[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6076244,"mediaKeyId","2971107-219a5999cb448bced0dba05bb9b2fe75","parentId",2971107,"title","Planning Commission hears update on accelerating landslide movement at Seal Cove; county to pursue geologic study and coordinate emergency response","audioSeconds",886,"startMs",2480000,"endMs",3366000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2971107-219a5999cb448bced0dba05bb9b2fe75&start=2480&end=3366","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2971107-219a5999cb448bced0dba05bb9b2fe75/thumbnail_2480000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6076244/San-Mateo-County/California/Planning-Commission-hears-update-on-accelerating-landslide-movement-at-Seal-Cove-county-to-pursue-geologic-study-and-coordinate-emergency-response","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076244-d8fed0d16497533efeadd1893aa19922/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149176&Signature=UTLNpmwj7TyP3Um1orDt2piYM1Q19wuIbC8vh~TRXYTKb-qyOXX0M5JU13~e25xxZCmdz-~DOwf~4bdLJs1X9UxPqNDSEGrXrWWhrHjML8uwG3gqPmccboPjqj9wk8s1SRoTWFF7Y6kImaAhdFX8jt8526NbSesIjbWqTvIC3aEi7ae5VV0w7agLGrEPzFhngmCS2qPYjW21Zl84EAdF89fBdmMxoAvFriZbh-IgFbKpbbZv95LSeto0T9IMM0jtgEin~3LMhwwX~W97-cNfazEiFG1jP34iCo-Xi77uQ0uouMZV44bcnt2FuR5VAtYz0cvtZ636H00Pzsn07mWFHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Mateo County CA","date","2025-04-12T16:20:19.16Z","article","Planning staff briefed the Planning Commission on April 9 about increased landslide movement and related damage in the Seal Cove area of the unincorporated coast, and described steps the county is taking to assess risk and aid residents.

Planning Director Steve Manowitz reported that the county received correspondence about recent concerning events in Seal Cove, including accelerated landslide movement injuring structures and damaging water infrastructure. \"In the last 3 to 4 months, we've seen an accelerated rate of movement of a landslide area that we have been tracking throughout the years,\" Manowitz said, noting one home was red-tagged about a week and a half earlier after substantial damage.

Manowitz said the Montero Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) has declared an emergency, rerouted damaged water lines above ground to maintain service, and requested the county declare an emergency as well. He said the county is collaborating with Public Works and MWSD and is contacting property owners to document damage and determine appropriate responses on a case-by-case basis.

Staff said the scale of ground movement appears large and that some conditions may be beyond county-level engineering solutions; they are pursuing funding for an updated geologic evaluation of the area to inform future action. The county’s local coastal program (LCP) includes geologic analyses from the early 1980s; staff said an update would refine risk zones and help inform decisions on pending development proposals.

Commissioners discussed options for helping homeowners at extreme risk. Commissioner Ramirez asked whether the county might condemn or purchase at-risk properties. Manowitz said an outright county buyout \"is not financially feasible at this point\" but described other approaches used elsewhere, including leveraging FEMA funds or transfer-of-development-rights programs that allow property owners to monetize development potential on safer parcels; he said those programs are complicated and would require significant vetting.

Commissioner Gupta asked whether structures sited with a 50-year coastal-bluff setback had been eroded sooner than expected; Manowitz replied staff will study whether current events indicate the need to revise guidance, but said his impression is that many threatened homes are older than 50 years. The commission also discussed the broader homeowners insurance crisis; staff said planning’s role is limited but that related permit requests or proposals to protect structures could come before the commission.

Staff said they will continue to assess the situation, pursue funding for a geologic update, coordinate with MWSD and Public Works on immediate infrastructure issues, and evaluate pending development applications using the best available data. No formal county policy change or emergency declaration was made at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Commission Hearing - 04/09/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Planning Director Steve Manowitz told the Planning Commission on April 9 that an area of accelerating landslide movement at Seal Cove has damaged homes and water infrastructure, prompting MWSD to declare a local emergency and the county to pursue a geologic update and case-by-case responses.","taxTitle","San Mateo County, California","taxId",3572,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6076249,"San Mateo County planning staff outline 2025 long-range work program, timetables for housing rezoning and safety updates",2371,121000,2492000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2971107-219a5999cb448bced0dba05bb9b2fe75&start=121&end=2492","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2971107-219a5999cb448bced0dba05bb9b2fe75/thumbnail_121000.jpg","/articles/6076249/San-Mateo-County/California/San-Mateo-County-planning-staff-outline-2025-long-range-work-program-timetables-for-housing-rezoning-and-safety-updates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076249-fcad83a4aa78e031aca5746ac35154e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149176&Signature=dill9Dt6nW6kOYB0HrK8rSFIbf22aXQ5N5MWbN2b6oY9Jn1t0MdnosdQEFSnIh0YxjsuRl-9PZfdjIfcD1ze1SKjIlb1Yn5GcXNf-tMPP5FpoV3Myfe-SjyCH~oYOngudwOOrb6i5atyrP5MawOSJLS56L5uc~UZ6Yep6nriuuYRU4L9d8che9LDOGV2oWGEn12FZfbUQXRvO0BzsehH1EEGl8Dnou3fOVaYIk5QVwAcwR3AC58McbhDBhE2lnVOx2IgFztT6jwM8PL~ss1hTPDwZD8zaZpom8cSz0o1ljA-lOvmwNoIMhS5D88koOFhqN~aI2LFS8xmpPoWTpm-sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning Services Manager Bharat Singh told the San Mateo County Planning Commission on April 9 that the department’s long-range work program for 2025 centers on housing-related rezoning, safety- and environmental-justice elements, several coastal community plans and transportation studies, and new operational tools for public access.

