Large Buildings with NO PUBLIC HEARINGS
In Half Moon Bay???
We are now once again collecting signatures to bring a new ordinance to the ballot: On Sept. 1, the city council passed an ordinance to increase zoning and authorize secret “by right” approvals by staff with no notice to neighbors or the general public.
If you are a Registered Voter who Lives in Half Moon Bay, Your Signature is needed before October 16th. Please come see us to sign the petition and encourage your family and friends to visit us outside Safeway between 10 AM and 4 PM daily, or let us know so we we can come to you
SUMMARY OF REFERENDUM RELATING TO ORDINANCE NO. 2026-03
This is a referendum against Ordinance No. 2026-03, which was passed by the City Council of Half Moon Bay on September 1, 2026, and is entitled as follows:
ORDINANCE NO. 2026-03 – AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HALF MOON BAY AMENDING TITLE 18 (ZONING) OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (IP) TO IMPLEMENT ZONING CHANGES IDENTIFIED IN THE LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM LAND USE PLAN (LUP) AND THE SIXTH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT
This referendum petition asks the City Council to repeal Ordinance No. 2026-03 (“Ordinance”) or submit the Ordinance to the voters. Signing this referendum supports this request.
Half Moon Bay sits entirely within California’s Coastal Zone, and its zoning rules are part of a State-certified Local Coastal Program. The Ordinance, introduced on August 18 and adopted on September 1, 2026, rewrites parts of those zoning rules to implement rezonings required by the City’s 2023–2031 Housing Element and State Law.
As required by State Law, the Ordinance changes, among other things, how certain housing projects get approved. On fourteen specific properties, a qualifying affordable housing project no longer goes through the discretionary review the City ordinarily applies. Instead, the Ordinance adds Chapter 18.44 (By-Right Affordable Housing Development) to Title 18 of the City’s Municipal Code to require the Community Development Director to approve such projects “by right,” without a public hearing. An applicant whose project is denied may appeal that denial to the Planning Commission, but the Ordinance does not allow anyone to appeal a project approval. Projects in the Coastal Zone still require a coastal development permit, though the Ordinance eliminates the hearing that would otherwise go with it.
As stated in Section 18.44.010 of the Ordinance, the purpose of Chapter 18.44 is to implement the 6th Cycle Housing Element and State Government Code sections 65583, subdivisions (c)(1) and 65583.2 subdivisions (c), (h), and (i) and implement the goals, objectives and policies of the City’s General Plan. To qualify for the “by-right” approval process, the proposed project must be a qualifying residential or mixed-use housing development project, and at least 20 percent of the proposed housing units must be affordable to households whose income is equal to or less than eighty percent of the area median income. The project must also be built at a density of at least 20 residential units per acre. Projects that do not meet those terms remain subject to the ordinary zoning rules for their district.
Section 18.44.015 of the Ordinance identifies the applicable sites where “by-right” approval is required by State Law for qualifying projects. The fourteen properties subject to the “by-right” process are as follows: three sites at 830 Stone Pine Road, 498 Kelly Avenue, and the 300 block of Church Street; one site at 101 Canada Cove Avenue, in the mobile home park district; and ten multifamily-zoned lots on Poplar Street (500 and 600 Blocks of Poplar Street, 604 Poplar Street) and 940 Main Street.
The Ordinance also rezones 10 sites (500 Block Poplar Street, 604 Poplar Street, 600 Block Poplar Street and 940 Main Street) from R-2 to R-3. This rezoning provides sufficient capacity for “by-right” affordable housing development on the sites, as State Law requires at least 20 dwelling units per acre. R-2 zoning only allows 17.42 dwelling units per acre. R-3 zoning allows 29.04 dwelling units per acre.
