Comments by Carl May

Coastal Commission staff spanks Midcoast LCP update

The debate over the LCP revision for the unincorporated San Mateo county coastside is not between no-growth and pro-growth. It is moderately fast growth (1 percent) and the steamroller of steady coastal environmental damage that is part and parcel of that kind of growth versus runaway, virtually unlimited growth (current draft of LCP revision with supes suggestions that poorly mask a sellout to developers) and its mindless, willy-nilly slaughter of coastal features and values.

Those who want a sustainable, healthy, nurturing coastside aren’t at the LCP party.

Carl May

Coastsider endorses Vince Williams, Ginny McShane for Point Montara Fire District

My comments were also deleted. I suggest voting for nobody, since all of the candidates want to consolidate the district away in a merger with the Half Moon Bay district and, thus, do not want the job for which they would be elected: governing the Point Montara FPD.

Carl May

Bach celebrates its 40th anniversary

Barry et al.,

Please note that the Chronicle article began with a mention of an atmospheric afternoon featuring the Michael O’Neill Quintet plus Kenny Washington. Michael lives in Moss Beach and can be heard with other top-notch Bay Area jazz musicians several evenings each week at Cetrella.

Carl May

Fish & Wildlife Service reduces plover habitat by 40%

This overriding of scientific findings and governmental service of narrow economic interests is going on throughout the federal government, and not just against endangered species. This domination of politics over reality is what American voters wanted when they nominated the candidates for both major parties in 2004 and cast their votes in November. The blunt stupidity being exercised by government is the fault of all who encourage the kinds of politicians who have become standard in this country by voting for them.

Carl May

We need a common vision of downtown Half Moon Bay

Amusing. Downtown HMB is what the property owners and most businesses wanted it to be. It had the kinds of stores people could use for their shopping needs before it set its cap to become a row of gift shops and boutiques and upscale places to eat. City and Chamber of Commerce leaders almost laughed when anyone complained that businesses were going under because of the higher rents or being sucked away by the peripheral shopping centers. There were the current kinds of businesses to replace them. Now, with Pacifica so much more convenient to the unincorporated midcoast to the north of HMB, thanks partly to the stoplighting of Highway 1--which will only get worse as more highway intersections get lights--there is no need to go to HMB for basic shopping.

You folks, Barry and Frank, seem to want what was consciously thrown away. There were lots of comments as downtown lost basic kinds of businesses and there were, already, the studies several times over on the future of downtown and on parking there. Few cared, least of all the movers and shakers. It’s one of those “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone” situations, and you aren’t going to be able to turn back the clock or find sufficient people with an overview of transportation and access, parking, business mix, rental rates, and the rest until there is a massive shift in how the business community in the city of HMB views itself. There is a better chance of Wal-Mart coming to town than such a shift taking place.

Carl May

Bolinas water hookup could sell for $500,000

Controlling infrastructure works for controlling growth in Bolinas--and has for many years.

Carl May

Did a developer steal this woman’s camera?

I’m amused by the “stream” of unsupported assumptions trying to justify what the workers did. In particular, what is “legitimate” about hiring illegal aliens--people who are breaking the law to be here? What “right to privacy” could such criminals possibly have? Sure, this kind of manual laborer tends to be sincere and hardworking, but what does that have to do with the price of eggs? And the benefits they are not getting--if this is so, it’s the fault of some sleazebag developer/contractor who is hiring them at cheapo wages--maybe to undercut the bids of contractors who hire legitimate workers, pay going wage rates, pay workman’s comp, pay benefits, etc.?

Every extension of development on a coastside that is already developed beyond sustainability hurts us all.

Carl May

Supervisors tweak principles, and send LCP changes back to subcommittee

Do the SAMCAR greedseeds have a map? They are repeatedly quoted as saying the abandoned bypass right-of-way through the backside of Montara and Moss Beach is “adjacent to the new tunnel.” Setting aside the fact that it will be two oversized tunnels rather than the one we thought we were voting for with Measure T, the abandoned right-of-way is nowhere close to the tunnels. Miles away! Sure, this false appeal to a transit excuse the Stuporvisors are likely to embrace may work; but it has no basis in actual local geography.

Carl May

Clearing an endangered woodrat’s nest off a lot

Please, people, you are going to irritate the state and federal wildlife employees to death! Before disturbing these good public servants, try to understand that unless they have some particular, established reason to pay attention, they don’t want to hear from you.

Aside from the good souls who attempt to save us from the burden of knowledge by arguing “a rat is just a rat,” we also know woodrats, in particular, are not to be mentioned to local officials. How do we know this? Over a year ago, a documented woodrat nest was bulldozed away while making a pioneer road for the twin tunnels landfill in Green Valley. Repeated attempts to notify officials resulted in, at best, bureaucratic buck-passing and, at worst, flat refusals to take note. Promised return calls from the agencies were never received. It was never determined whether or not the woodrat nest in question was that of a San Francisco dusky-footed woodrat. There are other woodrat nests in Green Valley that could be checked for probable taxonomic assignment; but, gosh, that would require getting out of a vehicle and walking through brush for a few hundred yards.

And do try to understand that you live in a county where violations of environmental law (the Coastal Act in particular) and regulatory procedures are frequently permitted after the fact if one is in favor with the right officials and politicians in Redwood City. Developers of coastal property obviously enjoy such favor, many being on a first-name basis with planning officials.

Carl May

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