Half Moon Bay Planning Commission Meeting – April 9, 2024

On April 9, 2024, the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission held a continued public hearing on a Coastal Development Permit (PDP-23-084) for Caltrans' State Route 1 Multi-Asset Roadway Rehabilitation Project. The meeting ran from 7:00 PM to approximately 11:15 PM (extended by vote). Commissioners considered the $34 million, 7.3‑mile project that includes repaving, class II bike lanes, drainage rehabilitation, ADA upgrades, and intersection improvements. After extensive public testimony and deliberation, the Commission approved the permit with several conditions.

Public Comments & Testimony

• James Benjamin (resident) urged the Commission to ensure conditions are precise, noting only two widening areas should be approved. He questioned the noise model (linear vs. point source) and requested pre‑ and post‑construction monitoring of culvert scour. He also recommended pedestrian‑scale lighting consistent with the Local Coastal Program.
• Paul Nagengast (community member) stressed that safety improvements should be locked in now, not deferred to future plans. He supported nighttime construction with a public web page for updates, and questioned the sudden safety justification for removing informal parking at Surfers Beach.
• Len Erickson (community member) presented photographic evidence showing extensive informal parking (he counted ~47 cars on the east side). He noted that the 2012 Safety and Mobility Study and the 2022 Connect the Coastside Plan had called for parking studies and multimodal trails, but neither was done. He argued the Surfers Beach area would lose about 54 spaces within city jurisdiction.
• Mike Ferrara (via Zoom) pointed out the lack of coordination with Surfrider and emphasized that the Coastal Commission will likely require mitigation for lost coastal parking. He questioned the safety claims and noted a bypass route exists.
• James Cornelium (Coastside Bikes) advocated for removing the "pork chop" islands at Kelly Avenue, adding a north‑side crosswalk at Poplar Street, and extending bike lanes south to the city limit. He said these are critical for students walking to school.
• Carleen Foldenauer (Cabrillo USD Safe Routes coordinator) highlighted three unsafe areas: Kelly Avenue (pork chop island), Poplar Street (missing north crosswalk), and Highway 1 between 92 and Kelly (no sidewalk). She expressed strong support for improvements.

Discussion Items

• Project Overview: City Planner Doug Garrison and Public Works Director Maz Bozu Kinia presented background. Caltrans project manager Kelly Ma, with engineers Dylan Lennebacker, Song Kim, Kai Liang, and Greg Curry, detailed the scope: repaving, 14.6 miles of new class II bike lanes (6‑ft lane + 2‑ft buffer), replacement of 12 guardrails, three culvert replacements, four biofiltration strips, intersection upgrades, and new traffic signals.
• Key Technical Issues:
  • Noise and Light: Caltrans explained nighttime construction noise (86 dB at 50 ft) and committed to directional lighting with shielding to limit trespass.
  • Widening: Only two locations (total 0.03 acres) will be sliver‑widened to accommodate bike lanes; runoff increase would be negligible (<0.1%).
  • Drainage: Culverts will be replaced in‑kind; the design uses a 10‑year storm standard. Commissioners and public raised concerns about downstream erosion once culverts are cleared.
  • Bike Lane / Parking Conflict: The project would convert informal shoulder parking at Surfers Beach into a continuous bike lane. Caltrans stated the shoulder is not designated parking and called the informal use a safety hazard. The city did not have an official parking inventory. The Commission debated whether removing ~54 spaces (as estimated by Commissioner Joanes) requires mitigation under the Coastal Act.
• Other Intersections: Commissioners considered the Kelly Avenue "pork chop" island (a safety hazard for pedestrians and cyclists) and the need for a north‑side crosswalk at Poplar Street. Caltrans initially said removing the pork chop was outside the project’s funding scope but later offered to add accessible push buttons.

Key Outcomes

The Planning Commission voted 3‑0 to approve the Coastal Development Permit with the following conditions:

1. Widening: The two identified locations (north of Ferry Bay Street and south of Mirada Road) are the only areas where pavement will be widened within the city.
2. Culvert Monitoring: Caltrans will conduct pre‑ and post‑construction monitoring of the three replaced culverts for erosion or scour and take corrective actions if needed.
3. Street Lighting: Lighting at Kelly Avenue and Rousseau Francian shall be designed to minimize light pollution and comply with the city’s dark skies policy (Caltrans will work with staff on fixture selection).
4. Kelly Avenue / Highway 1 Intersection: Caltrans shall install ADA‑accessible pedestrian push buttons on both the northeast and southeast curbs. The pork chop islands shall be removed (no reconstruction).
5. Poplar Street Crosswalk: A marked crosswalk shall be added on the north side of the Poplar/Highway 1 intersection.
6. Surfers Beach Bike Lane: The class II bike lanes from Capistrano Road to Coronado Road are approved, but the condition includes a provision that if the California Coastal Commission, in its review of the parallel county appeal, determines that replacement parking is required, Caltrans must return to the city for a plan to mitigate the loss of informal coastal parking.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 11:15 PM.