by Supervisor Don Horsley, reprinted from HMB Review 6/1/2016:

For the last few months I have been asked to comment on the proposed sale of a Moss Beach parcel, owned by the California School Employees Association, to MidPen Housing, and any subsequent potential development by MidPen of that site. I have been told repeatedly that more affordable housing is vital so local employers can recruit and retain Midcoast employees. I have also been asked to pre-emptively rezone this specific parcel so it can never be used for housing.

I have been asked by individuals how they can get on a list to live there while others insist that housing for these people should be in Half Moon Bay. I have been told there are no jobs in the vicinity of the parcel, while at the same time being informed that there are 1,364 jobs on the Midcoast, with 964 of the jobs paying low wages of $40,000 or less.

The reality of the housing crisis that we face shows up in the headlines throughout the Bay Area, in San Mateo County, and on our Coastside. Homeowners who bought their houses years ago are considered lucky. Current high-income homebuyers can also afford to live here — if they stretch.

Regular folks are finding it harder to make ends meet, homeownership is out of reach, affordable rentals are rare, and rents are skyrocketing and unpredictable. We have to accept that it is unlikely that our kids will be able to afford to live in the communities in which they grew up. Cabrillo Unified School District reports that new teachers try to find a room to rent as that is all their salary allows if they want to be close to their school. In some cases, teachers accept jobs, look for housing locally, and then come back and turn the jobs down.

So what do we do to address this very real problem?

There is no single action that will solve this problem, but one thing we have to do is build more housing — at all levels of affordability, in all the communities in the county. I believe that we must be open to all potential housing opportunities and work diligently to ensure that anything that is proposed is not only shaped by the need and regulations, but informed by community input.

There are four sites on the Coastside that have been identified for affordable housing. They are all within the urban rural boundary set up to protect our beautiful, plentiful open space. These sites were identified years ago, in recognition of both the ongoing need for housing for low-wage workers and the California Coastal Act’s priority of coastal access for all. During the recent Local Coastal Plan Midcoast updates, these sites remained zoned for this use. The Moss Beach site is one of these.

MidPen Housing held an open house meeting in which some community members stated that they would oppose anything developed on this site. Many other community members gave key input reflecting local community knowledge, interest and concerns. Rumors abound about the number of units being proposed based on the currently allowed zoning for 148 units. Resistance to high density is clearly strong.

MidPen Housing committed at the open house that, if it moves forward, it would not build high density but rather would match the density to the local community, a range of 6.1-8.7 units per acre.

The community is also very interested in open space. MidPen Housing also indicated at the open house that it is open to dedicating some of the land as open space. There are serious concerns about traffic, both on local streets and on Highway 1. If a project moves forward, plans will have to include mitigation of impacts on traffic. This all is important input.

I ask the community to engage with MidPen Housing and provide input so that if it moves forward with developing affordable housing on the site, the project proposed can be informed by local community members. I am keeping an open mind. I am interested in seeing what the project might be and how it can be one facet of the solution to address the Coastside, countywide, and regional housing crisis.