It is in the spirit of Ken Olson that I come to you today with some thoughts on 2009 and the year to come on the Coastside. After all, New Year’s is a time of reflection and prediction — it’s practically an international sport. Take the following for what it’s worth. And feel free to call me on all this on Dec. 31, 2009.
Beachwood will continue to dominate the headlines in the coming year. I offer this one first, because it is the only sure thing. This is the year the city will finally pay for taking Charles Keenan’s Half Moon Bay property. It’s been a long time coming, but the legal smoke has finally cleared to reveal some really poor engineering work near the site coupled with years of obfuscation. The city will pay the developer $18 million — most likely by issuing risky bonds — to learn that you can’t devalue private property, purposely or otherwise.
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Change on Main Street is likely to continue and be painful to watch. Expect some downtown businesses in Half Moon Bay to succumb to the faltering economy. Work on a mixed-use project at Kelly Avenue and Main Street is months behind schedule, which may have something to do with trouble getting capital and attracting tenants once the project is complete. That said, there may be some vibrant new tenants. It looks like “It’s Italia” will be open on Main Street in 2009 and other businesses are sure to hang a shingle in Half Moon Bay.
Ocean protections will make headlines. Surfers and conservationists will continue to differ on the use of personal watercraft off our shores. Marine Protected Areas will continue to take hold up and down the West Coast in an effort to replenish fish populations and save the Pacific Ocean from us. The effort is vital for fishermen who depend on the ocean’s bounty as well as for any Californian who enjoys a trip to the coast.
Area roadways will be in the news. The Devil’s Slide project will be one year closer to completion this time next year. Other than that, expect trouble. Earlier this year, a minor landslide left a few rocks on Highway 92 and crumpled a fence along the eastbound lanes heading over the hill. Heavy rains haven’t come this year, but if they do, expect more of the usual trouble. And this time, anything other than bare emergency aid from the state and federal governments may be hard to come by.
So there you have it. Some fearless forecasting. Cut this out. Tape it to the refrigerator, along with your own best guesses, and let’s see who has more to be embarrassed by come December 2009.
— Clay Lambert
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