The Committee for Green Foothills has once again demonstrated in a crystal clear way that it has no interest in being a community partner. While the CGF mission statement declares that the organization's purpose is to preserve open space, members have launched themselves into yet another frivolous lawsuit, this time against Big Wave.
Specifically, they have set their sights on adults with developmental disabilities.
CGF has apparently come to the conclusion that the Big Wave Wellness Center, which will provide critically needed affordable housing for adults with developmental disabilities, is "not necessary for public health, safety, convenience or welfare." That was certainly news to the 170 families of C-PALS that have children with developmental disabilities. It seems that our adult disabled children once again have been marginalized.
In fact, the C-PALS families were more than a little surprised to learn that CGF considers itself to be experts on what's best for adults with developmental disabilities. It appears, from numerous statements its representatives have made, that CGF has little or no familiarity with the Lanterman Act, 1969, the purpose of which is to help individuals with developmental disabilities to "achieve the highest self-sufficiency possible and lead productive, independent and satisfying lives as part of the communities in which they live." The Lanterman Act goes on to say that "individuals with developmental disabilities and their families have the right to receive services and supports which will enable them to make decisions and choices about how, and with whom, they want to live their lives."
Apparently, CGF is not aligned with this thinking. As CGF legislative advocate Lennie Roberts stated, she "sympathizes" but would prefer that the project be "put somewhere else." NIMBYism is alive and well in the Committee for Green Foothills.
Perhaps CGF would prefer that the project be located in an open space area, away from the public, rather than on the in-fill lot that Big Wave LLC occupies. The Big Wave property is far from a pristine wilderness area, nor is it open space. It's located between housing, businesses and light industrial areas. Why CGF has chosen to spend its nonprofit donor dollars embroiling the organization in litigation for this particular property is curious. So much for working with the community to come up with a mutually acceptable plan so that our developmentally disabled citizens can live, work and recreate in their community where their families, friends and support systems are.
Another curiosity is that out of the 14 individuals that make up the Board of Directors of CGF, exactly one of them, April Vargas, lives on the coast and exactly five of them live in San Mateo County. Despite this, board members apparently feel they know what's best for the Coastside. Perhaps the CGF Board can spend the money it's using to litigate to instead purchase a more suitable property for the 40 adults with developmental disabilities who will occupy the Wellness Center.
CGF is not only an expert on what's best for the Coastside and for individuals with developmental disabilities, but presumably members are also authorities on tsunamis. Despite the fact that David Skelly, principal engineer and vice president of Geosoils, with 30 years experience with emphasis on coastal engineering, clearly states that Big Wave is in no danger of being threatened by a tsunami, CGF says that families are placing their children in "mortal danger."
Perhaps the board and staff of CGF should read the 5,000-page environmental impact report so they can learn all about Big Wave, which will be Platinum LEED certified when completed. Big Wave is the greenest project in San Mateo County. It will provide affordable housing and employment opportunities for 40 adults with developmental disabilities. It will also provide badly needed office and business space, creating jobs on the coast and reducing traffic going over the hill each workday.
Maybe Committee for Green Foothills is really not interested in being green at all. Perhaps it just wants to win, no matter what the cost.
Debby Lesser is president of C-PALS, a board member of the West Bay Housing Corporation and former chair of the Golden Gate Regional Center Board of Trustees.
LEEDA SWANSON posted at 1:59 pm on Fri, May 13, 2011.
Just how many people would Big Wave be able to take care of? How many would be permanent (guests)? Where would the line be draws as to whether they would be admitted as part of the local citizenry?
The project is quite beautiful and looks like something out of the Swiss Alps where there are many such sanotoriums which run up to $10,000 a day except for a few that are for Swiss residents, and are taken care of by insurance.
What is new to me is the amount of people on the coastside with "developmental dissabilities". Was that always one of the attractions which brought families here in the first place?
In the 50's as a child, I never heard anything like that and all I remember is coming here and playing on the sands and tons of things to do for children including the beach, many restaurants of all kinds, and a magnificent place which could have been made into a lovely beach town.
