Video:  HMB government takes on the Coastal Commission and gets nowhere

On Thursday, the Half Moon Bay city government took on the California Coastal Commission face to face.

At issue was a house project on Terrace Avenue, which had been denied by a previous planning commission and city council, but permitted by the current commission and council. The applicant wanted to build a house within a 100-foot wetland buffer when feasible alternatives existed for building on the lot.  The permit was appealed by the Coastal Commission itself as being in violation of the city’s Local Coastal Program. Coastal Commission staff recommended against the permit [pdf of staff report].

What’s interesting here is that Half Moon Bay Mayor Naomi Patridge, Vice Mayor Bonnie McClung, and Planning Commissioner Tom Roman (as well as HMB resident George Muteff) went to San Luis Obispo to defend the permit before the Coastal Commission.

Lennie Roberts of the Committee for Green Foothills and Mark Massara of the Sierra Club spoke against the permit.

In the end, as it become clear that the commission was likely to turn down the permit, the applicant withdrew their request.

Thanks to Darin Boville of Montara Fog for downloading and editing this from the Commissions gavel-to-gavel video.

Introduction and Commission’s summary   | Quicktime | Flash |

Consultant for the Applicant makes his case   | Quicktime | Flash |

Mayor Patridge defers to McClung; Vice-Mayor McClung speaks for Half Moon Bay   | Quicktime | Flash |

George Muteff | Quicktime | Flash |

HMB Planning Commissioner Tom Roman   | Quicktime | Flash |

Additional citizen voices   | Quicktime | Flash |

The applicant’s consultant rebuts   | Quicktime | Flash |

The Commission deliberates and votes | Quicktime | Flash |

The video in its entirety for die-hard fans of local politics   | Quicktime | Flash |

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story referred to Mr. Dall as the applicant’s attorney. He’s a consultant.