Update: HMB sale of property to CCWD director

Since our last post about the sale of property on Cabrillo Highway to Coastside County Water District (CCWD) director Ken Coverdell, a couple of additional details have emerged about the value of the property, how it was sold, and the review process.

According to the purchase agreement [pdf] betwen the city and Coverdell, the property was last sold in 1982 at a price of $100,500. The current price, negotiated between Half Moon Bay and Coverdell, is $180,000. During the HMB Planning Commission meeting of last week two members cited nearby, similar-sized properties advertised to the public in the range $275,000 to $350,000. Coverdell is quoted in the County Times as saying that he was unable to sell his adjacent parcel for $150,000 because the land is zoned for visitor-serving commercial development, not residential. Ken Coverdell is the owner of the Half Moon Day landscaping firm Blue Sky Design.

The deal between the City and Coverdell was negotiated by the prior City Council in June of 2005 in a closed session. It was to expire on July 13, 2006, but was extended by the current city council. This property was the subject of another closed-door session on December 20, 2005 attended by then-Mayor Marina Fraser, current Mayor Naomi Patridge, David Gorn (since replaced by John Muller), Jim Grady, and Bonnie McClung. According to minutes of that meeting the price and terms of payment for the property are still under negotiation [pdf].

The Planning Commission’s efforts to look into the circumstances of the sale may be in vain. The resolution passed by a 4-3 vote last Thursday failed to include a deadline for city staff. Without an explicit deadline the resolution, and city staff’s obligation to respond to the questions of the Planning Commission, expires after forty days.

Coastsider had the only camera at the commission meeting, which is one of the most dramatic local board meetings we have seen in some time.

Full meeting (1 hour) | Quicktime | Flash |

Highlights (about 10 min) | Quicktime | Flash |