Harbor Board Holds Burnham Strip Land for Deer Creek Restoration

The San Mateo County Harbor District board met July 15 for a wide-ranging session that touched on everything from creek daylighting to cold-water saunas — but the headline decision was to keep strategic parcels off the market. Commissioners also renewed a media contract after a pointed debate about whether anyone is actually reading the district's social media, and voted to bring meetings to the bayside for the first time since 2019.

• Board retains Burnham Strip parcels, preserving the option for a Deer Creek daylighting project that could cut harbor dredging costs and create public green space
• Coastside Buzz media contract renewed for 12 months, but commissioners demand district-specific analytics and order a comprehensive communications strategy by year-end
• Resolution 2609 sends two board meetings per year to South San Francisco, expanding access for bayside residents who rarely make the trek over the hills
• Princeton Shoreline project on schedule with six design alternatives in development; Lighted Boat Festival, half marathon, and sauna ventures signal a push to diversify harbor attractions
• El Granada resident accuses board of dismissing RV park complaints as "propaganda," sharpening ongoing tensions over transparency

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Burnham Strip: Hold the Land, Keep the Options

Why it matters: The Harbor District's decision to retain a string of El Granada parcels keeps alive a potential bioswale project that could reduce the sediment choking Pillar Point Harbor — saving future dredging dollars while creating a public park.

Where things stand: General Manager James B. Pruett walked commissioners through every parcel the district has acquired since November 2023. The Burnham Strip parcels (1 and 2), zoned for linear parks, trails, parking, or stormwater treatment, were originally slated for a parking lot to serve Surfers Beach. That plan was abandoned after community opposition at a meeting hosted by a state senator, and parking was relocated to parcels 3 through 7.

The more compelling case for keeping the land centers on Deer Creek. Pruett described an engineered bioswale that would daylight the creek through the Caltrans right of way adjacent to the parcels, filtering stormwater before it reaches the beach. "It would also prevent all the sand that comes down from the hillside and deposits into Pillar Point Harbor — gets trapped," said General Manager Pruett, framing the project as a two-for-one: cleaner water and lower dredging bills.

The other side: Commissioner Tom Mattusch initially wanted to declare the parcels surplus and recoup the district's investment. "I'm almost back to the do nothing until we get more information because I would seriously like to get the Harbor District's money back on Parcel 2," he said. "However, I'm also very invested in redoing Deer Creek and having that reroute to the ocean."

Commissioner Kathryn Slater-Carter made the most forceful case for retention, citing the district's history of selling land it later needed. "This district has in the short term made mistakes in selling land that it turned out later would have been useful to further the Harbor District mission," she said. She pointed to the GCSD's underground wet-weather storage facility on the Burnham Strip as proof that unforeseen infrastructure needs arise. "It is one of the most unique sewer facilities that I've heard of," she said of the underground operation.

Commissioner William Zemke agreed: "I don't want to sell it right now and then 10 years from now saying, oh, darn, we could have done this with that land."

Public commenters weighed in on both sides. Barbara Dye, a local historian and open space advocate, urged more collaboration between the Harbor District and GCSD before any commercial sale. Birgita Bauer of El Granada argued the district overpaid for the post office lot by $280,000 over appraisal and said the Burnham parcels were "thrown in" with no value, urging the district to donate them to the community.

Decisions: The board directed staff to take no action on the Burnham Strip parcels, continue current boat storage operations on the Princeton parcels, and maintain surplus status for the El Granada post office lot — which has attracted no buyers. President George Domurat summed up the consensus: "If we preserve — I think the most number of options," he said, suggesting a future study session to evaluate the parcels more formally.

What's next: The Princeton parcels will continue serving as boat storage with plans for stack storage and a launch service. The old boatyard waterfront parcels are being cleaned up for potential use as Army Corps staging for the Princeton Shoreline project.

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Coastside Buzz Renewed — but the Board Wants Receipts

Why it matters: The unanimous vote to renew the Coastside Buzz media contract masks a deeper reckoning: commissioners aren't sure the district's social media investment is reaching the right people, and they've ordered staff to build a comprehensive communications strategy that covers both harbors and all audiences.

