Half Moon Bay City Council votes to approve housing development for senior farmworkers
HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- The Half Moon Bay City Council on Wednesday night voted unanimously to approve an affordable housing development for senior farmworkers. The city council meeting was contentious, as supporters and opponents of the project spoke.
MORE: After long debate, Half Moon Bay approves farmworker housing project backed by Gov. Newsom
The development will be a five-story, 40-unit complex on Kelly Avenue in the city's downtown business district.
It will also include a resource center for farmworkers and some parking on the first floor.
Supporters say the development addresses dire housing conditions coast side farmworkers currently face, especially after the deadly 2023 mass shooting at two farms that exposed their living conditions.
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But opponents argued the project was too big and would create traffic bottlenecks.
"Something more appropriate, please. not this project. please.," one opponent said during the meeting.
"The only way to house more people is to go up," said a supporter.
"We don't want to suffer any more. please. go forward with 555 Kelly," said another supporter.
The council dismissed three appeals for the project, clearing the path for the project to proceed.
This is one of the final steps in a long and delayed process to get this project going.
MORE: Newsom threatens Half Moon Bay with legal action over farmworker housing delay
Half Moon Bay's planning commission has been accused of moving too slowly on the project.
It even caught the attention of Governor Gavin Newsom, who threatened to intervene if the commission did not act -- and the commission gave the project conditional approval in May.
The next steps are a leasing agreement for the property.
Nonprofit ALAS and Mercy Housing have been working on the project and supporters say they are over the moon with the city council's decision Wednesday night.
