Letter: Important Joint Advisory Council meeting Thursday, Feb. 15

Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries Joint Advisory Council meets this Thursday, Feb. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Our Lady of the Pillar Church, the Bell Building, 540 Kelly Ave., Half Moon Bay.

One of the most ominous threats to the health of the our ocean’s environment and marine life in the Mid-Coast is S.M. County’s continued approval of all of the inappropriate residential over-development of groups of Antiquated 25’ Sub-Standard Lots in East Hillside Areas & West Side Bluff Areas of Miramar that destroys Coastal/Ocean Viewsheds which is a Coastal Resource and where domestic water wells being allowed strains shared aquifers. All of the McMansions being constructed in these two fragile areas are a DIRECT threat to the ocean. 

It is especially concerning that the County’s so-called "LCP Update" is proposing that 3,500 sq.ft. or above yet under the 5,000 sq.ft. Zoning Lot Minimum Requirement for El Granada, Princeton, Moss Beach & Montara be considered, BUILDABLE AS A MATTER OF RIGHT and that anything rolled in & bolted down or constructed on the multitude of Antiquated 25’ Sub-Standard Lots (there are at least 800 of these tiny lots in the Granada Sanitary District Service Area alone)in singles or in groups that the County terms as being "Affordable" or "Market Rate" Housing won’t be included in their yearly Growth Rate Controls.

Keep in mind none of these tiny lots are even expressed in County’s old, over-estimated LCP Buildout Numbers from the 1980’s upon which they erroneously based all of their out-of-scale assumptions upon for water & sewer infrastructure expansions, plans for water supply additions, road expansion projects, urbanizing park/rec. projects. Note that the County’s LCP Update materials state that this Coastside’s schools will be run year around in order to accomodate all of the additional students.

You will be able to express your concerns about over-development at this meeting. And, it is also important that you fax letters of concern to the Coastal Commission c/o Rebecca Roth & Ruby Pap at (415) 904-5400 as they are examining the County’s LCP Update at this time and will benefit from your input.

Barb Mauz