Free Vegetation Chipping and Funded Fuel Breaks Top Midcoast Wildfire Safety Push

The Midcoast Community Council received its most substantive wildfire preparedness briefing of the year on March 11, learning that two critical evacuation-route fuel breaks are funded and scheduled for construction this year — one on Highway 92 this summer and another on Highway 1 this fall. Meanwhile, the council is navigating a bureaucratic bottleneck to seat two new members, a delay that threatens to push its annual priority-setting retreat deep into spring.

• Funded fuel breaks on Highway 92 and Highway 1 will clear hazard trees along the midcoast's only evacuation corridors, with work beginning this summer

• Free vegetation chipping returns May 26 in Moss Beach, Montara, and El Granada — but El Granada had just seven participants last year, and the RCD is asking for help boosting sign-ups

• Governor Newsom's Zone Zero executive order is accelerating defensible-space requirements statewide; Coastside Fire Protection District has not yet adopted the regulations

• Two new council members await formal Board of Supervisors approval, stalling the council's annual retreat and leaving governance gaps as local agencies make decisions without MCC input

• Caltrans intersection work at Capistrano Road and Highway 1 is drawing complaints about reduced turning radii, with no formal response yet from the agency

Wildfire Safety Gets Real: RCD Lays Out Funded Projects and Free Chipping for Midcoast

Timothy Federal of the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District delivered a detailed, wide-ranging presentation covering the annual Neighborhood Chipper Program and a new regional wildfire resilience plan — together consuming roughly 40 minutes of the meeting and generating the most engaged discussion of the evening.

Free Chipping Starts May 26

The basics: The Neighborhood Chipper Program allows residents in eligible fire severity hazard zones in Moss Beach, Montara, and El Granada to clear defensible-space vegetation, pile it near their driveways, and have the RCD crew chip and haul it away at no cost. Rules: maximum 8-inch diameter branches, piles no larger than 10×10×5 feet. Sign-ups are open at sanmateorcd.org/chipper.

Why it matters: Participation last year was wildly uneven — about 50 households in Montara, but just seven in El Granada.

"In El Granada, we only had seven households participate. And so one question I wanted to raise today was if folks had ideas for how to increase that participation," said Timothy Federal, RCD project manager.

Burnett Silvera, an El Granada resident, offered a practical suggestion: pair the chipper mailers with information about upcoming Zone Zero enforcement requirements. "If you could expand on the needs for Zone Zero and its upcoming enforcement, I think would help a lot," he said.

Vice Chair Scott Bollinger added context from Cal Fire slides on Governor Newsom's February 2025 executive order accelerating Zone Zero adoption statewide. "Reducing vegetation in Zone Zero nearly doubles the property's chance of surviving a fire," Bollinger said, citing the Cal Fire presentation.

Federal noted that the Coastside Fire Protection District has not yet adopted Zone Zero regulations, to his knowledge, but said he would check at an upcoming meeting with the fire marshal. He also highlighted that three RCD project managers hold Cal Fire defensible space inspection certifications. "If folks are interested in a non-regulatory inspection where they're just getting advice based on the regulations, then we'd be happy to provide that," Federal said.

Krystlyn Giedt, CEO of Coastside Chamber of Commerce offered to post the chipper program on coastside411.com for free social media promotion. Sid Young noted he already promotes it on Nextdoor and at the Montara Water and Sanitary District board.

Fuel Breaks on the Only Way Out

Why it matters: Highway 1 and Highway 92 are the midcoast's only evacuation routes. Debris-laden shoulders already narrow the roads, and residents have long worried about a Paradise-like bottleneck in a wildfire.

Where things stand: Federal announced two funded projects under the Santa Cruz Mountains Regional Priority Plan:

• Highway 92 between Highway 35 and Interstate 280: A fuel break expected to begin this summer, managed by the RCD in collaboration with Caltrans. The prescription calls for an ember-resistant zone within 10 feet of the road, invasive species removal within 20 feet, and hazard tree removal within 50 feet. "That is the extent of that prescription," Federal said, stressing the approach is measured and will still preserve significant tree cover.

• Highway 1 north of the Lantos Tunnel: Caltrans will manage work within its right-of-way, with the RCD handling vegetation outside the ROW, expected this fall. A series of public meetings will begin in late April.

"Highway 92, we expect to occur sometime this summer and then Highway 1, we expect to occur in the fall," Federal confirmed.

The other side: Dan Haggerty, a frequent public commenter, raised concerns about over-clearing. "Is there any safeguard, is there any public meeting on this issue before it goes, before all the agreements are made and it's too late?" he asked. Federal assured him the outcome would still preserve significant tree cover and that public meetings for the Highway 1 project would precede implementation.

Sid Young offered an emotional counterpoint: "Every time I drive there and I see more and more limbs and tree debris down, all I can think of is those people from Paradise that couldn't get out of town," he said, noting there was no room on the shoulders during that disaster.

Federal also mentioned a Coastal Commission hearing the following day for a forest health project in the CZU fire footprint area, and confirmed that an interagency agreement exists with Golden Gate National Recreation Area for fuel reduction near El Granada, with more details forthcoming.

