County hopes to bring more parks to the Midcoast

The Midcoast may have some remarkable parks and preserves, but there are few true recreational facilities. The county held a meeting in Moss Beach on Monday to discuss park plans for the Midcoast, reports Julia Scott at the County Times.

The last Midcoast parks assessment, completed in 2002, envisioned 62 acres of park land at an initial cost of $31.5 million. Holland said the amount of land needed for each designated use, and the cost of developing and maintaining the property, would likely change according to what the public decided its priorities would be at each site.

Many of those who spoke up at Monday’s meeting wanted to be certain that everyone’s input would be considered. "I find that there is a lot of disagreement among local residents as to their priorities — from trails to ball parks," said El Granada resident Gael Erickson.

Money is a bigger problem than land. The county is trying to identify state and local money to bring parks to the Midcoast. The county will form a committee beginning in February with two members from each community on the Coastside:  Half Moon Bay, Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Miramar and Princeton-by-the-Sea.