Team Vibrant

Identified Challenges

Vacant and underutilized public spaces in downtown HMB limit economic potential and a sense of community.

• Good and services – consider professional services that do or don’t occupy commercial spaces downtown.
• Walkability/accessibility for bikes and pedestrians. There is not an easy way to safely travel from space to space, i.e., parts of Main St. closed to autos.
• Vast majority of businesses close early or even before their posted end time.
• Social media can be a powerful economic driver in commercial and community spaces, i.e., murals (with hashtags) are a great marketing and promotional opportunity.
• Zoning and burdensome local regulations contribute to vacancies and shuffle/churn.
• Price of commercial rents – differing opinions about affordability. Rent/square foot is not apples to apples when Mon-Thurs does not bring in patrons.

Capital improvements to community and commercial spaces are bottlenecked in Pescadero.

• Small population limits power, influence, and competitiveness for funding.
• There is a lack of jurisdictional authority and clear governance.
• Tourism does not result in reinvestment back into Pescadero’s infrastructure.
• There is not a cohesive community voice or charge toward a desired outcome and the means to achieve it.
• Regulatory policies and permitting are burdensome and inflexible (coastal zone, FEMA floodplain, historic designations and land uses, parking requirements).
• A wide geographic area necessitates centralized gathering spaces made difficult by lack of bike and pedestrian access.

Recommendations

• Redesign streetscape on Heritage Main Street in Half Moon Bay to improve mobility, economic activity, and vibrancy.
• Create a business improvement district or other funding mechanism to support revitalization efforts in the Half Moon Bay Town Center.
• Incentivize and support local businesses to provide services in recreational and activity hubs (i.e., beach, athletic fields, and neighborhood playgrounds).
• Create a community plaza in Pescadero which includes space for entertainment, local businesses, and recreation.
• Support formation of a new, professional staff role or increased capacity to drive economic and community development projects in Pescadero.

Research & Implementation

The Coastside Recovery Initiative is actively researching and seeking solutions to implement the recommendations.