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