Moss Beach Park Update from Supervisor Horsley

Dear Friends of Moss Beach Park,

It is with great enthusiasm that I report to the community on the most recent activities surrounding the Moss Beach Park.  On Tuesday, September 10, the delinquent property tax was paid and the tax sale was officially canceled!  None of this would have been possible without the generosity of Paul and Julie Shenkman, Sam's Chowder House, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside.  When it was made known that in order to cancel the sale of the land, the outstanding property tax had to be paid, Paul and Julie Shenkman and Sam's Chowder House generously volunteered to pay the tax bill.  Because the Coastside Preservation and Recreation, Inc. (CP&R) had lost its non-profit status, the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside accepted the Shenkman's donation and wrote a check to the Tax Collector's Office for the property tax.  On Tuesday, Rocky Raynor of the Boys and Girls Club and I hand delivered the check to the Tax Collector's Office.  Yesterday, I spoke with the Tax Collector's Office and was informed that the check is being processed and the sale is officially canceled.  Please join me in thanking Paul and Julie Shenkman, Sam's Chowder House, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside.  

Now that the property tax has been paid, the sale has been canceled, and the park is no longer in danger of being taken from the community, what's next?  The County is working hard to determine two things: 1) how do we indemnify the CP&R Board and 2) how do we make sure the transfer of land meets all legal requirements.  I have asked the County Manager and County Counsel to draft a contract between the individual CP&R Board members and the County that will indemnify the individuals who have agreed to volunteer for the CP&R Board and provide liability coverage for the park.  This contract will be brought to the CP&R Board members once completed.

With regards to the incorporation of the Moss Beach Park into the County Parks Department, it is our primary objective to ensure that this process is conducted appropriately and in accordance with the law.  To date, we have learned that the CP&R Board is limited in their abilities to transfer the park as long as their status as a corporation is "suspended".  The County is in communication with the Secretary of State's Office to determine what we can do to change CP&R's status to "active" so the land can be legally transferred to the County.  My office will continue to lead this effort until the Moss Beach Park can be incorporated by the County.  The good news is that during this process, the park will not be in danger of being sold or lost.

With the property tax paid and the County providing liability coverage for the park, we have established a solid foundation that will protect the park and everyone involved while we work out the details of the land transfer.  It is unknown at this point how long the process will take to incorporate the park into the County Park Department but we will keep the community involved as we go forward.  Lastly, thank you for all of your involvement in this important community project.  It has been my privilege to work with the Coastside community throughout this process. 

Sincerely,
Don Horsley

MCC Special Meeting Tuesday, Sept. 10, 7pm

Regular Agenda (NOTE SPECIAL DATE - TUESDAY):

  • Special Districts and Parks Powers - Q&A with Martha Poyatos

  • Pillar Point Harbor Dredging Strategy (letter approved)  Background:  6/12/13 MCC presentation & letter; 7/18/13 Harbor District Report; 8/19/13 HD to CCC)

  • MCC representative for School District Strategic Plan Focus Group

  • Supervisorial District Lines (letter approved, website)

Consent Agenda: 8/28/13 MCC Minutes
Letter to Coastside Emergency Action Program Executive Committee (Bylaws)
Memo to Planning Dept re floodlights on beach

Location: Granada Sanitary District (GSD) meeting room,
504 Ave Alhambra, 3rd Floor, El Granada.

UPDATE:  9/10/13  MINUTES  --  VIDEO

Supervisor’s roadmap for Moss Beach Park

The future of Moss Beach Park was the topic of Wednesday’s (9/4/13) Town Hall meeting at Farallone View School in Montara, hosted by volunteers of Friends of Moss Beach Park.  A full house listened and applauded as Supervisor Don Horsley assured the crowd of his commitment to update County policy to enable the County to own and maintain local “pocket” parks, starting with Moss Beach Park. 

Supervisor Horsley laid out the series of steps necessary for the County to acquire the park in perpetuity, with fine-tuning of some details still to be worked out.  The tax auction buyer has been notified that the sale will be canceled and his money refunded.  The park will initially be returned to its previous owner, Coastside Preservation & Recreation – with some fresh faces on that Board.  Ample offers of private donations have been received to pay off the $8,000 property tax bill, though the entity to whom to make those donations has yet to be worked out.  County Parks policy changes and the transfer of Moss Beach Park to the County are expected to take place by year-end. 

Q&A with the audience followed:  The County will cover liability insurance, make any needed safety upgrades, and move forward with the restroom installation.  Community input will be sought via the "Friends of" group, MCC, etc. for any upgrades and changes to the park, such as the asphalt area for basketball.  The local Cub Scout group who has been maintaining the park asked to be allowed to continue their service.  County Parks’ staff would open, close and clean the restroom on their daily rounds through the Coastside. 

The suggestion that Montara Water & Sanitary District acquire the park struck a seemingly deep controversial note in the audience, at which point the Supervisor cut off that discussion, saying he wanted to take one step at a time, that the County was in a position to move quickly to save the park, and that if some other local arrangement were proposed in the future, it could be considered at that time.

UPDATE:  9/4/13 Town Hall meeting video courtesy of Montara Fog

Supervisor Don Horsley on Moss Beach Park

Dear Midcoast Residents, 

Your passionate testimony at the Midcoast Community Council meeting, the phone calls to my office, and the dozens of emails I have read this week, have made one thing very clear- we need to save Moss Beach Park. For the past week, my office has been working diligently with County Counsel and the Tax Collector’s Office to determine what we can do to fix this problem.  After reviewing the details of what led to the sale and the conditions of the sale we have determined that the County has the legal standing to cancel the sale and return the land and park to its previous owner. 

During a meeting I held with the Tax Collector’s Office and County Counsel this morning, the Tax Collector’s Office agreed to cancel the sale provided that the outstanding property tax, amounting to $8,035.79, is paid in full by September 16.  With just over two weeks to collect these funds, it may be tight but I know that together we can do it.

On Wednesday, September 4 at 7:00PM there will be a town hall meeting at the Farallone View Elementary School to discuss the Moss Beach Park.  I am looking forward to attending this meeting, speaking with the community about the future of the Moss Beach Park, and discussing how to raise the funds needed to pay the outstanding property tax bill.  Together, we can preserve this vital community asset.  Thank you for all of your help and involvement in this matter and I look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday night. 

Sincerely,
Don

UPDATE 8/31/13:  The Shenkman family, owners of Sam’s Chowder House, have offered to pay the entire $8,000 property tax bill for Moss Beach Park.

UPDATE 9/4/13:  Bill Hill, treasurer of Moss Beach Park non-profit, explains what happened to park funds and why property taxes weren’t paid.