Singh said HCD (California Department of Housing and Community Development) has found the county’s revised housing element met statutory requirements and that the department is hiring consultants to prepare rezoning work, including CEQA review and outreach. \"The rezoning is expected to be completed by the end of 2026,\" Singh said.

Commissioners heard why rezoning consultants are needed and what they will do: review existing policies and development standards, reconcile conflicts with older specific plans (Singh cited the Colma specific plan as an example), run required outreach, and support CEQA analysis. Singh said the consultant contract will be paid from the county budget, not HCD funding.

Singh described the work program’s organization: state-mandated policy updates, ordinance and regulation updates, community plans and studies, and transportation plans and studies. He highlighted projects prioritized as housing-related (shown in green on the shared work plan), and listed coast-side community studies including Plan Princeton, a South County (Pescadero) workforce housing analysis, Highway 1 safety improvements, and the Carlos Street multimodal trail gap closure.

On safety and environmental justice, Singh said the safety element and EJ element are in outreach; the county will hold a joint safety-element workshop with Half Moon Bay on April 28. He said the county must update its open-space element by January 2026 under a state requirement (cited in the presentation as \"state law 1425\") and will incorporate findings from the EJ element where necessary.

Transportation projects noted included the Moss Beach congestion and safety project (in project approval/environmental phase with SMCTA, running through fall 2026), the \"Get There Together\" transportation-demand-management plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors, and the Carlos Street parallel trail gap-closure study funded by ABAG/MTC. Singh said the county has a draft trail study and is assessing alternatives to implement recommendations.

Singh also presented four operational projects: a Connect-the-Coastside transportation-projects mapper (an online GIS tool planned for a summer launch), an operational \"Do I need a tree permit?\" tool on sanmateocountytrees.org, formation of a drought working group funded by state funds, and a housing permit data dashboard for public consumption. Singh said the tree-permit tool is already operational and the mapper and drought group are expected to be in place by mid-summer.

Commissioners pressed staff on resourcing. Planning Director Steve Manowitz (presenting as part of staff) described the long-range planning team as \"small but mighty,\" said the county is negotiating budget requests with the county executive office and budget office, and warned that constrained county finances could force reprioritization. \"There are no guarantees at this point,\" he said. Commissioners asked for periodic updates; Manowitz said the department will report progress in director’s reports and that the required housing-element annual progress report goes to the Board of Supervisors on May 20 and will be summarized for the commission at its May 14 meeting.

Public comment on the item included a five-minute statement from Midcoast resident Len Erickson, who urged better coordination with Caltrans on long-range Highway 1 planning near Surfers Beach and noted the need for integrated planning on coastal trail and highway realignment projects.

The presentation closed with commissioners and staff agreeing to continue status updates as projects proceed and budget outcomes become clearer.","Planning staff presented a prioritized 2025 work program that emphasizes housing-related rezoning, safety and environmental-justice elements, community plans for the coast, several transportation studies, and new online tools; staff warned budget constraints could force some projects to be delayed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6076239,"Planning Commission approves agenda and consent agenda on unanimous voice vote",15,97000,112000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2971107-219a5999cb448bced0dba05bb9b2fe75&start=97&end=112","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2971107-219a5999cb448bced0dba05bb9b2fe75/thumbnail_97000.jpg","/articles/6076239/San-Mateo-County/California/Planning-Commission-approves-agenda-and-consent-agenda-on-unanimous-voice-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076239-9baae85450ecb38df5474e507acf1099/orig.mp4?Expires=1771149176&Signature=UOirMZQjLR4VkTZ3nqKDNaeL~TlpiaKjGbFRjP5q6Au36qfTci84i006ePHNGG-ENEIYcfREnoGHz4k6ZmWRKn3FzLurtMf3z~Z6HmGmKQxVj~ew9n3rCeKpO-cqiif~zmpzy38K5QBx5EvAEIcAgq6CI5WcKAZQA1eain-e18chwhmD08KruYlDTm1FzHrqBKsIgkVSHUxyVSP8kaMdjUs6o1Wlqlwmfjv-jKhhfUeuIyzSdHBRGQNjtze3cCOur8ZZk0OR9BT~lNCGFcTIleLdeINEZWJZDbwKu5gHMliajZDR0b42qHWPmE4R-qlFtjGr7eiv5qJUPvYtcczNOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the April 9 meeting the Planning Commission moved, seconded and approved a motion to set the agenda and approve the consent agenda.

Commissioner Gupta made the motion and Commissioner Ramirez seconded. Commissioners Gupta and Ramirez voted \"Aye,\" and Chair Serrano Quan also voted \"Aye.\" The clerk announced \"Motion carries.\"","The Planning Commission voted to set the April 9, 2025 meeting agenda and approve the consent agenda. The motion was moved by Commissioner Gupta, seconded by Commissioner Ramirez, and carried with three recorded ayes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning Commission hears update on accelerating landslide movement at Seal Cove; county to pursue geologic study and coordinate emergency response

San Mateo County planning staff outline 2025 long-range work program, timetables for housing rezoning and safety updates

Planning Commission approves agenda and consent agenda on unanimous voice vote