Friday, April 15, 2016

Planning Commission Quarry study session critique


Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop, Staff Writer, 4/13/16.  "Planning Commission Quarry plans critiqued (4/4/16)."  (The article includes the Quarry Village development graphic courtesy of the City.) 

Image result for Pacifica Quarry project graphic
The existing Quarry site
Image result for City of Pacifica quarry development pictures
Planned 25% site development,
75% permanent open space/wetlands
Upper right WWTP, curved Old Quarry Road 
....  "The proposed initiative covers more than just the residential component. It is very specific and covers housing, retail, hotel with bungalows, new roads, and new public uses. The residential component calls for 181 apartment units and 25 live/work units near retail and office space in a newly-designed Quarry Village. Twenty percent of the housing units will be designated for very low, lower or moderate income households. The County of San Mateo sets the rule the city will follow about who will qualify for that housing, said Tina Wehrmeister, director of planning. The offices will be two stories tall, the residences four stories. Besides the main roads, there will be alleyways to access homes and businesses in Quarry Village.

A 188 room hotel and conference venue near Rockaway Beach will include 12 2,500 square foot hotel bungalows on one of the inside ridges. A terraced amphitheater surrounded by boardwalks, lawns and a plaza will provide a venue for public and private events.

Quarry Road will be a new, public, two-way road where the walking path is now from Reina del Mar Avenue to Rockaway Beach. It will be set back at least 100 feet from Calera Creek. There will be another road built to access the hotel. An overlook trail and other trails connecting to Mori Point and to San Marlo Way will be built. San Marlo Way will be widened.

....  'I relish the restoration of wetlands and habitat and removing the pampas grass, but why is there now a ballot initiative? Rethink that strategy. Wait for the public process to unfold. Commercial development should be part of it. How will public access be maintained?' asked Dinah Verby."  Read article/see view of the development.

Reference. City of Pacifica, "Proposed Pacifica Quarry Reclamation Project."  The project website: The Pacifica Quarry, "Proposed reclamation plan." Study Session:  Planning Commission Agenda, 4/4/16, pdf pages 24.  Pacific Coast TV video, Planning Commission meeting, 4/4/16, 2 hours, 10 minutes.  Related. Fix Pacifica article and reprint:  Study Session, 4/4/16.   

Note photographs/graphic rendering.  Pacifica quarry from Gunderson Planning and Design, May 2014, page 2.  Planned 25% development from the reference, The Pacifica Quarry.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really don't understand where in the world Chuck Gust, is coming from. Give more land to the hippies and nimbys and Julie Lancelle who decimated Pacifica.

His father Nick, fought the vagabonds in town, who fought him on every move he made. Even his good neighbor Peter Loeb, who used to call the Coastal Commission every time he tried to use an Emergency permit to move rocks around in front of his Parking lot.

No, and's if's or but's, Pacifica is truly the most dysfunctional fucked up city in California.

Anonymous said...

Bill Bottoms approached the GGNRA about the property. They declined to accept it as it is a brownfield site and needs about $10 million in reclamation and they don't have the money and aren't interested. The wetlands that are to be restored in this plan, need to be removed under a prior development permit for the Calera Creek Waste treatment plant, this came to light under the biodiesel study for Nancy Hall's pet project. This has been documented and discussed multiple times, there are Urban Land Institute studies done as part of the original redevelopment and those recommendations support a more commercial intensive development. I understand why the developer is going forward with the vote, why invest in all the pre-development games unless you know you are going to be able to add the housing?

Anonymous said...

Who is Bill Bottoms? If the City created the wetlands/habitat does that make them (us) liable for an illegal "take" if the developer decides to sue? Why must the wetlands be removed? Lancelle talks about it as an "endangered specie habitat" worthy of gifting to the GGNRA.

Kathy Meeh said...

548, when the Quarry/Rockaway was a redevelopment zone, I recall there was suppose to be a multi-level parking facility built. Also traffic mitigation is needed for Quarry development and Highway 1 through Vallemar/Rockaway area. Chuck Gust's comment advocated for and concluded with, "you've got to build the infrastructure first".
And to the organized NIMBY campaign that dominated the City Council public comments against quarry development, it seems Gust was saying in effect, "put up (buy the land from the developer) or shut up". Guest did suggest "the community" (NIMBIES), seek a public consensus, a bond measure vote to purchase the quarry for open space-- (a new public tax to fund MORE open space in this City, knock yourselves out NIMBIES!).

The article's description of the Chuck Gust comment is incomplete, (possibly with bias). For the full comment (in an audience filled with NIMBIES), what Gust said is best viewed on the Planning Commission 4/4/16 video. Scan 1 hour, 27 minutes in for his 2 minute comment.
While you're there, you might also view Dina Verby's advocacy for more commercial development just prior at 1 hour 23 minutes. (The full meeting is 2 hours, 10 minutes, public comments begin with Peter Loeb at 57 minutes.)

Anonymous said...

Bill Bottoms was the original owner of the quarry. He sold it many years ago.
The city did not create the wetlands, Mother Nature did.
The entire site is designated an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA).

Kathy Meeh said...

1127 limestone, greenstone quarries, and dumped fill make "habitat" very sensitive, like ouch, when they hike over the hill from Mori Point.

Anonymous said...

Nick's is a dated 1950s era facility. My suspicion about advocating quarry as open space is pure competitive advantage. Rather than spend any time or money to freshen Nicks, run off any modern contemporary hotel/restaurant. Just saying NO in this town feathers many nests.

Anonymous said...

The Coastal Commission designated the quarry an ESHA. Take it up with them.

Anonymous said...

Remember there were 2 proposals to rebuild Nick's. One one the hare brained idea to let Skyfield USA with zero money do the job, epic fail.

Nick had an idea to rebuild the whole complex into a spanish style adobe style restaurant and motel.

First of all, you never change a cash cow. Leave it the way it is and milk every dime out of the place. Joe's of Westlake another cash cow. The family passed it down to the grand daughter and she was tired of running the place so she took her money and ran. It was closed for 2-3 years to be rebuilt.

Most of could, would and never will run your own business so most of you don't have the slightest clue on running a business.

Anonymous said...

I run my own business. That has nothing to do with running a hospitality business in Pacifica. Chuck Gust knows more about running a restaurant and motel business in Rockaway than anybody on the planet.

Steve Sinai said...

The only part of the quarry designated ESHA is the area directly adjacent to Calera Creek and an area between the quarry and Mori Point. The great majority of the quarry is not ESHA.

Go to Exhibit D of the following -

http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2008/7/F5a-7-2008.pdf

Anonymous said...

take your grandmother to Nicks.

Anonymous said...

Or just go yourself. Great food incredible view.