Coastal Trail Safety, New Leadership Top Parks Commission Agenda

Half Moon Bay's Parks and Recreation Commission opened 2026 with a packed meeting that surfaced a growing tension between pedestrians and e-bike riders on the California Coastal Trail — a conflict that state law has so far kept the city from resolving on its own. Commissioners also elected new leadership, reviewed a scaled-back neighborhood park redesign, and began sketching an ambitious slate of recreation priorities that will hinge on community partnerships and a looming $650,000 revenue question.

• Four residents demand action on dangerous e-bike speeds on the Coastal Trail; state law blocks a local ban, but county and state efforts are advancing
• Hilary Stamper elected chair, Tito Hernandez vice chair in unanimous commission reorganization
• Frenchman's Creek Park Phase 2 scaled down after bids came in $200,000 over budget; revised design taps $185,000 in Prop 68 grant funds
• Commission begins mapping 2026 priorities including movie nights, a pump track, and a potential dog park — with a mandate to line up community partners for each
• School district clears insurance hurdle for swim programs; commission to draft a letter supporting public pool access
• $650,000 Ocean Course non-resident golf fee expiring in September puts Ritz Carlton fundraiser on hold

Four residents came before the commission with urgent, sometimes emotional accounts of near-misses and fear on the California Coastal Trail — a multi-use path that passes through city, county, state, and land trust property along the coast.