What's next: Public meetings for the Highway 1 project begin in late April. The full Santa Cruz Mountains Regional Priority Plan will be published within days, with an interactive project map already live online.

New Council Members in Limbo as Board Approval Drags

Why it matters: The Midcoast Community Council recommended two new members — David (attending in person) and Tony (online) — to fill vacancies, but neither can vote or formally participate until the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors signs off.

Where things stand: Chair Kimberly Williams had hoped for approval at the March 24 Board of Supervisors meeting with a swearing-in on March 25, but Marisol Escallera of Supervisor Mueller's office explained the process involves multiple steps.

"It goes into a memo, it gets prepared. It goes into a database or a system where we enter all the information for memos to go into Legistar, which is the system the county uses to put forth memos that need to get reviewed by various parties, including county counsel, the agenda team," Estellera said.

Both appointees committed to submitting bios the next day. Claire Toutant, council member, pressed for an estimated timeline. The discussion also surfaced a procedural question: whether the appointees need to be sworn in before participating in the retreat. Estellera committed to verifying that requirement. Dan Haggerty suggested they could attend as members of the public, but Williams emphasized wanting them as full participants, not observers.

What's next: The council tentatively set April 9 from 2 to 6 PM for its annual priority-setting retreat, contingent on absent Member Gus Mattammal's availability and the new members' formal approval. The facilitator consultant contract is also delayed — the consultant is unavailable until approximately April 6, and the contract had to be reworked to run through the county rather than the MCC. Connie Santilli, council member, extended the contract term through September to accommodate the delays. If Board of Supervisors approval doesn't happen until April 14, the retreat could slip to late April.

Caltrans Intersection Work Draws Community Pushback

Why it matters: Caltrans construction at the Capistrano Road and Highway 1 intersection is extending medians and adding pedestrian infrastructure, but residents say the changes are shrinking the intersection and reducing traffic flow — and the community wasn't notified in advance.

Where things stand: Marisol Escallera confirmed that Senator Becker's office is aware of both the median issue and community concerns, but no formal response has been issued. Connie Santilli provided ground-level intelligence from speaking with a Caltrans flagger: the project's main purpose is pedestrian and bicycle safety, with new pedestrian refuge islands, a new traffic signal, and a new crosswalk.

"There is going to be a new light. And there is also going to be a new crosswalk from Breakwater Barbecue to the RV park. So that's a pretty nice improvement," Santilli said.

Dan Haggerty argued the level of service would be permanently reduced regardless of signal adjustments. Vice Chair Scott Bollinger suggested the council ask whether the intersection meets state and federal design guidelines when Caltrans representative Chandra Singh visits to discuss the Moss Beach corridor project at a future meeting.

What's next: Chandra Singh's presentation on the Moss Beach corridor is expected at a future MCC meeting, providing a potential opportunity to raise the Capistrano Road concerns directly.

Council Scrambles to Cover Local Boards

The council identified growing gaps in its ability to monitor local agencies making decisions that directly affect the midcoast. Chair Williams raised the need to cover Granada Community Services District and Harbor District meetings after losing a member. Vice Chair Bollinger volunteered to attend the March 18 Harbor District meeting. Sid Young reminded the group about Montara Water and Sanitary District meetings.

Perhaps most concerning: the Sewer Authority Mid-Coast held a community comment period for a sewer main replacement without notifying the MCC. Williams plans to invite them to a future meeting. Dan Haggerty called on the Department of Public Works to present complete streets plans to the community before finalizing them. "I think that it's reasonable that they express to the community what their plans are before they're — and take input from the community before anything is finalized or planned," Haggerty said.

Other council activity: Bollinger is conducting a fire safety walkabout in Santilli's neighborhood, with neighbor interest for additional walkabouts. Santilli reported attending a Coastal Emergency Action Plan meeting where Cal Fire discussed breaking neighborhoods into sectors for assessment. The council's healthcare advocacy group decided to publish transportation options for healthcare access.

Minor Items

• February 25 meeting minutes approved on consent (voice vote: For: 3, Against: 0, Absent: 1 — Gus Mattammal absent).

• Agenda Item 5B postponed to the March 25 meeting; no details discussed.

• Coastside Chamber of Commerce grand opening at 508 Main Street on April 2, 4–6 PM, with ribbon cutting at 5 PM. Foot traffic has quadrupled in six weeks since opening, per Krystlyn of the Chamber.

• Catch HMB restaurant at the harbor: Sid Young urged support for the restaurant, whose owner has stage 4 cancer. The Harbor District had offered a rent reduction but may be rescinding it.

• Dan Haggerty urged the council to review the Dark Sky International board policy declaration recommending all outdoor lights be set at 2200K color temperature to reduce blue-rich LED light exposure, citing studies on breast cancer and cardiovascular disease at softlights.org.

• Dan Haggerty advocated for Harbor District land north of Sam's to be preserved as a park with overflow parking.

• Claire Toutant, council member, announced Senator Berman is hosting a wildfire town hall next Wednesday from 5 to 6 PM, requiring a link from his office to attend.