Things went awry after leaving back East to Sarah Lawrence and then spend years in Australia living in many parts of that huge place. All of beach towns were charming, inviting and people took very good care of the elderly and there were places all over the country for care of "developmentally disabled" children and grownups which were set aside for just that purpose.
It is that this is to become a place to support and take care of the handicapped and ignore the citizens who have worked hard to purchase some of what I think are ghastly and overpriced homes.
If I had known what a mess this area has become, how unfriendly, and how incredibly naive to politics and what this coast could have become, I would have gone back to Australia, where the people are super, interested, and neighborly.
This is a fighting and very crude area and the educational system is shocking to all of us.
Before you get too carried away with this BigWave project, I want you to know that we got an opinion from a military field expert visiting from Melbourne, who said that the entire project was not planned very well and that there were more problems that went with it than good.
In order to make it work, it would have to be the main focus of HMB and the entire area, and that it is badly situated to the extent that there are no ways to construct proper traffic ways and that the airport would more than likely have to go and that would not be a good idea in case catastrophic emergencies like earthquakes. Tsunamis would be the very last concern. He also wondered where this tusnami research was conducted.The topography of this area would have people on high ground in a matter of minutes.
He thinks that someone in high places has a mind for high drama and, like us, wonders about the amount of disabled people a bankrupt city can support? He actually called it stupid.
Mark Vidosh posted at 11:57 am on Fri, May 13, 2011.
Oh, one more thing, NIMBY, but how about the side yard? ;)
Mark Vidosh posted at 11:51 am on Fri, May 13, 2011.
A rambling rant...
Wrong place for this size project.
Let me point out just a few things I see, that I would like answered.
I live in Moss Beach and work in Princeton, MBY, I walk, run and bike these streets and trails. 2,000 more vehicles/day on these streets will create chaos. You will have to reconfigure Capistrano Rd into the harbor to allow this many vehicles through access to this project. New signal @ Cypress St and Hwy 1?
Your special needs people need sidewalks, there are no sidewalks in Princeton-by-the-Sea right now, which is less than 500 ft from your proposed project. Airport St. is wide enough for cars and pedestrians, Cypress St is not, it is very dangerous right now for pedestrians. On Airport St. there is only one short section of sidewalk connecting the trailer park with the warehouses, less than 10% of the whole street. Will you be installing sidewalks and lighting for your special needs? Or will you demand these changes from the taxpayer after you move in? ADA?
We already have a lot of vacant buildings in the county, I'm surprised you could not find one for your needs. From what I have read, you have tried to push this project through in other areas with no luck, so I am sure you guys are frustrated. Unfortunately, this is the wrong area. South of Half Moon Bay, lots of zoned land for your project and closer to Hwy 92. Open land (farm/winery?) near Seton Hospital, would be on higher ground and a better location for your special needs.
Loved the Dream Machines, but how are these special needs people with the loud airport noise?
Oh yea, I've been in construction for 25 years, if you construct this place the same way you put up the halfass story poles, were in trouble.
The 'biggest green project' ever under taken, except it would be 'man made' not natural, like it is now. Also a little hypocritical in claiming there is no need to worry about climate change, no need to worry about tsunami's, even though we just spent a lot of money on a warning system(why didn't we use it again with a tsunami approaching and an evacuation in progress?) I'm surprised you did not look at the logistics, you are literally at a dead end and near sea level, with special needs people. Risk? Emergency responders are already being threatened on the coast with budget constraints, we don't have the extra support needed for this operation in this location.
I have a shop on Airport St, I was told the seas would have to rise 8 feet for it to flood. With the recent announcement of prospective sea levels rising 53" in the next 100 years and one good tsunami surge, this is a viable topic. Who will help you evacuate all your special needs people? Of course I will be one of those to help you evacuate, but your ears will be burning. I'm also a little disconcerted about whom is leading in this county. To put special needs people in a known precarious area, a tsunami/flood zone, whom will be liable for their safety? Why even risk it? Concerned...Mark