Video: How is business?

Perhpas Darin should take the time to go to Moss Beach & Montara and interview the roadside businesses there. A more complete picture of impact would appear than what is being presented in the video. Its a ghost town out here, little traffic except for locals.
L. Rocha Moss Beach

Hi Linda,

Thanks for the comment on my video.

For the record, I did, in fact, visit roadside businesses in Montara and Moss Beach (I’m a resident of Montara and see every day the light traffic on Highway 1).

For example, I visited both Sweet Pea’s and Cafe Lucca in Montara but the employees at each were unwilling to go on-camera. Coastside Market, the first interview on the video, is located in Moss Beach. Other businesses represented in the video, such as Ebb Tide Cafe and the HMB Board Shop, I would place in the same category—roadside businesses—though they are a bit further south.

I chose businesses in a haphazard, random fashion—I simply drove down Highway 1 from my home and stopped here and there as the impulse struck. I gave slightly more emphasis to downtown HMB due to the greater density of retail businesses located there.

All businesses that went on-camera are in the video—I did not delete any of the participants. Except for a slight re-arranging of the downtown HMB interviews, they are shown in the same order in which I shot them.

There are certainly many businesses suffering (as the video shows) but there also seems to be (as the video shows) those who are being patronized—indeed, discovered—by locals who once did their shopping “over the hill.”

The picture depicted by my video is by no means a complete one as I’ll be the first to admit but it does seem to indicate that the full story is more complicated than it might at first seem.

Thanks again,

—Darin

Darin, Thanks for the response. Did you speak with the Indian Restaurant in Montara? Army Navy Store? Distillery? Seal Cove Inn? El Grand Amigo? If you live in Montara you may agree with me that the people south sometimes forget about our two little towns…. L

I agree with Linda. This is a disaster for the businesses in Montara and Moss Beach, but thank god Caltrans has let everyone know the businesses are still open(without those signs they would really be in trouble). It would be nice if those contractors caltrans is paying 7.5 million dollars to would spend SOME of their enormous profits in the businesses here.

BTW, I will not shop or eat in HMB(main street,we can’t avoid going to safeway) until the right turn metering light is turned on and they start to acknowledge us up here. That mayor they have pretends we don’t exists, so if that’s what she thinks, then I say we only shop very locally, like Moss BEach EL G and Montara…..

Mr. Steger,

Amen to everything you said.

Brian Dantes El Granada

Comment 6 by Kevin Stokes  on  Jun 09  at  11:59am  •  All my comments • 

I spoke with the owner of the Montara Army and Navy a couple of weeks ago, he said he was not able to survive much longer, and that was two weeks ago. I think he maybe completely closed down now. Poor guy.

Kevin Montara

As a resident of HMB, I make every effort to visit businesses north of HMB, especially now. However, attitudes expressed by Mr.’s Steger and Dantes with respect to not shopping in HMB because Caltrans wont turn on a light that Caltrans data indicates is not needed, may cause me to rethink this. Actually it wont, I will not let the opinions of a few bitter individuals interfere with my support of midcoast businesses. Some people need to get over the fact that the light will not be on anytime soon, if at all.

This past Sunday afternoon, my wife and I walked down Main St after going to the festival at the IDES Hall. I was really surprised how little foot traffic there was considering that it was a beautiful sunny day.

I also spoke with several shop owners and their feelings reflected what I saw both then and throughout the week.

Despite what many people think about HMB City Council and the traffic light at 92 & 1, these are our neighbors and friends. They do need our local support.

Steven Hyman

Hi Robert,

Whatever you think of the city’s actions or inactions regarding the light, your decision not to do business in HMB hurts individuals that really have nothing to do with the light.

My wife and I are doing all we can to do business on the coast, including HMB, but with special emphasis on the Moss Beach/Montara area where we live.

Mr. MacQueen,

It is not the metering lights that I am waiting for — because Caltrans officials made it clear to me that those would be enabled when and if they and they alone judged the need was clear. What I am waiting for is a shift in attitude on the part of the HMB government and some of the Main Street merchants (regarding the Main Street closures during the afternoon). I still see an underlying attitude on the part of many in HMB that the SR1/SR92 exchange somehow belongs exclusively to HMB - and I also feel that a lot of improvements that could have benefitted everyone on the Coastside have typically been resisted by the HMB government (better/wider/more roads, movie theatre, etc.).

