After a months-long study of a coastside former greenhouse site once eyed for affordable housing and other amenities, the County of San Mateo today publicly announced that it will not move forward with acquisition of the property.
After entering into a contract to purchase the property in January 2024, the County explored development options for the nearly 50-acre site at 2265 & 2275 Cabrillo Highway South, potentially including affordable housing and farmworker housing and mixed uses such as childcare and a co-op distribution center for agricultural products.
The Board of Supervisors considered the property less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean on Cabrillo Highway as an opportunity to meet housing needs not otherwise addressed adequately by the private sector. The Board publicly announced its intent to purchase the property but with the caveat that further analysis was needed during the due diligence period for the purchase.
Today, County officials shared that the analysis determined that the site is ultimately not suitable for the County’s specific needs.
“While disappointing, this part of the journey does not in any way diminish the County’s continued commitment to add more essential farmworker and workforce housing for vulnerable populations living on the San Mateo Coast, and to find a permanent site for an agricultural distribution center/ food hub that will support the Coastside’s farming and ranching economy,” said Supervisor Ray Mueller, who represents District Three in which the property sits. “We learned much in the due diligence conducted for this site that will aid us in ultimately achieving this goal, and I am grateful to the County professional team for their work.”
But even with this property off the table, the County is moving forward with support for several coastal projects aimed at providing affordable housing for agricultural workers and others. Dozens of manufactured homes will soon be installed at the Stone Pine Cove Farm Labor Housing Project on Stone Pine Road in Half Moon Bay. The Cypress Point project, in Moss Beach, will include 71 units of affordable housing for approximately 210 people.
Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
mdurand@smcgov.org