Committee for Green Foothills Action Alert for Big Wave

What's Happening

On November 23, 2010, the San Mateo County Planning Commission approved (3-2) the Big Wave project on two sites bisected by the Pillar Point Marsh.  CGF and others have appealed this decision.  Housing a vulnerable group of people adjacent to the seismically active Seal Cove Fault, on sandy soils subject to severe ground shaking, liquefaction, and other seismic hazards, within the mapped Tsunami Inundation Area, and too close to the Half Moon Bay Airport, would be inconsistent with the General Plan, Zoning Regulations, and Local Coastal Program.  The developers have destroyed wetlands through "predevelopment farming"; this behavior should not be rewarded.

Why this is Important

The massive tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan has highlighted the importance of avoiding building in unsafe areas.  San Mateo County has long standing regulations which prohibit locating public schools, hospitals, and buildings for people with disabilities in a Tsunami Inundation Area.  The Office Park's buildings are out of scale and too massive and should be scaled back. Because the site is not served by convenient transit, the project will generate an estimated 2,200 daily vehicle trips, which must use substandard, narrow roads to access the area.  The FAA, California Department of Aeronautics, and County Public Works Department have objected to placing housing so close to the airport; and the County risks loss of Federal airport funds if the housing is approved in this location.  The Board of Supervisors should deny the project for all of these reasons - but the tsunami safety issue is paramount.

What you can do

Email or write to the Board of Supervisors, or better yet, come to their meeting at 9:00 am on Tuesday, March 29.  Speak up for protection of Pillar Point Marsh's sensitive habitats, scenic vistas, and protection of the public health and safety.

 
To learn more:

Email addresses for the Board of Supervisors (note that there are only four of them)
Carole Groom, President, [email protected]
Adrienne Tissier, [email protected] 
Rose Jacobs Gibson, [email protected]
Don Horsley, [email protected] 

Big Wave Appeal

Staff Report for Big Wave Appeals  (Note that the Big Wave project was continued from the March 15, 2011 initial hearing date)

CGF letter to the Planning Commission

Thanks for speaking up for coastal protection!  Your voice does make a difference!

 -  From the folks at Committee for Green Foothills reposted by bill kehoe

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Committee for Green Foothills