I do feel sorry for all of the local merchants on the Coastside. But I don’t recall the merchants in Princeton’s Landing raising hullaballoo when Caltrans restricted the right turn lane 24x7 into their shopping area.

For me, it really is a long culmination of HMB isolationist and ostrich like attitudes. I’m sure there are many in HMB who are more neighborly than this - I’ve even heard a few of them speak. But the council does not reflect that - and the citizens of HMB continue to elect such representation year after year. To be perfectly honest, I have never been too impressed with most of the businesses anywhere on the Coastside. The vast majority of our shopping is done online or over the hill, with the exception of groceries at Safeway (which is also pretty sub-par).

Brian Dantes El Granada

Mr. McCall,

As I’ve indicated several times, the Main Street merchants have actively resisted a perfectly reasonable closure of Main Street during the westbound evening commute. Not only is no one in the mood to shop after sitting in half an hour or more of slow traffic, but at least one extremely reasonable alternative has been offered here. I haven’t heard anything more about that.

The attitude of those merchants combined with the fact that every citizen of HMB is responsible to some degree for continuing to elect such representatives makes I think a pesudo-boycott justified. In addition, what other power do non-HMB citizens have to make their voice heard other than their wallets?

I sent a note protesting this whole metering light thing a couple of weeks ago to every member of the HMB City Council (except the City Manager, whose email address I could not find — that seems the most important one to have on the web site!). Only Bonnie McClung had the cordiality to respond - it was polite but completely unsubstantive.

Brian Dantes El Granada

Mr Dantes,

So the merchants are to be “blamed” for not wanting the street closed where they do business? They’d like to perhaps stay open during regular business hours in hopes that they’ll make some extra sales and survive until September? And we’re going to boycott them for that?

And to penalize citizens for individual actions that their elected officials make is pretty far out there in my opinion.

Not doing business in HMB would be harmful to individuals trying to make ends meet. Not just business owners, but hourly workers trying to exist on fewer hours. You’re going to penalize them? Would you like to explain your rationale to a busboy at a Main Street restaurant already impacted by the slide? To even consider it shows a serious lack of concern for those adversely affected by the slide closure.

I know there is a feeling of helplessness for Moss Beach and Montara residents. I share in that.

But we should be pulling together during this time. What you’re advocating is just the opposite.

Regards, Mike

Mr. McCall,

I agree that we should be pulling together during this time — I believe it is HMB officials and merchants who are displaying the selfish attitudes, not I. The SR1/SR92 exchange belongs to all of us — and there are far more people that want to get home to their families at the end of the day than to get onto Main Street from 92 westbound. I was disgusted when I heard about the petition to resist the closure during peak commute hours to mitigate the traffic. And equally disgusted that Caltrans caved due to political pressure.

Someone on another thread suggested what sounded to me like a very viable compromise. Only prevent interruptions of SR92 eastbound traffic in the mornings and westbound traffic in the afternoons. In other words, in the evening hours, westbound SR92 traffic could still turn left onto Main Street — only eastbound SR92 traffic turning north onto Main Street and southbound Main Street cross traffic would be blocked. Asking that traffic to go around during those hours I think would be a small sacrifice that wouldn’t hurt business at all and would help traffic flow a lot.

And I do partially blame HMB citizens for the actions of their elected representatives — because they continue to elect the same people with the same attitudes over and over again. That wouldn’t happen if those officials didn’t reflect the majority opinion in that city.

I do respect your point about some innocent bystanders getting caught up in the mess. How else do you suggest a non-citizen of HMB protest the actions and attitudes of HMB City Council and some merchants? In all fairness, I will concede that I should find a copy of the petition and only boycott those businesses that signed it. Anyone have a copy?

It’s takes reciprocation to be good neighbors. I feel like Mid-Coasters are suffering more than their fair share of this Devil’s Slide mess both in terms of the impact on commute times and local businesses.

