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Council reviews draft Commercial Vitality Ordinance to address vacant and blighted storefronts; staff to revise after merchant input
Summary
City staff presented a draft ordinance to set standards and a notification process for vacant or neglected commercial storefronts. Council and public commenters urged collaboration with downtown merchants, clearer enforcement standards and flexible display options; staff will return with a revised draft.
The City of Half Moon Bay held a study session Oct. 7 on a draft Commercial Vitality Ordinance intended to reduce blight, improve storefront appearance and provide a simple notification process when commercial properties are vacant.
Karen Decker, the city’s economic and community vitality manager, told council the draft is designed to be scale‑appropriate for Half Moon Bay and focuses on education and collaboration, with enforcement tools reserved for cases where outreach and compliance fail. The draft would require property owners to notify the city when spaces go vacant and would establish basic maintenance and storefront display standards while avoiding an overly burdensome registration regime.
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