Separately, Chapter 18.43 of the Ordinance places a “Workforce Housing Overlay” on four sites zoned public and quasi-public (P-S) and eligible for residential use at 830 Stone Pine Road, 498 Kelly Avenue, 300 Block Church Street, and 0 Block Stone Pine Road. The overlay allows a qualifying housing project to be developed at a density of 30 to 45 dwelling units per acre, which is consistent with the densities adopted Housing Element and the Local Coastal Land Use Plan. At least 20 percent of the housing units must be affordable, across a range from the lowest incomes up through moderate income, under deed restrictions. If one of these sites is subdivided, the resulting site must be deed-restricted to school district workforce housing or affordable housing.
The Ordinance’s findings, among other things, quote Land Use Plan Policy 2-102, which describes workforce housing on public and institutional land: up to 40 units at Cabrillo Unified School District campuses, each housing at least one full-time district employee; up to 10 units at the City’s Ted Adcock Center; up to 40 units at the Catholic church at 515 Kelly Avenue [300 Church Street]; and up to 7 units at the Lutheran church at 900 Cabrillo Highway North.
The Ordinance also makes certain findings required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and replaces the City’s zoning map with a new citywide map dated July 2026.
The Ordinance specifies that it would take effect thirty days after its passage and once the California Coastal Commission certifies it.
The full text of the Ordinance, including all attachments, is available on the City's website https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=180348&repo=r-5b784a1a
August 11, 2026 - The First 5-Story Building in Half Moon Bay, with more to follow?
555 Kelly is a costly, high-density gamble that Half Moon Bay taxpayers should not be forced to accept. Voters should reject Ordinance 2026-01 and protect our small seaside city from a project whose financial, public-safety and infrastructure risks have not been adequately answered. This project opens the door to a sea of 5-story apartment buildings.
- A “major transit stop” fiction was used to justify a “super density bonus” allowing five-story buildings beyond Half Moon Bay zoning. Yet the City was told Half Moon Bay has no such transit stop.
- The City also lacks sufficient firefighting apparatus to provide safety for buildings of this scale.
- The proposed development costs $43,900,000 for just 40 units - more than $1,000,000 per unit. What happens when subsidies expire, fall short, or fail to cover operating costs? Will the people of Half Moon Bay be left holding the bag?
- Our city of 11,000+ residents has limited financial, water and sewer capacity. Are the agreements sufficiently clear and enforceable to protect the City? Is the financial information credible and sufficient to sustain operations for 99 years?
- These are not ideological questions. They are basic questions of fiscal responsibility, public safety and accountability. Let HMB Voters Decide has called for fact-based analysis: see www.LetHMBVotersDecide.com for detailed financial analysis, public-safety and parking issues, investor returns in projects labeled “non-profit,” and statements by current and former city officials.
- Half Moon Bay already has publicly funded farmworker subsidized housing. Voters deserve a full discussion of the needs of local farms and of affordability and housing needs of ALL local residents, businesses and workers.
- 1,000+ voters signed petitions in 2024 and again in 2026 to put this decision before the voters. Now it is your turn.
- VOTE NO on Measure Q, Ordinance 2026-01. Protect Half Moon Bay. Your vote is your voice.
July 21, 2026
The referendum will go to the voters for the November 3 election! We collected 1,092 signatures and County Elections verified that we far exceeded the minimum needed, which was 10% of the 8064 registered voters. Thank you to everyone who signed the petitions and to all of the supporters, volunteers and donors who helped spread the word, collect signatures, and assist with the legal and printing costs!
June 12, 2026
We are going to hit the number of signatures needed for our referendum but we need more signatures to build a safety margin.
If you have not signed for 2026 within the last 4 weeks, we can come to you (see below), or come see us to sign the petition and encourage your family and friends to visit us outside Safeway.
Location: Let HMB Voters Decide Table at Safeway at Strawflower Village Shopping Center
Hours: 10am to 4pm Daily through Monday, June 15.
LET US COME TO YOU
Reply to this email with your availability on Saturday, June 13 or Sunday, June 14 and we'll schedule a volunteer to swing by. Bonus points if you have a friend, family member, or neighbor that wants to sign too!
The last day for signatures is Monday, June 15. If you signed in 2026 already, thank you! If you signed in 2024, you'll need to sign the 2026 petition to make your voice heard. All signers must be registered voters residing within Half Moon Bay city limits.
