Half Moon Bay council moves to seek delay on Coastal Commission appeal of Redondo Beach gate

Half Moon Bay city officials and several residents told the City Council on June 3 they want more time to prepare for an appeal hearing by the California Coastal Commission over the city’s coastal development permit (CDP) to close Redondo Beach Road.

At a public-priority session, several speakers urged the council to ask the Coastal Commission to postpone its scheduled hearing so city staff and the affected parties can gather data and discuss mitigations. “I think we should delay this conversation that they’re having on [the hearing date], if we can, next week, and do work to … find alternative ways to solve the problems,” said Trish Hayward, who reviewed the Coastal Commission staff report during public comment.

Why it matters: the city approved a CDP to close the gate after complaints about vehicle-related crimes, dumping and environmental damage, but the commission has an open appeal. Council members said they prefer a strategic approach that avoids risking other local gates and access points if the commission rules adversely.

What was said and discussed - Resident Bruce Russell asked staff and the city attorney to try to postpone the Coastal Commission hearing so the city can engage with commission staff and assemble a fuller administrative record, including the security plan required from the Coastal Land Trust project in Wavecrest. He noted the broader implications for other local closures if the commission’s staff pursues enforcement. - Trish Hayward summarized the Coastal Commission staff report and said the city had not completed “a full analysis of the impacts to visitors of closing the gate” or “analysis and testing of alternative ways to achieve the same goals.” She recommended delaying the hearing to document mitigations such as more patrols, lights and motion-sensing cameras. - Vice Mayor Debbie Redick said the staff report from the Coastal Commission “looks fairly punitive” and urged postponement so the city can prepare and potentially coordinate with other jurisdictions that face similar coastal access and safety trade-offs.

Discussion versus next steps - Discussion: Council and staff discussed two options if postponement fails: (a) proceed to the Coastal Commission appeals hearing and make the city’s case, accepting the risk of a decision that might require reopening gates elsewhere; or (b) withdraw the CDP application before the commission hearing to buy time for further local work and strategy. - Direction to staff: council members instructed staff to pursue a postponement if possible and to prepare briefing materials, witnesses and contingency steps (including the withdraw option) in case the commission will not delay the hearing.

Context and constraints - The city says the Redondo gate closure stems from longstanding public-safety and environmental complaints; state coastal access policy requires careful findings before restricting vehicle access, and the Coastal Commission evaluates local CDPs. A separate review of the Coastal Land Trust (CLT) Wavecrest project was mentioned: CLT must submit a security plan and other mitigations before building permits are issued.

Ending Council members and staff agreed to prioritize preparation for the Coastal Commission process and to continue local discussions about mitigations and alternative measures before any final closure is implemented.