Should Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties open up Coastal Highway One to residential/commercial development? (San Francisco: real estate)

[goodtype]

During my last trip to San Francisco Bay Area, I drove from Santa Cruz to Half Moon Bay on Scenic Highway One. I was shocked how rural it was. While beautiful to look at I wonder if eventually the real estate and affordable living groups will elect officals who will open much of that area to housing and commercial development. There is an incredible amount of demand for housing in the greater Bay Area and I think many people would love to live in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the area between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz.

With 30 million people moving into Ca in the next 40 years eventually the area will be developed as other areas become full. Don't you think?

[krudmonk]

Hell no. More sprawl and awful commutes jamming up rural highways? Awful.

P.S. Santa Clara County doesn't reach the coast. That's Santa Cruz County.

[sonarrat]

There are too many people with a lot of money to throw at the cause of not allowing any more development. You can bet the entire town of Hillsborough would stage a riot if you tried to build a condo farm at Crystal Springs Reservoir.

[DMenscha]

The California Coastal Commission regulates development along the coast.
California Coastal Commission Home Page
I think they have jurisdiction an average of about 1000 yards inland from the high tide line. You also have an infrastructure problem; No water rights and no sewage treatment and an incredibly small chance of ever having them.

[cvp73]

Goodtype, not if I can help it. Coastside San Mateo Co. and Santa Cruz Co. are not negotiable. Much of that land is protected either as parkland/open space or farms with development restrictions. Even if it was not, can you imagine the traffic getting in and out of there? Plus, where does the water come from? As a native of this part of California, I grow tired of newbies coming in here with "better" ideas of how to use our land. Why do you think the Bay Area is so desirable? Yes, you guessed it. Becuase much of it doesn't look like LA, or Chicagoland or any other sprawl ridden, traffic-choked nightmare. Hands off my home.