Cypress Point
Affordable Housing Community

See separate webpage for general affordable housing info applicable to the unincorporated SMC Midcoast.

Project Summary

Local non-profit MidPen Housing is proposing to construct a 71-unit affordable housing community on 11-acres at Carlos/Sierra in Moss Beach. The rental units will be affordable to families earning 30-80% of Area Median Income, with preference for existing local employees.  The two-story 3- to 4-plexes will be designed to blend with the home size and spacing of the surrounding neighborhood, and clustered so that approximately half the site is dedicated to permanent open space.

County project page includes plans and application materials.

Process for Approval

The two-phase public process for approvals began with an LCP amendment to down-zone the parcel to medium density consistent with the surrounding neighborhood, and replace the 1986 PUD-124 zoning to reduce the number of units from 148 to 71 and increase the percentage of affordable units to 100%. See the new PUD-140 which also contains the development standards to which the project is expected to conform. 
The second phase includes an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), Coastal Development Permit (not appealable to CCC), Design Review permit, grading permit, and General Plan Land Use Map Amendment.

PHASE 2 - CDP (coastal development permit) - 2022-2024

2024 Mar 26: Board of Supervisors approved 5-0 CDP, Design Review, grading permit, and General Plan map amendment. Staff Report & Conditions of Approval

2024 Mar 13: Planning Commission evening Coastside in-person meeting to consider recommendation to Board of Supervisors on CDP, Design Review, grading permit, and General Plan amendment — meeting page with agenda and supporting documents. (recommended approval 4-0)

2024 Mar 1: Memo from Planning Director re application of CEQA exemption established by AB 1449 to Cypress Point Affordable Housing Project.  The project must be consistent with the applicable provisions of the SMC General Plan, Local Coastal Program, and Zoning/Grading Regulations, which are analyzed in the staff report for the 3/13/24 Planning Commission hearing.  For informational purposes, the memo also contains general responses to the primary issues and concerns in public comments received.

2024 Jan 1: State law AB 1449 went into effect making housing projects that are 100% affordable exempt from CEQA.

2023 Sep 14: Coastside Design Review Committee meeting, Item 2 — meeting page with plans & correspondence (recommended approval with conditions)

2023 Sep 13: Planning Commission hearing to solicit public comment on Draft EIR: presentation — meeting page with staff report, video, correspondence. MCC 9/22/23 letter & report

2023 Aug 7 - Sept 25 (5pm): Draft EIR public review/comment period: Notice of Availability — Draft EIR & Appendices

2023 July 13: Coastside Design Review Committee meeting, Item 3 — meeting page with plans & correspondence (continued to 9/14)

2022 Dec 14: EIR Scoping Session — Notice of Preparation (NOP) of Draft EIR

2022 Oct 18: Board of Supervisors approved agreement with SWCA Environmental Consultants, for term 10/24/22 - 8/30/23, to prepare the EIR (staff report).

2022 July 6: CDP application submitted — 10/12/2022 MCC comments

PHASE 1 - LCP (Local coastal program) amendment - 2018-2021

2021 Mar 12: Coastal Commission voted unanimously to certify LCP & zoning amendments for Cypress Point PUD (staff report).

2020 July 21: Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to adopt the LCP amendments, including the new zoning PUD-140, and forward them to the Coastal Commission for certification.

2020 June 10 was the continuation of Jan 22 Planning Commission meeting to consider LCP & zoning amendments. Staff report focused on response to comments and updates to project plan in response to those comments (lower building height, increased front setback, increase of local live/work preference to 75%).  Planning Commission motion passed 4-1 (Commissioner Santacruz opposed) to recommend that Board of Supervisors adopt the LCP amendments and forward them to the Coastal Commission for certification. Staff report Item 4, correspondence & video @3:03
Note that traffic/bike/ped circulation improvements presented at the June 10 meeting were NOT the subject of the motion approved.  Traffic and mobility future plans for Moss Beach are included in Connect the Coastside and the Active Transportation Plan for unincorporated SMC.  See also the Moss Beach Corridor Study getting under way in 2022.

2020 Jan 22: Planning Commission evening Coastside meeting to consider LCP & zoning amendments -- Staff report & video. Presentations by County & Applicant, & questions from Commissioners, were followed by two hours of public comment which included everyone who wished to speak. Due to the venue’s hard closing time, the meeting was adjourned to be continued at a future date. 

2019 Apr revised application materials
Comments: MCC 5/22/19

2018 Aug/Sep Application Referral Comments:
MCC 8/22 - 9/26 - presentation - minutes - video
DPW  -  Caltrans 8/29/18 - 4/9/18  -  CCC

Pre-application - 2016-2017

11/15/17 Summary of Pre-Application Comments

9/27/17 MCC comments, presentation, minutes
Caltrans comments

9/20/17 Pre-application workshop notice & MidPen presentation

8/3/17 CCC staff comments

Jul 2017 Pre-application Site Plans

2016  MidPen Open Houses summary of comments/responses

Jun 2016 Supervisor Don Horsley comment

Feb 2016 MCC presentation - video - minutes

pre-development county funding

$5.5M to MidPen for pre-development costs:
May 2019: $600K (HOME)
Oct 2018: $3M (Affordable Housing Fund)
May 2018: $400K (HOME) 
Oct 2017: $1M (Affordable Housing Fund)
Oct 2016: $500K (Affordable Housing Fund)