HMB Approves Collaborative and Compassionate Removal of the Unhoused Living by Safeway and Pilarcitos Creek and a Permanent Fence for Riparian Restoration

VIDEO. From the Half Moon Bay City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 6th, 2022 at 7:00pm by Zoom.

This agenda item was approved  via the Consent Calendar, without discussion.

Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with SWCA Environmental Consultants, in the amount of $53,328 for environmental and entitlement services associated with the Pilarcitos Creek Restoration and Remediation Project.

RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with SWCA Environmental Consultants, in the amount of $53,328 for environmental and entitlement services associated with the Pilarcitos Creek Restoration and Remediation Project.

FISCAL IMPACT: The consultant services costs are included in the Capital Improvement Program and allocated in the FY 2022-23 Capital Budget.

STRATEGIC ELEMENT: This action supports the Infrastructure and Environment, Fiscal Sustainability and Healthy Communities and Public Safety Elements of the Strategic Plan.

BACKGROUND: Pilarcitos Creek is a 13.5-mile-long coastal stream of which approximately 11,000 linear feet is located within the City limits of Half Moon Bay. The creek is an area of significant ecological diversity which includes endangered and threatened species of flora and fauna. The watershed is considered an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) under the City’s Local Coastal Program. The creek and the abutting riparian habitat are subject to potential oversight and consultation of various State and Federal regulatory agencies.

In recent years, the creek and abutting areas near the Strawflower Village Shopping Center have been the site of habitation by unhoused individuals. This habitation, including the accumulation of trash and debris is likely contributing to impacts to the water quality of the Pilarcitos Creek which negatively impact the natural functioning of the watershed and habitat for wildlife. In May of 2018, the City implemented Phase 1 of the Pilarcitos Creek Restoration Project, which included the collaborative and compassionate removal of more than 40 unhoused individuals and their property from within the riparian corridor, removal of debris, and installation of temporary fencing along the border of the Shopping Center and the riparian area of Pilarcitos Creek.

At the time of the original work, staff had envisioned replacing the temporary fencing with permanent fencing. Due to financial and staffing impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this phase of the project was never implemented. Today, the area is once again seeing an influx of unhoused individuals, which, albeit on a smaller scale, are resulting in many of the same deleterious impacts to the Pilarcitos Creek and watershed.

Staff is currently working on details of design for the fencing project. As envisioned, a fence would be constructed in the rear area of the Safeway Market (adjacent to the existing parking lot) and extend easterly along the edge of the existing sidewalk to near the pedestrian bridge. The City is working in collaboration with the owner of the Strawflower Shopping Center and will further develop the plans and specifications in consultation with the environmental consultant and City planning staff.

DISCUSSION: This phase of the Project proposes the installation of permanent fencing along the border of the riparian corridor with the Strawflower Shopping Center. The fence will serve to protect the critical watershed and habitat along Pilarcitos Creek from all human activity including that associated with encampments. The fencing portion of the project will be subject to a public hearing and ultimately issuance of a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) by the Planning Commission.

The City requested an initial proposal and has met and negotiated with SWCA Environmental Consultants to negotiate the scope and cost proposal. Funding for this work is included in the Capital Budget and has been allocated in the FY 2022-23 Capital Budget.

The final phase of this project (future) will complete the necessary restoration of the riparian habitat and remove non-native plant species. All planned restoration activities will occur outside the active creek channel in accordance with U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) requirements and under direct biological and cultural monitoring under separate/future professional services agreement.

Staff is requesting approval of a professional services agreement (PSA) with SWCA Environmental Consultants. SWCA is currently working with the City on major support for the Corporation Yard project and other smaller projects and has been an excellent partner. The proposed scope includes project management, entitlement assistance, preparation of a Biological Resources Evaluation (BRE), agency consultation, preparation of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents, Preparation of a Coastal Development Permit, and biological monitoring for the project. The BRE will be subject to required 45-day review by the California Coastal Commission and resource agencies prior to consideration of any CDP.

Full Agenda Report

City Council of Half Moon Bay Meets ~ 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 7:00pm

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The New Now ~ Virtual Remote Public Agency Meetings

Watch streaming, or the Pacifica Coast TV video, that we will post. Stay tuned!

The meeting will be held at the Adcock Community Center for any members of the public who wish to speak in person, though we do encourage all members to participate remotely.

The meeting will be:

• streamed live on Comcast Channel 27 and Pacific Coast TV website
• the City’s website online (via Granicus)
• and on Facebook Live
  • one in English (City of Half Moon Bay FB Page)
  • one in Spanish (City of Half Moon Bay Recreation FB Page)
• Recorded by Pacific Coast TV (PCTV)

Members or the public are welcome to submit comments (in accordance with the three-minute per speaker limit) via email

to jblair@hmbcity.com prior to or during the meeting, via Facebook live during the meeting, and via two phone lines during the meeting – (650) 477-4963 (English) and (650) 445-3090 (Spanish).

The City Clerk will read all comments into the record.

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