’s going to result in them leaving their trash and leaving really loudly,” she said.

Krystlyn Geidt, Coastside Chamber of Commerce CEO, also expressed support for the firepits and said the chamber regularly fields calls from visitors interested in bonfire use.

“I myself have witnessed many adults do bonfires illegally, so this is definitely one of those areas where we feel regulation is gonna be the must better course of action than trying to eliminate them,” she said. “People are already doing it.”

The pilot program will allow for the gates to the Poplar Beach parking lot to be closed later, at 10 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays. Four firepits, two made of cinderblock and two of poured concrete, will be installed at easily-accessible locations on the beach.

Closed-pit bonfires are already legal per fire regulation, and the Coastal Commission gave Standez permission to try out the pilot program for the 14-day period, she said. The program will also require a change in operations for the sheriff’s patrol during weekends but requires no upfront cost to the city.

As part of her high school capstone project, Standez plans to work with the city to try and create permanent, seasonal firepits at Poplar Beach, which would require a full coastal development permit as well as rules and regulations from the city.

“The real meat and hard part of this project is ahead, dealing with the capstone project and dealing with a permanent seasonal approach, [that’s where] management issues come in,” Assistant City Manager John Doughty said.

Councilmember Deborah Penrose also lauded the bonfire pits.

“Coming up with something as creative as this is really a mark of how talented and wonderful the youth in Half Moon Bay are,” she said. “We need things for the youth to do, so this is a great idea.”

holly@smdailyjournal.com

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