Where things stand: The Finance Committee recommended renewing the one-year professional services agreement with Coastside Buzz LLC, which publishes harbor district content across Instagram, Facebook, and its website. General Manager Pruett reported June metrics of 29,000 active users and 26,000 new users, with an average user age in the 20s.

Commissioner Slater-Carter, drawing on experience from a McDonald's Bay Area advertising committee, wasn't buying the top-line numbers. "This doesn't tell me who the active users are," she said. "It doesn't tell me how many repeat active users there are." She questioned the 20-second average engagement time and asked what drove viewership spikes. She initially proposed cutting the contract to six months but withdrew the idea after General Manager Pruett pointed out the existing no-cause termination clause. "Any board member can bring it up as a new motion to consider canceling it at any time," he said. "Article 20 of the professional service agreement provides the authority to the district to cancel it at any time for cause or no cause."

Commissioner Mattusch made a more targeted request: "Perhaps we could ask Coastside Buzz to give us this type of information solely for the Harbor District-related posts — the Google Analytics, not just for Coastside Buzz of 29,000, 26,000 and so on."

President Domurat provided context, explaining that the finance committee had evaluated the contract alongside the district's separate PR firm. "We were thinking about how does a Coastside Buzz fit into the overall communication strategy?" he said. The committee directed staff to develop a comprehensive public affairs and outreach options report for committee review before year-end, with a full board presentation planned for spring 2027.

Slater-Carter also pushed for more Oyster Point coverage, advocating for "some kind of long-range outreach plan and program for the Harbor District" to increase traffic and the district's value to the county.

Barbara Dye praised Coastside Buzz during public comment, noting that as a sewer authority board member, her agency's support for the platform is intended to publicize information of value to the community about all agencies.

Decisions: Approved unanimously (For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1 — Commissioner Melanie Wright absent).

What's next: Staff will develop a comprehensive communications strategy for finance committee review before year-end. Future Coastside Buzz metrics will need to isolate Harbor District-specific performance.

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Two Meetings a Year Head to South San Francisco

Why it matters: The Harbor District spans all of San Mateo County, but its meetings have been held almost exclusively on the coast. Resolution 2609 carves out two annual meetings at the new South San Francisco City Council chambers — at no cost — potentially engaging the far larger population east of the hills.

General Manager Pruett credited Deputy Board Secretary Melanie Haddon with securing the arrangement at 901 Civic Campus Way, with meetings planned for May and September. Commissioner Zemke said he had been pushing for the change and is also working to get a booth at South San Francisco's Concert in the Park series. "Over the six years I've been on the board, I've seen a steady increase in our ability to attract the public and do things and do events," he said, crediting board leadership and the general manager.

Commissioner Slater-Carter noted the board had previously held meetings in South San Francisco but stopped around Covid; the last such meeting was in 2019.

Decisions: Resolution 2609 adopted unanimously (For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1 — Commissioner Wright absent).

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Minor Items

• Consent calendar (Items 1–5) approved unanimously with no discussion (For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1).
• Commercial activity permits rose from 25 to 33 year-over-year; 17 event permits were issued — 10 at Pillar Point, 7 at Oyster Point Marina — per Interim Director of Administrative Services Rochelle Medina.
• Lighted Boat Festival planning has expanded to fill nearly the entire parking lot between the harbormaster's office and tenant row.
• A new half marathon through the Mermaid Series is in development, with an expected 1,000 runners in spring.
• Two sauna companies are in discussions about operating at the harbor for cold-water immersion experiences.
• Coastside coordination planning continues with Half Moon Bay, GCSD, Caltrans, the Water Board, and other agencies; a full-group meeting is planned for August.
• Public commenter Birgita Bauer criticized the board for dismissing her October complaint about the Pillar Point RV Park, saying it was labeled "misinformation" and that Vice President Virginia Chang Kiraly called it "absolute propaganda." She also urged the district to restore Surfers Beach parking.
• Commissioner Tom Mattusch thanked an RFP evaluation committee during commissioner comments.