Harbor District set to explore parking above launch ramp

Original plans for a Burnham Strip parking lot, which is sandwiched between Highway 1 and Avenue Alhambra in El Granada, would have required a crosswalk spanning the highway and an entrance for cars on one of the two road. 

After community pushback, including a Change.org petition that garnered more than 1,000 signatures and cited blight and traffic concerns, Harbor District commissioners decided to move in a different direction with another district-owned property above the launch ramp and adjacent to Sam’s Chowder House to the west of Highway 1 during their meeting Nov. 19.

Harbor District General Manager James Pruett also cited the relatively cramped size of the Burnham Strip lot as inadequate to fit oversized parking. He emphasized that although the district is now pursuing possible plans for the launch ramp property, that decision is not finalized and only in the beginning stages. 

“We’re at the very beginning of the process of considering the launch ramp property,” he said. “There will be plenty of opportunity for the public to be involved and provide input before any definitive decision will be made.” 

While it is not currently involved in designing the already-existing Harbor District parking lot project, Caltrans was mandated by the California Coastal Commission to put in 75 parking spaces due to the shoulder removal and has indicated if the project fulfills its requirements it would financially support construction, per a Harbor District staff report.

Although it would be beneficial for the district to have Caltrans as a funding partner on the parking lot, Pruett also emphasized that the project is within Harbor District jurisdiction and will be designed to benefit its visitors. 

“Caltrans is just an opportunity. If we can take advantage of that opportunity, great,” he said during the meeting. “If not, our main purpose is to provide parking for Pillar Point Harbor users.” 

The Harbor District previously purchased both the launch ramp property and Burnham Strip properties for $8.6 million. 

The Burnham Strip parcels were far cheaper, at less than a million dollars, but plans to develop the launch ramp property into a parking lot would include a proposal to generate revenue by charging for overnight, oversized vehicle parking for RVs and fishermen-owned vehicles, Pruett said. 

During the Harbor District meeting where commissioners decided to go forward with an exploration of the launch ramp property, some continued to voice concerns with the project in general. 

“I’d like to advise the council to vote for option 6 — put the project on hold, go back to the drawing board,” former Midcoast Community Councilmember Dan Haggerty said. “You might want to avoid further broad public relations damage with [the visitors and community] who love this area so much.” 

Some community members have also suggested that the nearby Pillar Point RV park should be turned into public parking. Harbor District commissioners and staff have repeatedly stated that because the RV park is in the middle of a lease with the district, that’s not an option. 

Pruett asked residents to refrain from harassing the RV park and its owners on the issue. 

“It’s inappropriate for people to go down and interfere with our tenants when they are on our property legally,” he said.