State Threatens Half Moon Bay Over Housing Compliance as Cell Tower, Habitat Debates Advance

Half Moon Bay's Planning Commission met April 14 with only three of five members present — and a full plate. The state's housing enforcer has put the city on a short list for potential Attorney General action, commissioners wrestled with how to camouflage what will be the city's tallest structure, and a land trust made the case that an outdated tree ordinance is blocking grassland restoration.

• Half Moon Bay named among 15 cities facing potential AG referral over housing element non-compliance; transportation grants already at risk

• 68-foot Verizon cell tower approved 3-0 on Carter Hill with faux-tree camouflage and easement conditions after neighbor dispute

• Coastside Land Trust warns crow explosion and cypress encroachment are destroying raptor habitat at Wavecrest; heritage tree policy reform urged

• Wavecrest coastal trail nears completion as beach stairs rise and an unresolved Apple TV damage claim lingers

Community Development Director Leslie Lacko opened the meeting with an unusually detailed briefing on three enforcement letters the city has received from the California Department of Housing and Community Development — a rapid-fire escalation that places Half Moon Bay squarely in the state's crosshairs.