Joint City Council and Planning Commission Study Session on Fire Hazard and Safety Element - November 24, 2025
Joint City Council and Planning Commission Study Session on Fire Hazard and Safety Element
On November 24, 2025, the Half Moon Bay City Council and Planning Commission held a joint study session to receive reports on the updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) maps and the draft Safety Element update. The meeting included presentations from Interim Public Works Director Todd Seely, Calfire Unit Chief Jed Wilson, and consultant Aaron Fannensteel of Atlas Planning Solutions. Public comment was heard on both items. The session was a preliminary discussion, with no formal votes taken.
Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps (Item 2A)
- Staff presented the updated FHSZ maps released by the state fire marshal’s office on February 24, 2025, which place parts of Half Moon Bay, including downtown, in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
- The maps evaluate hazard (physical conditions over 30-50 years without mitigation), not risk. Implementation of new defensible space rules (Zone Zero) is expected by end of 2025 or early 2026, with a three-year compliance period for existing structures.
- Chief Wilson noted that 1,684 homes in the city will require inspection by Coastside Fire Protection District, to be phased over three years. There are 3,813 total inspectable properties in the city.
- Potential costs: tree removal in Frenchman’s Creek Park is estimated at $30,000 per tree for approximately 70 trees in steep terrain. Governor Newsom’s state of emergency declaration streamlines environmental permits but does not provide grant funding for large-scale removal.
- Discussion included concerns about downtown character (awnings, street trees), the role of insurance, and the need for a Firewise community approach. Staff noted that downtown heritage district exemptions may be explored.
Public Comments on Fire Hazard
- Jimmy Benjamin (400 Pillaritos Avenue) cautioned that thinning trees in riparian alluvial fans can accelerate erosion and create new hazards, and offered his risk management expertise.
- Sarah O’Sullivan (Coastside Books on Main Street) shared a personal evacuation experience and urged preservation of Main Street’s unique character.
- Colleen Henry warned that removing all vegetation, awnings, and benches would render downtown a “desolate wasteland.”
- Janice Moody (Seascape Succulent Nursery) advocated for exceptions for succulents and well-hydrated gardens, noting that she is a UC Master Gardener with firewise training.
- Amber Stowe (Paper Crane on Main Street) argued that blaming local vegetation for fire risk ignores the role of overhead power lines and that Europe is adding trees back to downtowns despite climate change.
Safety Element Update (Item 2B)
- Consultant Aaron Fannensteel presented the draft Safety Element, part of the multi-jurisdictional Peninsula Resilience Planning Project (PREP) involving nine communities. The document addresses natural hazards, climate adaptation, and emergency preparedness.
- The draft includes goals, policies, and implementation actions. Key topics: fire, flood, sea level rise, earthquake, hazardous materials, airport safety, and evacuation. The element must be reviewed by Cal FIRE due to the Very High FHSZ designation.
- Public engagement included a meeting at the library and online tools. The draft is available for comment; written comments on the fire section are requested by November 20, 2025, to Community Development Director Leslie Lako (llacko@halfmoonbay.gov).
- Council and commission members raised concerns about: coordination with the county on the landfill, proactive flood management (e.g., permits for dredging), the need for a holistic approach balancing fire risk with shade, heat island, and flood mitigation, and the importance of prioritizing evacuation routes and shelter-in-place locations.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken; the session was informational and provided direction for staff to refine the Safety Element and coordinate with Cal FIRE.
- Staff will incorporate oral and written comments (especially by November 20) into the draft Safety Element before submitting to Cal FIRE and the Board of Forestry.
- The discussion will continue at future meetings as the Safety Element moves toward adoption and as new Zone Zero rules are finalized by the Board of Forestry (deadline December 31, 2025).
- Staff will explore potential exemptions for historic downtown in fire regulations and consider a future study session on evacuation planning and infrastructure improvements.
Meeting Transcript
And we'll now have a um we'll have a roll call again, I believe. According to the agenda. Okay. All right, I'm gonna start with council. Councilmember Johnson. Here. Councilmember Nagengast. Here. Councilmember Penrose? Here. Vice Mayor Reddick? Here. Mayor Brownstone. Here. Commissioner Del Nagro. Commissioner Rems. Here. Commissioner Hernandez. I am present. And Chair Reddick. I'm here. We have a quorum. Great. Thanks everyone. Welcome Planning Commission. It's been a while since we had a joint session, so nice to see folks again. We're going to start with um, this is a special study session, and in a moment, staff will um tell you about what's going on and how much we'll be covering today. And um again, this is just a beginning to um talk about fire hazards and our safety element. This will be a continuing conversation. Um we'll start with um item 2A, local responsibility and area fire hazard severity zone maps. And we'll receive a report about fire hazard severity zone maps and implications to the Half Moon Bay community associated with the maps and defensive space zones. Uh good evening, Mr. Mayor, uh Vice Mayor Ruddick, council members, Commissioner Ruddick, and planning commission members. Uh my name is Todd Seely. I'm the interim public works director, and it is a pleasure to be here with you this evening. Uh, this evening I'm joined uh by Calfire Unit Chief Jed Wilson. Um he is here to support the public works department and kind of uh give us a little bit of information on the fire mapping and and how it could potentially affect the city. Um see here, is this running through a little bit of technical issues. There we go. Um our recommendation for you this evening is to receive a report about fire hazard severity zone maps and the implications to the Half Moon Bay community associated with the maps and the defensible space zones. A little bit of background on this item. On February 24th, 2025, the coastide fire protection district received the updated fire hazard severity zone maps from the state fire marshal's office. I've provided all of you here this evening with a copy of uh the current map, and there are copies available for the public at the uh front counter as well if anyone's interested in taking a look at them. Uh these maps were developed pursuant to government code section 51178, which mandates the identification and classification of areas in California based on their relative fire hazard severity. Uh fire hazard severity zone maps arose from major destructive fires, prompting the recognition of these areas and strategies to reduce wildfire risks. Uh the fire hazard severity zone maps evaluate hazard, not risk. So that's an important uh thing to take into consideration when we're looking at this. Hazard is based on the physical conditions that create a likelihood and an expected fire behavior over a 30 to 50 year period without considering mitigation efforts. Uh risk is the potential damage a fire can cause the area under existing conditions, not account are accounting for any modifications such as fuel reduction projects or defensible space. Uh some discussion we'd like to have this evening is since the publication of these maps.
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