By Alise Maripuu. Bay City News.
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Construction of affordable housing for the community's elderly farmworkers will go ahead, the Half Moon Bay City Council decided Wednesday, rejecting efforts to delay the project.
Council members listened to arguments from applicants, appellants and the public for nearly three hours before deliberating and ultimately voting unanimously to support the project.
The January 2023 shooting in Half Moon Bay, where a farmworker allegedly shot and killed seven coworkers at Mountain Mushroom Farm, exposed the poor living conditions in the area. The tragedy prompted the city to initiate plans to develop affordable housing for its farmworkers at 555 Kelly Ave. in the downtown area.
“In the immediate aftermath of the horrific shooting, a light flooded into the city of Half Moon Bay and brought to light the living conditions of farmworkers,” said Lilli Rey, president of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar’s board of directors.
The nonprofit provides resources and assistance to families and individuals in need in California's coastal communities. They will provide services directly to residents of low-income housing at 555 Kelly Ave. in a Farmworker Resource Center.
Multiple appeals were filed raising concerns about the location, building size, and the lack of a comprehensive parking plan in the project. Several members of the public also reiterated the same uncertainties during public comment.
“I have a problem with this project and this is how it has changed since it was originally approved. It has changed from four stories to five stories,” said David Gorn, a member of the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission. “It has changed from studio apartments to larger apartments. When it changes, it adds almost twice as many people than what was originally approved.”
The project began as a four-story building with 40 studio apartment units. The developers then changed the units to a mix of 26 one-bedrooms, eight two-bedrooms and six studios, while adding another floor.
Mercy Housing is leading the development of 555 Kelly Ave. It is an organization that creates and manages low-income housing across the country.
Mercy compromised on community concerns about building height by reducing the floor-to-ceiling height on each level so that the resulting building height increase would be just five feet above four stories, said Ramie Dare, director of real estate for Mercy Housing California.
Opponents of the project said emotions were getting in the way and that the city should use logic to evaluate its decision and wait to ensure a more carefully planned project.
But there has also been pressure from above since California Gov. Gavin Newsom sharply criticized Half Moon Bay for the delay in a statement issued in May.
“This delay is egregious and puts the well-being of Californians at risk. The state Housing Accountability Unit is reviewing the city’s actions and will take all necessary steps to hold Half Moon Bay accountable if the project does not move forward as required by state law,” Newsom said at the time.
Council members had mixed opinions about the project during deliberations. Robert Brownstone and Harvey Rarback supported the plan. Rarback had an issue with limited parking spaces, but suggested negotiating with Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Church next to the project site, which has plenty of parking spaces.
“If people are waiting for a comprehensive parking solution downtown, they’re going to be waiting for a while, and I don’t think this project can wait for a while,” Rarback said.
Councilwoman Deborah Penrose said she had attended the meeting hoping to propose a motion to reject the project and request that the original plan for four stories and 40 studio units be returned. But hours of public comment and hearing the urgent needs for these homes from the community led Penrose to move forward with the new plan.
“I have to act with my heart and not my head,” Penrose said. “It may end up hurting a lot of people because of traffic conditions and parking and the rest of the needs of the community. If that’s the case, I’ll have made a mistake, but I’m willing to do it because that’s what my heart tells me to do.”
Ultimately, all council members sided with the project's supporters, demonstrating their priority of getting older farmworkers improved housing rather than waiting any longer to create a perfect plan.
“We cannot allow perfection to be the enemy of good,” Rarback said.
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