Caltrans Launches Study to Save Highway 1 at Surfers Beach

The Midcoast Community Council's May 13 meeting was dominated by the coast's most consequential infrastructure challenge — protecting Highway 1 from the sea — alongside county wildfire mitigation plans hitting the ground this summer and a hazard mitigation plan that has already unlocked $111 million in federal funding.

• Caltrans unveils nature-based options for Highway 1 at Surfers Beach, including artificial dunes, reefs, and beach nourishment, with a feasibility study targeting a fundable solution by summer 2027

• County Parks deploys goat grazing and fuel breaks starting late June, removing 30-40 eucalyptus trees behind El Granada Boulevard homes and piloting goat crews near Montara

• County hazard mitigation plan opens for public comment May 15, with a 30-day window that directly shapes which projects qualify for FEMA grants

• Gas water heater replacement ban passes 10-8 at the Bay Area Air Quality District, forcing electric conversions after 2027 and raising cost alarms for older coastside homes

• MCC faces July 1 election deadline with at least three seats up and one member term-limited; debate over who pays for candidate statements deferred to next meeting

Caltrans District 4 Climate Adaptation Planning Branch Chief Cody Hedges delivered the meeting's marquee presentation — a concept plan and feasibility study for the eroding stretch of Highway 1 at Surfers Beach that has threatened the roadway for years.