Half Moon Bay Eyes November 2026 Ballot Measure to Reshape Downtown Growth Map

A joint study session of the City Council and Planning Commission signals consensus on modernizing the city's voter-approved growth management system, with plans to update the downtown boundary, ease ADU rules, and tighten fire safety scoring.

• Broad support emerges for a map-only ballot measure in November 2026 to align Measure D's downtown boundary with the Local Coastal Plan's Town Center designation.

• 70 building allocations available for 2026 under the city's growth management system, with demand for ADUs far outpacing supply.

• Fractional allocations for ADUs and rollover of unused permits moving toward code amendments to meet Housing Element commitments.

• Lottery system proposed to replace labor-intensive scoring for mid-ranked applications.

• Fire safety and home hardening criteria under review as wildfire risk reshapes coastal development standards.

• Deed restriction tracking gaps identified—projects earning bonus points for affordable housing commitments lack post-construction monitoring.

Half Moon Bay's Measure D, the voter-approved growth management system governing new residential construction, is approaching a potential inflection point. While the framework has largely worked as intended—allocating permits through a scoring system that rewards sustainability and affordability—rising ADU demand, staffing constraints, and evolving fire risks have exposed friction points that city leaders want to address before the next major election cycle.