San Mateo County has scrapped plans for a large farmworker housing project in Half Moon Bay more than a year after seven local farmworkers were killed in a mass shooting that exposed squalid living conditions at some farms along the coast.
In January, the county agreed to purchase a 50-acre coastside property for $9 million to build around 100 affordable units and an agricultural co-op.
But after a months-long study to determine the viability of developing the former Bay City Flower greenhouse site at 2265 and 2275 Cabrillo Highway South, officials announced this month that the property was “ultimately not suitable for the county’s specific needs.”
“It broke my heart,” said Supervisor Ray Mueller, who represents the coast. “We will be looking for another location for the housing and agricultural center.”
County officials declined to provide the specific reasoning behind their decision or explain why they would not discuss the matter in detail.
The January 2023 mass shooting in Half Moon Bay shined a light on the uninhabitable conditions farmworkers endure throughout San Mateo County, bringing a sense of urgency to an issue for which activists have long sought attention.
The tarp-covered shacks and flimsy trailers at the two farms where the shooting occurred — Concord Farms and California Terra Garden — have been condemned, and the workers relocated to temporary housing.
As part of an effort to add more safe and affordable homes for farmworkers in the wake of the shooting, county officials said they’re still committed to raising millions of dollars to erect dozens of manufactured homes at Stone Pine Road in Half Moon Bay. Workers could move in as soon as early next year.
Another planned project in Moss Beach is set to provide 71 affordable units for farmworkers and low-income families. And last month, the Half Moon Bay City Council gave final approval for a 40-unit downtown apartment complex for senior farmworkers after some community members sought to halt the development over concerns about its height and parking plans.
Despite the setback at the Bay City Flower site, Mueller reiterated in a statement that the county will work to find another property for that project.
“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,” he said.