Why oppose Half Moon Bay’s new park plan?

Why didn’t the Half Moon Bay City Council vote unanimously to buy the Nurserymen’s Exchange property [satellite photo] for a new park?  The deal seems sweet: $3 million for 22 acres, with an interest-free three-year loan from the Peninsula Open Space Trust. Is there a problem?

At the meeting, City Council member Marina Fraser and former HMB council member and Mayor Naomi Patridge spoke against the purchase. Their concerns were well-expressed in a "Matter of Opinion" column in Wednesday’s HMB Review by Fraser.  [I’ll link to it when the Review puts it online. As of noon on Friday, Wednesday’s paper is not online]. Her objections seemed thoughtful and prudent: has the city done sufficient due diligence to determine whether a park can actually be built on the site?

It’s difficult to understand the decision-making process. Negotiations and studies took place in secret. Nurserymen’s Exchange insisted on secrecy to avoid tainting the property if the deal fell through.

Marina Fraser told me that she didn’t anticipate all the issues with the project until the due diligence report came out two weeks ago.  Her principal objections are (1) there it may be difficult or impossible to rezone the land for a park, especially with a corporation yard, and (2) there might not be enough usable land once riparian corridors and habitats are set aside.

She understands these problems.  Half Moon Bay has been unable to develop Coastside Community Park since it completed the Environment Impact Report in 1997. She was a Parks and Recreation commissioner from 1998 to 2002.  Why didn’t she apply that experience to shape the due diligence process?

Fraser is certainly a supporter of parks. In running for City Council, Fraser said her top priority was to "Expand recreational/park opportunities for neighborhoods, and create safe pedestrian walkways/trails to downtown".  Where does she think the city should put its recreational areas? She told me they should go in CCP.

Patridge is rumored to be running for City Council in the next election. The controversy over this park will certainly be an issue. It will be interesting to see how opposing what will surely be a very popular park will look on her and Fraser’s resumes the next time they come before the voters. If the park becomes a boondoggle, the twin Cassandras will be hailed as visionaries.

I talked to council member and Mayor Mike Ferreira about Fraser’s concerns.  He pointed out that this is a very different property from the one purchased for the Coastside Community Park, which Fraser points to as a example of a park plan gone wrong.  Ferreira says there are no natural flora or fauna outside the area around the creek. By removing the current agricultural exemptions, creating a riparian buffer, and controlling vehicle access, you’re going to improve the local environment and bring the property into compliance with the local coastal plan.

Ferreira told me, "I have already walked the area with a former high official of [California] Fish & Game, he said it was a beautiful site at a good price and advised me to just be proactive with the state and federal agencies."

Finally, I was impressed by the response of the neighbors in Cypress Cove. The City Council did survey some neighbors as part of their due diligence. Virtually all of the Cypress Cove folks at the City Council meeting expressed legitimate concerns about traffic, parking, and safety; and expressed a desire to work with the city to mitigate the impact.  What you don’t see is a knee-jerk NIMBY response. They know what a boon this park will be for their neighborhood.

However, one Cypress Cove homeowner did ask, "Would you like this park built right next to where you live?"  Ummm…yeah. Please.