"I
certainly wish our environment was our economy; right now, the
environment's in a lot better shape, and is likely to out-perform the
economy for some time to come.
Not to pit one against the other,
but, as we search for every scrap of additional civic revenue, it might
be interesting to take a look at some of our environmental highlights
and see what, if anything, t
hey are contributing to the city coffers.
 |
| Looking south at the free fishing pier |
Pacifica
has more than six miles of coastline, beaches and bluffs, mostly
accessible, occasionally not. Much of it is stunningly beautiful. I'm
sure all of us have, at one time or another, paused at the top of Hwy. 1
and looked down at the whole sweep of Pacifica from the cliffs just
outside the windshield, past the fishing pier and the golf course, to
the bold headland of Pedro Point far to the south. The endless blue of
the Pacific on the right hand, and on the left, the coastal hills
receding in an ever-changing combination of sun and fog, fading
successive lines of hills like a Japanese watercolor. Oh, we've got
environment and then some!
Linda Mar, at the south end of town, is
our busiest beach by far, with a long, curving, picturesque sweep of
sand and sea ending at
Pedro Point. On weekends a couple of hundred
surfers are bobbi
ng a
round the two foot waves. They support a couple of
local surf shops, plus a few surf schools, which adds something to the
municipal pot. The other big winner, of course, is the
Taco Bell on the
beach.
 |
| Free Parking |
 |
| Cheap best view Taco Bell |
Pacifica furnishes a
large parking lot at the beach and has been prevented from charging for
its use by (if I remember correctly) the California Coastal Commission.
One of the major frustrations of trying to do anything around the coast
is having to deal with the jurisdictional snake pit of conflicting or
overlapping State, County and Federal agencies.
Heading north
from Linda Mar, just past Rockaway, we come to the largest piece of
undeveloped land, and the most contentious piece of real estate in
Pacifica:
The Quarry! But let's save that discussion for another time,
shall we? Except to say that at the moment,
I don't believe Pacifica is
receiving any income from the property at all.
 |
| Free downtown GGNRA Mori Point 110 acres |
Just north of the
Quarry is
Mori PointPacifica, of course, receives no revenue from this Federal property., a magnificent area that rises from marsh to meadow
to bluff, and extends seaward high above the beach. The GGNRA controls
Mori Point, and has done a very nice job constructing a boardwalk over
some marshy road, putting in a few signs and benches, and building
stairs right up the side of the Point. I'm out there often, walking my
dog, but I seldom see more than a few hikers.
From the top of
Mori Point, looking north, you can usually see
quite a few golfers
enjoying Sharp Park. This historic seaside links course has been owned
and operated by San Francisco for 80 years, but
discussions are underway
that would transfer control to San Mateo County. This welcome event
could result in Pacifica, or at least San Mateo, realizing some revenue
from the course.
 |
| Free Golf Course Seawall path |
One of the most
popular venues in the city is the
seawall that separates the golf course
from the beach. It seems constantly in use with joggers, strollers,
dog-walkers and bike-riders. Entire families, from toddlers to nonna,
are often encountered. The path is easily accessible from Beach Blvd. at
Clarendon Road, and offers an easy walk of a little more than half a
mile to the southern end at Mori Point Road. It's a packed-earth
structure, maybe twenty feet across the top, and ten to fifteen feet
above
the beach. There's always a great ocean view and a fresh ocean
breeze. It could use some occasional maintenance, a few buckets of fill
when erosional cracks open. And a bench, about halfway down the path,
would be nice for a weary nonna. (Maybe we could borrow one from Mori
Point.)
Again, this is an area we don't make a dime off of, and I can't
imagine how we could.
 |
| No revenue 88 acre quarry |
And finally, just up the beach from the
seawall, is one of Pacifica's most unique environmental attractions,
the
municipal fishing pier. Anglers from around the Bay Area flock here to
fish and crab in season. For free. Right now, they're awaiting the
return of the striped bass, which seem to be running late this year.
So
Pacifica cannot look to its most famous attractions for help with its
depleted budget. We can try, and we certainly have been trying, to
extract a few extra dollars from tourists coming here to fish or hike or
surf, to sell them a meal, or a T-shirt, or a room for the night. But
it's a tough sell these days.
I think we're going to have to pay
our own way, with our own money. An over-abundance of environmental
glory is a bonus, a reminder of why we live here, a thank-you for the
hard work and sacrifice it's going to take to keep on going."
Posted by Kathy Meeh
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