We have asked the city to include revenue projections for the adopted General Plan/zoning covering the last 20 or so parcels in town. After eight years of structural deficit spending, the city acknowledges that it's broke. Hence, severe staff lay-offs and service cuts. In the next 6 months another $1 million has to be cut out of the budget. In all likelihood the So when the Pacifica Planning Commission makes land-use decisions -- a park, hotel, housing, mixed use -- on a parcel, you would think the commissioners would want to know what type of revenue each land use generates.Police Department will be contracted to the San Mateo County Sheriff. 

Just a peek at the sustainability issue because if we don't help our local economy in this General Plan we are faced with either status quo on lower services, more staff cuts or more Council demands for new taxes. The document approved by the Planning Commission last Monday night and sent to Council makes zero mention of revenue. This General Plan update could actually lose Pacifica revenue.

Second, ocean level rise has become quite the trendy topic. Ocean rise will affect Pacifica, but no one knows how much. Some areas of town may get wet in the next 50 years, maybe. But the planning wheels grind on anyway. Here's your homeowners' alert: remodel or expansion restrictions are being developed for the following areas of Pacifica. If you want to remodel or expand your building, you will have to pay for a study to convince city staff your structure will survive ocean rise.

  • All of Linda Mar roughly west of Peralta, north to Crespi, west to Highway 1, including Linda Mar Center and Pedro Point Shopping Center.
  • Rockaway businesses west of Highway 1 and the Quarry flat lands.
  • The Sharp Park Golf Course.
  • Most of the southern Palmetto area, including the old sewer treatment plant.
    Two huge concerns come to mind with this scheme. Property owners have not been notified that this costly program is being considered and the costs involved may stop hundreds of homeowners from remodeling. Finally, Pacifica economic engines are put at risk -- probably 35 percent of the town's retail space and what was supposed to be our new main street (Palmetto and the old sewer treatment plant) is now under a cloud. This huge new surprise cost has to be more publicly debated.

    Another new trendy fanciful term has been concocted: planned shoreline retreat. This is a fancy term for no more boulders or riprap on the beach areas to protect houses, business, Highway 1 or the golf course. Let nature take its course. You would think our elected officials would come up with erosion protections that do not destroy millions in property value and threaten to cut Highway 1 in Linda Mar. Nope. Shortly the official policy of this town will be do nothing regarding shoreline erosion. Council will require someone to pay to keep the Highway 1 open. But adios to everyone else.

    Our last observation about Monday's planning meeting deals with political correctness running amuck. It would be funny if it wasn't so hypocritical. Everywhere you turn, Pacifica seems to be a nursery for the Red-legged frog (RLF), an endangered species. The General Plan contains new areas for "RLF critical habitation expansion under consideration" covering several thousand acres in the hills of Sweeney ridge covering a big part of eastern Pacifica, Sharp Park Road south to Pedro Valley Park. A curious map omission was uncovered. Vallemar is surrounded on three sides by "critical habitat expansion under consideration" but not Vallemar proper. And this even includes Calera Creek which is habitat in the quarry 300 yards to the west but not mapped as habitat with the middle of Vallemar. Inexplicably, RLFs north of Vallemar take a 2-mile hike around Vallemar to travel south, but never, ever, take the short cut by walking 600 yards due south through Vallemar. A lot of hiking for the frogs but no RLF protections in Vallemar means Vallemar residents avoid restrictions. This concludes our first evaluation of the various nuances and back stories of the Pacifica general plan update as it moves to Council. What do you say: sausage or lemonade?"

    Posted by Kathy Meeh