|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
MOVED TO CONSENT AGENDA. From the Caliifornia Coastal Commission meeting on Wednesday, November 4th, 2026. APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED.
Summary of Staff Recommendations
The City of Half Moon Bay proposes to amend its certified Local Coastal Program (LCP)
Implementation Plan (IP), for which the proposed changes are intended to facilitate new
infill residential development on nine specific sites with an emphasis on increased
density and affordable/workforce housing. The proposed amendment is also in part a
result of the City’s response to its 2023-2031 Housing Element and Regional Housing
Needs Allocation (RHNA) assessment, under which the City is required to
accommodate an additional 480 housing units citywide by 2032. The City indicates that
the nine sites1 identified could provide some 268 new housing units across all income
levels.
The proposed amendment has three main parts. First, the City proposes to rezone four
of the sites from R-2 (two-family residential) to R-3 (multifamily residential), and to
increase the applicable maximum building heights. These proposed changes would
increase the maximum allowable density for these sites from 17.42 to 29.04 dwelling
units per acre (du/ac), which would increase maximum heights from 28 to 40 feet.
Second, the City proposes to establish a Workforce Housing Overlay (WHO), and to
apply it to another four sites. The WHO requires that at least 20% of units be deedrestricted as affordable housing, and only allows subdivision if it is intended to provide
deed-restricted school district workforce housing and/or affordable housing. The
underlying zoning for the four sites is for public facilities and institutions (P-S), within
which residential use is currently not allowed, but the WHO would allow residential use
at a relatively high density (up to 30 du/ac for three of the sites and 45 du/ac for the
fourth), where all affordable/workforce units would be subject to deed restrictions and
conditions to ensure required affordability and workforce provisions.
Third, the City proposes “by-right” processing for qualifying housing projects located on
the nine sites that meet specific affordability and density criteria; namely at least 20% of
the units must be affordable, and density must be at least 20 du/ac. The by-right
provisions would mean that these projects would not require a public hearing, would not
be appealable locally,2 and they would only be subject to the LCP’s “objective
standards”.
Overall, the proposed LCP changes seek to accommodate infill residential development
within already developed areas capable of accommodating additional residential
development, with an emphasis on higher density and affordable housing. The nine
sites are also well inland from the shoreline and located in areas where the increased
densities and heights would not lead to significant coastal resource impacts, where
eight of the sites are located inland of Highway 1 and all nine sites are located more
than 0.4 miles from the beach. Existing LCP coastal resource protections – which would
remain unchanged with the proposed amendment – should be sufficient to address any
issues that might arise if development on the nine sites is pursued.
In sum, the City’s proposal will enable its coastal zone housing goals – and particularly
affordable/workforce housing goals – while still protecting coastal resources, and staff
recommends that the Commission approve the proposed LCP amendment as
submitted.
Staff Note: LCP Amendment Action Deadline
This proposed LCP amendment was filed as complete on October 15, 2026. The
proposed amendment affects the LCP’s Implementation Plan only, and the 60-workingday action deadline is January 14, 2027. Thus, unless the Commission extends the
action deadline (it may be extended by up to one year), the Commission has until
January 14, 2027 (i.e., no later than the Commission’s December 2026 meeting) to take
a final action on this LCP amendment.
Therefore, if the Commission fails to take a final action in this case (e.g., if the
Commission instead chooses to postpone/continue LCP amendment consideration),
then staff recommends that, as part of such non-final action, the Commission extend the
deadline for final Commission action on the proposed amendment by one year. To do
so, staff recommends a YES vote on the motion below. Passage of the motion will result
in a new deadline for final Commission action on the proposed LCP amendment. The
motion passes only by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Commissioners present.
More on Half Moon Bay’s Cycle 6 Housing Element Process
More on the Half Moon Bay City Council on Coastside Buzz
Half Moon Bay City Council ~ Meetings ~ 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7:00pm
The City Council of Half Moon Bay is the City’s governing body, and consists of five elected members. The Council sets priorities and policies, makes final decisions on all major City matters, adopts ordinances and resolutions, appoints the City Manager and City Attorney, and approves the annual budget.
The Half Moon Bay City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month starting at 7:00pm at the Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue.
HMB City Council Agendas and Zoom Links
Regular meeting agendas are posted 72 hours in advance.
Special meeting agendas are posted 24 hours in advance.
– Streamed live on Comcast Channel 27 and Pacific Coast TV website
– Facebook Live in English: City of Half Moon Bay FB Page
– Facebook Live in Spanish: City of Half Moon Bay Recreation FB Page
Comments in accordance with the three-minute per speaker limit. The City Clerk will read all comments into the record. Please visit our “Commenting at a City Council Meeting” information page.
– Email the City Clerk, Jessica Blair, at jblair@hmbcity.com prior to or during the meeting
– Facebook live during the meeting
– Phone during the meeting: (650) 477-4963 (English) and (650) 445-3090 (Spanish)
Archived HMB City Council meeting videos on PCTv
Subscribe to HMB’s Agendas, Weekly eNews, Project Updates, City alerts, Calendar Events, Bid Postings.
You can also learn about City Council Procedures and Decorum.
The City Council develops Strategic Elements to help focus the City’s actions and work plans on its key priorities.
Do You Know How the 1953 Brown Act Guides Public Agencies Towards Transparency?
City Council Contact
Phone: (650) 726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)
Mayor Robert Brownstone, District 1; Term ends 2026
RBrownstone@hmbcity.com
Vice Mayor Debbie Ruddock, District 4; Term ends 2026
DRuddock@hmbcity.com
Councilmember Deborah Penrose, District 5, Term ends 2026
DPenrose@hmbcity.com
Councilmember Patric Bo Jonsson, District 2, Term Ends 2028
PJonsson@hmbcity.com
Councilmember Paul Nagengast, District 3; Term Ends 2028
PNagengast@hmbcity.com
The City of Half Moon Bay holds district-based elections for its five city council seats. Each Councilmember is elected to a 4 year term. There are no term limits in Half Moon Bay. The City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and one to serve as Vice Mayor, on an annual basis.
- November 2024 Election – Districts 2 and 3 will elect a representative to a four-year term.
- November 2026 Election – Districts 1, 4, and 5 will elect a representative to a four-year term.
Click here to figure out which district you are in. Type your address into the interactive map and it will show you which district you are in.
Author: mdrag
x
