Self-Storage Facility Approved at Half Moon Bay's Scenic Gateway With Landscape Conditions

Half Moon Bay's Planning Commission unanimously approved a 68-unit self-storage facility behind Curly and Red's Auto Body on the city's designated scenic northern gateway — but only after commissioners added conditions requiring the Architectural Advisory Committee to sign off on landscaping and building aesthetics before construction can proceed. The debate surfaced a tension at the heart of coastal planning: how to support industrial-zone commerce while protecting the visual character of a corridor the city has earmarked for improvement.

• 68-unit self-storage facility approved 5-0 at 215 San Mateo Road, with conditions requiring AAC review of landscaping and building colors

• Commissioners flag gap in staff report on scenic gateway policies; Vice Chair Hernandez identifies stronger Northern Gateway landscaping standards

• Residents raise concerns about crime, traffic, noise study adequacy, and the loss of one of the coast side's last auto body shops

• Planning department hires two new planners and taps consultant Martha Miller for overdue Local Coastal Program update

• Commissioner Rems reports 300 state planning bills passed last year have eroded local commission authority

Storage Units on a Scenic Corridor: Commerce Meets Gateway Aspirations

The commission's lone public hearing consumed more than 85 minutes of discussion as commissioners weighed the economic merits of a principally permitted industrial use against the visual impact on the city's northern entrance from Highway 92.

The basics: Applicant Jason Migilan, whose family owns the property at 215 San Mateo Road, proposed placing 68 prefabricated storage units (8-by-20 feet, 8 feet tall) behind the existing Curly and Red's Auto Body shop. The project includes a bioretention pond for stormwater, reconfigured parking with 20 spaces, chain link and composite fencing (approximately 600 linear feet), retaining walls (approximately 400 linear feet), and a 22-foot fire lane. Operating hours would be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Self-storage is a principally permitted use on the light-industrial-zoned parcel — no use permit required — but the location triggers a coastal development permit.

Development Director Leslie Lacko presented the staff recommendation for approval with a CEQA categorical exemption for infill development, noting conditions for landscaping maintenance, retaining wall painting, sign permits, and pavement striping. But a key gap emerged early.

Why it matters: Vice Chair Rick Hernandez identified that the project falls within the city's Northern Gateway designation — which carries stronger landscaping requirements than the Town Boulevard Scenic Corridor alone, a distinction the staff report had not fully analyzed.

"The biggest impact from my reading of the policies that would be applicable if it is in the Gateway is that it's just going to be a little bit more vigorous in terms of the landscaping and focusing the approach as you come in to be more visually consistent with what we want from the downtown character," said Hernandez.

Lacko acknowledged the gap:

"It does fall into the city's gateway, into the northern gateway, and there isn't a great analysis in the staff report of that. I really focused on the Town Boulevard scenic corridor."

Where things stand: Commissioners split into two camps — supportive of the use but divided on density and visual impact.

Commissioner Christopher DelNagro questioned the tight site layout, noting the 12-foot drive aisles between rows were far narrower than typical storage facilities. He also flagged that the front row of units would push existing auto body operations — including wrecked vehicles — closer to public view, and pointed out that storage facilities generate no sales tax for the city.

Chair David Gorn pressed hardest on aesthetics, noting the staff report contained no visual renderings showing how the project would appear from Highway 92 or Main Street.

"If what you see is a sea of storage units, then it's not so great. And I can't really tell if that's what you're going to see because no one's said anything about that. No one's studied that. Nobody's looked at it," Gorn said.

He also raised concerns about car wash chemicals draining into the bioswale and about long-term retaining wall durability.

The other side: Commissioner Steve Ruddock argued the gateway designation is aspirational given existing conditions along the corridor.

"The concept of the scenic gateways to me is an aspirational thing that over the long term Half Moon Bay can work towards. But I'm challenged to think of anything existing in any of our gateways that delivers the kind of scenic value that we would aspire to," he said, adding that a robust landscaping plan would be a practical step forward.

Commissioner Jacob Rems was more blunt, noting he had never noticed the building while driving:

"When you drive up, I can't remember ever seeing a building there because you're focused in on traffic. At that point, traffic is merging, trucks, buses, whatever."

Vice Chair Hernandez articulated the majority position:

"I think it's important that we support local businesses. This is an area zoned for industrial use. It makes a good use of an area that is designated for business."

But he insisted the gateway policies be enforced through conditions.

What the Public Said

Two residents used the public hearing to raise practical concerns.

Mary Jane Brusher, a Cypress Cove resident, questioned whether the existing noise study — based on an earlier design — was still adequate, objected to white-and-blue storage unit colors that would not blend with the surroundings, and asked about retaining wall and landscaping details.

Beth Squires warned that the community could lose vital auto body and towing services — "one of our last ones left" on the coast side, as Commissioner DelNagro later echoed. She also cited personal experience with crime at storage facilities and raised concerns about traffic entering and exiting Highway 1/92.

Decisions

Hernandez crafted the motion, which passed 5-0 (For: Hernandez, Ruddock, Rems, DelNagro, Gorn; Against: none; Absent: none). The approval carries five conditions:

1. A landscaping plan must be submitted for review and majority approval by the Architectural Advisory Committee

2. The AAC will also review integrated building color and design feel

3. Primary mitigation must focus on screening the property with landscaping

4. Gateway policy findings will be incorporated into the resolution

5. The landscaping plan must address visual impact of vehicles pushed toward the front of the property

If the AAC does not approve the plan by majority vote, the project returns to the Planning Commission.

What's next: The applicant must develop a landscaping and color plan for AAC review before construction can move forward. That review date has not yet been set. Hernandez signaled he wants future gateway-area projects to include landscaping plans at the Planning Commission stage.

Looking Ahead: Staff Hires and Coastal Plan Update

Development Director Leslie Lacko reported two significant staffing additions: Paul Kyla Hindsey, who started the prior Monday, and Ruby Zalduando, starting the following Monday. The hires address a staffing crunch that has constrained the department's capacity.

A consultant contract with Martha Miller of Miller Planning Associates for the Local Coastal Program implementation plan update will go before the city council on April 7. The AAC also reviewed a downtown banner program — pushed by the Downtown Business Association — that is expected to come to the Planning Commission in April, along with an outdoor living and pottery space at 429-431 Main Street.

Minor Items

• March 10 meeting minutes approved 3-0; Ruddock and Rems recused because they were absent from that meeting

• DelNagro promoted the local high school's production of Hadestown and the Dream Machines event on April 26

• Rems reported from the Planning Commissioner's Academy in Anaheim that 300 state planning bills passed last year have diminished local commission authority — "most of them have robbed planning commissioners of their authority to control projects, which didn't sit well with a lot of the people," he said. Next year's academy will be in Monterey.

• Hernandez announced a ribbon cutting at the Creekside development near Shoreline Station — 12 housing units including 4 affordable units — a project previously approved by the commission