Joe Cotchett is a weathy trial lawyer, inner-circle Democrat, and the man who purchased and preserved seven historic buildings on Main Street in Half Moon Bay and he’s profiled in the Daily Journal.

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Biologists didn’t see any California red-legged frogs on a visit to the Wavecrest Village site on July 29, but they weren’t looking for frogs. Although the Review reported they found "nary a frog", that’s not the end of the story. From the Review:

The four scientists searched the area for the threatened species. But after spending most of the afternoon poking through all areas that could serve as potential frog habitat, what they found was nary a red-legged frog.

US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Mary Hammer, who was there, described it as a "casual site visit".  A California red-legged frog survey would have involved an intensive review of the site, including daytime and nighttime observations. "It would have been surprising to find a frog there in the middle of the day," said California Coastal Commission staff biologist John Dixon, who was at the visit. One biologist has already reported a frog sighting to the California Department of Fish and Game.

What they found, according to Hammer, was frog habitat.  And frog habitat is enough to get Fish and Wildlife involved in the development process.  "Frog habitat could also indicate the San Francisco garter snake," according to Hammer. The SF garter snake is a federally-protected endangered species.

What’s unclear is what the next steps would be. The Fish and Wildlife Service is conferring internally, as well as with their colleagues in other agencies, about what to do next. Meanwhile, developer Wavecrest Village LLC has an issue that it must deal with before it can begin construction.

"It’s a concern and we’ll be waiting to see what the wildlife agencies think about it and how significant they think it is." said Coastal Commission biologist Dixon.

The frog habitat may not prevent construction.  There are other ways to deal with what the folks at FWS call a "take" than simply preserving the site as it exists. A habitat conservation plan may be necessary. I talked Pat Fitzgerald of Wavecrest Village, LLC, and he says he’s waiting to hear from the Coastal Commission and US Fish & Wildlife.

Also unclear at this point is the impact of the existence of frog habitat on the permitting process with the county or with the California Coastal Commission.

Hooker’s Evening Primrose Closeup, Montara, CA. Saturday, June 15, 2002, 10:40am. One of the last to bloom every year —- Oenothera elata ssp. hookerii(?) blooms on the bluffs overlooking Montara Beach.  See Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family) for reference, see also fading

The La Honda Fire Brigade  has received a grant of $237,000 for a new fire engine —from the Department of Homeland Security.  The grant comes from the 2004 Assistance to Firefighters program that is administered by the DHS.

The engine purchased with this grant will be specially designed to meet the specific needs of the rugged and rural San Mateo County Southcoast.  Some unique features of this engine include four-wheel drive operation for wildland firefighting, a short wheel base for maximum maneuverability, and an advanced foam system that reduces water use.

The La Honda Fire Brigade, one of the county’s last all-volunteer fire departments, was founded in 1953. It provides fire protection, along with the CDF/San Mateo County Fire Department, to over 138 square miles of the San Mateo County Southcoast.

Demand for seafood now far exceeds the ocean’s ability to keep pace and the crisis is deepening. Farming the Seas, sequel to the landmark documentary Empty Oceans Empty Nets, explores the growing pains of a global aquaculture industry that already produces a third of the world’s seafood. Some types of fish farming contribute to the further loss of ocean fish and pose a serious risk to our health. Farming the Seas journeys around the world to explore the promise and perils of the new industry.

Local filmmaker, Steve Cowan and his crew have captured footage of farming operations in every part of the globe. Steve will be on hand to discuss his experiences.

Farming the Seas will be shown August 13 at 8:00 PM in the Community United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 777 Miramontes (corner of Johnston), Half Moon Bay.

Cabrillo Unified School District board members Ken Jones and Ruth Palmer aren’t running for re-election.  The county has released the list of candidates as of the end of the day Friday and they’re not on the list.

If any incumbents fail to file, the deadline is extended to Wednesday, August 11.  As of Friday night, the candidates were Charles Gardner of Montara, Jonathan Lundell of Half Moon Bay, and John Moseley of El Granada.

In the race for Harbor District, there are seven candidates, including incumbents Leo Padreddii and Pietro Parravano. There are six candidates for four seats on the Pescader Municipal Advisory Council: Rodger Reinhart, Edward Dee, Genia M. Silva, Christopher Trailer, Jr., Paisley Nash-Dooley, and Donald Mc Dermott.

Click on the "read more" link for complete rosters and information about the candidates.

Judge Carl Holm’s ordered the attorneys in the MROSD petition trial to return to court Aug. 20. Although today was the formal deadline for adding measures to the November ballot,  Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum said his office could still add the MROSD annexation to the ballot if the judge orders it. But it’s getting really late. The county must print and mail sample ballots next month.

The judge said he needs more time to determine the validity of the protest petitions filed with the county. He described the county’s organization of the petitions as a "total disaster", and ordered the elections office to re-organize the protests.

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As Harbor Village begins development, its opponents are returning to the battle. According to the Review, the county has reportedly granted developer Keet Nerhan the building permits to begin work on the commercial and retail portions of the project. He still must secure the necessary sewer and building permits to construct the hotel.

The full Harbor Village development would include 84 hotel rooms, 11 suites, a 280-seat restaurant and 60-seat bar, 15 to 25 retail shops, and parking for 450 cars in what is now a vacant lot at the corner of Capistrano Road and Highway 1 in El Granada [map].

Meanwhile, Concerned Citizens of the Coastside, which has been fighting this battle for fifteen years, has issued a press release describing Harbor Village as an "unplanned eyesore on one of the most beautiful parts of the coast." Among their objections to renewed development:

• The development would be out of scale with the surrounding area and would block views from Highway 1 and El Granada.
• Nerhan will not be able to complete Harbor Village within the ten years required by the development agreement with the county.
• Nerhan is unlikely to complete even the retail shops (for which he has received a building permit) before the deadline.
• Permission to develop Harbor Village, as an exception to the Local Coastal Plan and over the opposition of the Coastal Commission, was based on a dubious economic justification. The current plan will not even try to provide that promised benefit.

The CCC website has copies of a written summary of the issues, an FAQ, and a copy of the develoment agreement. Click "read more" to see CCC’s summary of the issues.