Miramar resident urges Half Moon Bay to act now on Pullman Ditch flooding

At the Nov. 18 public forum, longtime Miramar resident Joe Farrell urged the City Council to prioritize Pullman Ditch until flooding, dumping and polluted runoff are eliminated.

Farrell said changes in the early 1990s and again in 2008 redirected Highway 1 stormwater into Pullman Ditch and concentrated flows, and he asserted the city approved homes built below the bank grade in conflict with the local coastal program. "Caltrans redirected Highway 1 stormwater into the Pullman Ditch without obtaining easements from private properties being used as the outfall," Farrell said, and he blamed those decisions and subsequent erosion for repeated flooding incidents.

Farrell also raised water-quality concerns, saying samples showed elevated nitrogen and phosphorus and alleging that nearby Rocket Farms was sending wastewater "without a valid non-domestic discharge permit." He urged the city to move forward immediately with a bypass the Coastal Commission expects the city to build and to reduce flow before the next storm season.

Council response and context: City staff acknowledged ongoing Water Board investigations and the city's legal responsibilities under the basin plan and municipal stormwater permit. No formal staff action or vote was taken during the meeting; Farrell asked the council to make Pullman Ditch a standing agenda item until repairs and pollution controls are completed.

The council did not set a specific timeline at the meeting but was urged by the speaker and other residents to prioritize engineering and permitting to avoid further home damage and environmental discharge to the ocean.