DONATE TO LET HMB VOTERS DECIDE
June 2, 2026
Thank you to everyone who has already signed the new petitions! We are continuing to collect signatures through June 16, and if you haven't already signed - or if you only signed two years ago - we need you to
please come to Safeway any day between 10 AM and 4 PM where we have a table with volunteers to collect your signature.
Just to remind everyone, only registered voters who live within the city limits of Half Moon Bay, and are able to vote in City Council elections are eligible to sign the petitions. Please tell your friends and family who live in Half Moon Bay to join us at Safeway, or contact us to find out where else you can sign. We also have volunteers who can come to you if that is helpful.
Thanks also to our donors, who are helping us with the legal and printing costs. If you would like to help us reach our fundraising goal, please consider donating via our Donate page, or making a contribution directly to Let HMB Voters Decide and dropping it off with our volunteers.
DONATE TO LET HMB VOTERS DECIDE
May 22, 2026
It's time to sign this year's version of our petition to place the proposed 5-story, 40 apartment building at 555 Kelly on the ballot for Half Moon Bay's voters to decide in the November 3 general election. As we described in our July 4, 2024, message below, city officials told us that they would not process the 1179 signatures we collected in summer, 2024, because at that time they were only issuing administrative approvals, which they claimed were not reviewable by voters. Now that the City Council voted 3-2 to pass an ordinance approving a $1 per year lease for 99 years, and other related agreements, the time is NOW to begin again to gather enough signatures to place this major question for the town's future in the hands of our voters.
DONATE TO LET HMB VOTERS DECIDE
March 12, 2026
A Special Meeting of the City of Half Moon Bay City Council will be held this coming Wednesday, March 18, at 6 PM, at the Ted Adcock Center, to consider the details of a proposed 99-year lease at $1/year to Mercy Housing, to enable building the first 5 story building in the City.
During the summer of 2024, over 1,000 citizens signed a petition to require that this project be placed before Half Moon Bay's voters. This is a major policy decision which could open the door to the possibility of many more buildings in town far larger than the current 3 story height limit, which are the tallest buildings currently allowed in our city’s zoning laws.
The City Attorney denied our demand to place this decision before the voters, claiming that it was only an "administrative approval" and thus not subject to referendum. We disagreed with their refusal, but rather than argue in court, we knew that eventually the City would negotiate and offer a lease, and that is a City Council action which will definitely be subject to referendum.
We will be calling on our team of volunteers and petition signers, like you, to attempt again to bring this very important matter to the ballot, so HMB voters can decide.
We also have exciting news to share! We have a generous donor willing to match the first $2,000 we raise to help cover the costs of attorney fees, printing costs, and other administrative costs our all-volunteer committee has incurred. We will also need additional funds for the upcoming drive to gather signatures again. Will you chip in $20 to help us? Every dollar you chip in will double thanks to our matching offer!
DONATE TO LET HMB VOTERS DECIDE
July 4, 2024
The City of Half Moon Bay has tentatively approved the first 5 story building to appear near the center of town, which opens the door to the possibility of many more buildings in town far larger than the current 3 story height limit, which are the tallest buildings currently allowed in our city’s zoning laws.
This and related questions have not been discussed broadly in the community. We are seeking to place this question on the November 5 ballot to allow time for the citizens of Half Moon Bay to discuss, become well informed, and to weigh in on what will be one of the largest policy decisions for the future of our city.
There are multiple components to the proposed 555 Kelly Ave building, some of which relate to the location and size of the project, which is currently being planned for a very small city-owned property, and some of which relate to whether conditions exist here on the Coastside that invalidate local control over conformance to local codes, possibly opening the door to a flood of tall, super dense, affordable housing to be built throughout the city.
Citizens are entitled to vote on such city decisions, as we did to save the Main Street Bridge, and to keep CalFire. We are collecting signatures on a petition to place a referendum on the decision before the Voters of Half Moon Bay. From now through July 31, we invite you to join us, to place this on the ballot and Let HMB Voters Decide.