Brian Dantes El Granada

Mr. Dantes,

Using your logic, punish the merchants as a result of action/inaction by elected officials that I happen to disagree with, I would not be able to shop anywhere, certainly not Sacramento or Washington DC. But wait, the merchants that sent the politiicans to Sacramento are all over California, off to Nevada. Opps, some of the merchants in Nevada, and every other state helped put someone in the whitehouse that I think should have been back in TX in the first place. I guess its off to Canada. What about those of us who have consistently voted against those who want to restrict growth by allowing infrastructure to get so bad that it de facto limits growth? There are actually some in HMB that are of this persuasion. What about the people and organizations that have delayed the tunnel project? Better track those people down and make sure you are not contributing to their livelihoods. Perhaps you should move to HMB so you can have your voice heard. Better yet, move closer to where all the good shops are. Considering your statement regarding your opinion of the quality of coastside shoping sounds like you already boycot shoping in HMB as it is. That’s the spirit, neighbor.

Brent

Pulling together????

How about spending an hour to drive from el grananda to HMB some morning. And god forbid the southbound traffic gets backed up ONE BLOCK!!!

That’s pulling together.

We are all helpless in this whole matter. We are stuck with this commute and traffic until our friend Mr. Sartipi and Caltrans exhaust the 7.5 million they have to spend. We had the chance to try to stop this but there is so much apathy out here, everyone just assumes Caltrans knows what they are doing.

The one question I can’t seem to get an answer to, is did this master plan come before the money or did they money come in then the plan?????God forbid they are able to get anymore money now that the area qualifies for federal money otherwise we may not see the road open til next year.

Comment 16 by Barry Parr  on  Jun 09  at  5:28pm  •  All my comments • 

I can see both sides on this one. I live in Montara and know difficult the commute can be.

But I also know that merchants downtown were struggling before the Slide went out. And with the new light schedules there have been days when the traffic has been backed up on Main from Highway 92 to Kelly St. As horrible as the commute has been, I know there are people whose livelihoods are at stake on Main Street.

We should be pulling together in this crisis.

As a local business owner for over 10 years, I can tell you no one has asked me personally about the light at 92 & Main.

I remember a few years ago when CALTRANS came to address our weekly Raltors meeting, I specificially asked them about turning off the main street left turn light on 92 durning the evening commute so the light would stay green longer. I said that all main street traffic could go to Kelly Ave and then get to Main St. Their response was that they needed a several month traffic study before they could do anything.

To state that all HMB residents support our officials I think overlooks the fact that the turn out rate for elections in off years is only around 25%.

Having watched politics and all the referendums, I feel that the whole coast is run by the loud minority. The silent majority is too busy dealing with their jobs, families, kids, school, etc.

In my job, I have come across so many smart and talented people, yet none of them would want to get into politics. It seems all we do is talk and fight and sue and nothing gets done.

Brian, Robert, all….

I know this doesn’t help, but there is a, not to make a pun, light at the end of the tunnel…

Three and a half months roughly….10 or 11 weeks, give or take one or two. This nasty period will just be a memory that we, as neighbors, can chat about with a smile as we sip a glass of wine in our back yard. No more hellish commutes, just the normal miserable traffic all of the bay area has to deal with.

The difference being, when most people go home, they’re not going to a wonderful, foggy, beautiful coastal community.

So just sit back in your chair tonight, close your eyes, and think about driving home at 4 p.m. on a Friday, encountering that wonderful blanket of fog right about Skyline, and how good it will feel to get home to your friends and family. No more being stuck on 92 under the 280. No more traffic at the resorvoir. Just eucalyptyus trees, fog, and a little traffic going down the grade. It’s right around the corner. Really.

Mike

Thanks to all Coastside residents for supporting local businesses.

Please continue that — and add summer camps for your kids to the list.

In Moss Beach and Montara: * Susan Hayward has dance camps * Fly on the Wall has art camps and classes;
* Harmony Road has music/math/science camps and music classes; (that’s me) * Moss Beach Ranch has pony camps.

If I’ve missed anybody else based near the “edge of the known world,” my apologies and please let me know!

Happy almost summer —

Kitty Rea Harmony Road Music Center

Comment 20 by Don R. Whitt  on  Jun 16  at  11:58am  •  All my comments • 

Darin,

Thank you for producing such a great video. The feedback has been very interesting - what you provided is the plain truth, so to speak. If someone wants another side presented, they should get their video camera, get off their butt and produce their own video.

The Devil’s slide situation is unfortunate, but, after 100 years of similar events, very predictable.

What’s interesting is how personally people take it.

I’m looking forward to a very peaceful and quiet summer.