The Planning Commission consists of citizen volunteers appointed by the City Council to make decisions or advise the Council on land use and property development issues. The Commission assures that new development is consistent with our Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, long-range General Plan and Local Coastal Plan, State laws and other public policies that advance the interests of our community.
Planning Commission Meetings - 2nd and 4th Tuesday, monthly
Ted Adcock Community Center
535 Kelly Avenue
Half Moon Bay, CA
Public Comments. Staff will respond to public comments submitted before Monday 3:00 PM, the day prior to the Tuesday scheduled meeting. Comments submitted after that time will be forwarded to Planning Commissioners up to one hour before the Tuesday meeting.
Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Avenue, Half Moon Bay, CA
2nd and 4th Tuesday, monthly
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City Launches Implementation Plan Outreach as ADU Ordinance Violation Looms
Staff reported eight community roadshows starting September 3 for the land use plan implementation, warned of a pending state ADU law violation, and scheduled the safety element for October 13.
Why it matters: Half Moon Bay is in violation of state ADU law and faces a tight timeline to adopt a compliant ordinance, while the implementation plan rewrite of the zoning code will shape coastal development rules for years to come.
Commission Greenlights Acquisition of Coastal Lot for Public Recreation and Lot Retirement
Commissioners unanimously confirmed that acquiring a vacant 7,501 sq ft West Railroad parcel for public recreation and the lot retirement program is consistent with the general plan.
Why it matters: The acquisition implements the city's one-to-one lot retirement policy that offsets traffic impacts from new subdivisions and preserves open space in the coastal zone, with the city having retired roughly 10 such parcels over the past dozen years.
Commissioners Approve Pullman Home But Demand Highway Wall Makeover
The commission unanimously approved a 3,836 sq ft home and deed-restricted ADU at 2781 Pullman, conditioning approval on redesigning a highway-facing concrete wall that every commissioner found objectionable.
Why it matters: The project adds a 55-year deed-restricted affordable ADU to Half Moon Bay's housing stock, but the wall debate exposed a gap in the city's design standards for structures along the Highway 1 visual corridor, with potential precedent for future coastal development.
Half Moon Bay
Local ControlPlanning Commission36d agoAugust 5, 2026
Commissioners Blast State Housing Mandates but Concede Compliance Is Unavoidable for Now
All five commissioners expressed concern about state overreach eroding local planning authority, but four concluded the litigation and financial risks of noncompliance outweigh resistance at this time.
Why it matters: Half Moon Bay faces an Attorney General lawsuit, loss of SB1 and Caltrans grant funding estimated in the millions, and exposure to the builder's remedy that could allow uncontrolled development on any parcel in the city.
Half Moon Bay
Our Lady Of The PillarPlanning Commission36d agoAugust 5, 2026
Church Supporters Demand Removal of Parish Land from Housing Opportunity Site List
Multiple speakers and a parish attorney urged the commission to remove the 300 block Church Street property, citing religious freedom, unwilling ownership, and plans for a Catholic school.
Why it matters: The commission recommended a site swap within six months of housing element certification, acknowledging the church's opposition while avoiding further delay that could deepen the city's legal exposure.
Half Moon Bay Reluctantly Advances State-Mandated Housing Rezonings and By-Right Approvals
Planning Commission votes 4-1 to recommend rezoning 10 parcels from R2 to R3 and establishing by-right ministerial approval for affordable housing developments with at least 20% low-income units.
Why it matters: The city faces an active state lawsuit, millions in lost grant funding, and the builder's remedy — which lets developers bypass all local zoning — if it fails to complete these rezonings to comply with its sixth-cycle housing element.
Planning Department Restructures to Full Strength, Rezonings Coming to Commission Imminently
Director Blackwell reported the department is nearly fully staffed after a reorganization that created a chief building official position and converted the housing coordinator role to a planner.
Why it matters: With HCD-required rezonings currently before the Coastal Commission and ADU ordinance updates expected by September, the department's capacity to process SB 35 applications and update the implementation plan depends on completing this hiring.
Half Moon Bay
SB 35Planning Commission79d agoJune 23, 2026
City Attorney Warns SB 35 Strips Discretionary Review from Qualifying Housing Projects
Half Moon Bay's first SB 35 informational session revealed the city is subject to streamlined ministerial housing approvals due to unmet RHNA goals and pending housing element certification.
Why it matters: With the Midpen Metzger Street project poised to be the city's first SB 35 application, commissioners and residents are grappling with reduced local control, parking impacts, evacuation safety, and whether a transit-stop designation could eliminate all parking requirements.
Half Moon Bay
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