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San Mateo County Planning Approves Two Unpermitted Gates at Seal Cove Bluff, but Planning Director Asserts 50 Years of Recorded Landslide Activity Makes Development Highly Unlikely

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VIDEOS. From San Mateo County Planning meeting on Wednesday, May 27th, 2026 at 9:00am, as a hybrid meeting, with remote comment.  Agenda and correspondence.

Staff report for Item #2: “Jim and Maria Aguirre, PLN2025-00216. Consideration of an After-the-Fact Coastal Development Permit (CDP) pursuant to Section 8.252.050 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, to legalize a 3.5-foot high fence and two gates constructed on a 25,077 sq. ft., vacant bluff-top parcel on Ocean Boulevard at Madrone Avenue, in the Moss Beach area of unincorporated San Mateo County (San Lucas Avenue, Moss Beach). The project involved minimum grading and no tree removal. Recommendation to find that the project is exempt from environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, Section 15303, Class 3 (e), relating to accessory structures. The CDP is appealable to the California Coastal Commission. Please direct questions to Project Planner, Sonal Aggarwal, at saggarwal@smcgov.org.”


More on Seal Cove and Montara Water and Sanitary District on Coastside Buzz

In Light of Seal Cove, San Mateo LAFCo 2026/27 Work Plan Accelerates Municipal Service Review for Montara Water/Sanitary, Half Moon Bay, Granada Sanitary, Sewer Authority and Coastside Water;

After MWSD Removed 35 Seal Cove Homes from Service, with No Board Action, Rate Payer Asks How $1.1M Awarded Federal Funds Will be Spent and for Supervisors to Accelerate LAFCo Municipal Service Review;

As Promised, County Moves Forward Seal Cove Next Steps with Surface Water Management Plan, Surface Monitoring, Road Abandonment Criteria and Development in New Landslide Zones;

Montara Water and Sanitary District’s Attorney Explains Staff’s Efforts to Reply to Seal Cove’s Dozen PRA Requests, Spanning 40 Years, Have Complied with All Statutory Response Requirements;

Seal Cove Resident Asks LAFCo to Urge Montara Water and Sanitary District to Respond More Quickly to PRA Requests; With Small Staff, MWSD Will Have More Records Available by April 17th;

New 2025 Seal Cove Geologic Study Shows Landslide will Continue; Supervisor Mueller Explains County to Explore Remediation Costs but a Stormwater Assessment District May be Necessary;

Congressman Sam Liccardo Secures $1.1M in Federal Funding for Montara Water and Sanitary District to Relocate Water and Sewer Pipes After Seal Cove Landslides;

DATE CHANGE: County Holds Community Meeting to Discuss Newly Released 2025 Seal Cove Geologic Study;

As Land Continues to Slide, the Long-Awaited Seal Cove Geologic Study has been Released for Public Review; Supervisor Mueller to Hold Community Meeting in January 2026;

Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside Calls Special Board Meeting Due to Significant Exposure to Anticipated Litigation Regarding the Moss Beach Seal Cove Dispute;

CANCELLED. Supervisor Mueller Holds Community Meeting for Seal Cove Updated Geologic Assessment;

Midcoast Community Council Receives Presentation on Seal Cove Geologic History from Retired USGS Hydrogeologist who Lives in Seal Cove;

Supervisor Ray Mueller Requests Documents and Information Related to Water Main Breaks and Service Cancellations in Seal Cove from Montara Water and Sanitary District;

Supervisor Mueller Holds Study Session for the Moss Beach Seal Cove Residents Regarding Recent Landslide Activity with San Mateo County Public Works, Planning and Building and Montara Water and Sanitary District;

HMB History Association Lecture ~ The Hidden History of Seal Cove and the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve;

Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside Board Refers Seal Cove Landslide Residents to Montara Water and Sanitary District and San Mateo County; SAM is Only a Vendor to MWSD for Pipe Cleaning,

Moss Beach Seal Cove Landslide Residents Meeting at Supervisor Mueller’s Oceano Mall Office,

Montara Water and Sanitary District Finds 1971 Leighton Geologic Report of the Seal Cove-Moss Beach Area ~ Evidence in the Failed 1975 Kopetzke “Takings” Lawsuit Against San Mateo County,

SIGN UP for San Mateo County Building and Planning’s Seal Cove Critical Geotechnical Hazards Area for Updates,

Montara Water and Sanitary District, San Mateo County Public Works and Planning and Building, Coastside Fire and PG&E “Working History” on Seal Cove Landslide Infrastructure Emergency,

San Mateo County Planning Director Discusses Engineering, Legal and Financial Limitations for the Moss Beach Seal Cove Landslide Causing Cracked Roads, Broken Water and Sewer Pipes,

Sheriffs Called to Montara Water and Sanitary District Special Meeting Regarding Seal Cove’s Critical Geotechnical Hazards as Community Member’s Outbursts Escalate;

MSWD Water Leak Along Pescadero-Seal Cove Fault in Moss Beach Causes Water Discoloration;

3 Geotechnical Reports and 1 Lawsuit Confirm the Consistency of Seal Cove’s Landslides Over 60 Years

1971 Geologic report of the Seal Cove-Moss Beach Area by F. Beach Leighton and Associates.

Lawsuit: 1975 Kopetzke v. County of San Mateo, Board. of Supervisors. “Since the exercise of police power was proper, it did not constitute a taking and no compensation is due. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway Co. v. Illinois, 200 U.S. 561, 26 S. Ct. 341, 50 L. Ed. 596 (1906). To the extent plaintiffs’ losses result from any inherent geologic defects in their properties, the ancient rule of caveat emptor must apply. And to the extent their losses result from the regulatory activities of the Board based on the geologic findings of the Leighton Report, they constitute the unequal burden which citizens are frequently called upon to bear in the interests of the general welfare. Hadacheck v. Sebastian, supra.“

See also William Cotton and Associates 1980 Geologic Analysis of the Seal Cove area commissioned by San Mateo County.

San Mateo County Planning and Building’s Seal Cove Critical Geotechnical Hazards Area webpage, including the Seal Cove 2025 Cotton and Shires Geologic Study.

Cotton and Shires Seal Cove Geotechnical Hazard Zones 12/2025

Seal Cove Geotechnical Hazard Zones (MWSD)


San Mateo County Plannning Commission


San Mateo County Board of Supervisors (BoS) Agendas

The Supervisors meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 9:00am, as a hybrid meeting.

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