Real projects. Clear results. Debbie has helped move Half Moon Bay forward while protecting what we love most.
Half Moon Bay secured certification of its updated Local Coastal Land Use Plan after nearly two decades of work. Debbie helped lead that effort, which manages growth, protects coastal resources and preserves local control over land-use decisions.
The City and County completed a modern 22,000-square-foot library serving the entire Coastside. Debbie helped oversee the city-county partnership that delivered it — a collaborative Council and county project.
Debbie helped advance Half Moon Bay's first comprehensive framework addressing emissions reduction and adaptation to flooding, wildfire, sea-level rise and other hazards.
As Chair of OneShoreline, Debbie leads regional work on flooding, erosion and wastewater infrastructure — including a new stream gauge on Pilarcitos Creek and a federally funded study to protect the sewage treatment plant.
The City and San Mateo County developed more than 40 modular homes for Coastside farmworkers and their families. Debbie helped advance the city-county partnership; the County played the leading development and funding role.
During Debbie's council service, Caltrans began a major Highway 1 rehabilitation project adding roadway repairs, accessible crossings and Class II bicycle lanes between Moss Beach and Half Moon Bay.
Debbie supported the acquisition and permanent retirement of six environmentally constrained parcels near Arleta Park, protecting open space and directing development away from vulnerable land.
Debbie supported the long-planned renovation of Carter Park, creating a downtown space for performance, recreation, and community gatherings. The park now gives Half Moon Bay a flexible public space for Shakespeare in the Park, tai chi, movie screenings, concerts, rallies, and other community events.
After years of environmental review and design revisions, Debbie supported the Hyatt Place project, concluding the final proposal balanced economic benefits with the City's coastal planning requirements.
When Debbie returned to City Council in 2014, Half Moon Bay was dealing with the immediate financial fallout of Beachwood litigation. Debbie helped make the difficult budget decisions needed to stabilize City finances, balance the budget, and put Half Moon Bay on a more sustainable footing.
Debbie has consistently prioritized better public access along Half Moon Bay's coastline. The California Coastal Trail is now accessible and graded across the length of the city. Debbie drove improvements on City-owned property while supporting partners, including Coastside Land Trust and State Parks.
Accessing Poplar Beach was hazardous to your health. Pedestrians and horses shared a steep and uneven path. Debbie helped drive the improvements that created safer pedestrian access while preserving equestrian access elsewhere. Poplar Beach is now safely enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
Debbie helped advance the replacement and relocation of the Seymour Creek pedestrian bridge before it failed, protecting public access near Poplar Beach and helping keep the Coastal Trail connected as changing stormwater patterns caused rapid erosion along the blufftops near the old landfill area.
After the John Hernandez Bridge over Pilarcitos Creek was closed because of severe corrosion, Debbie supported the City's effort to move the replacement forward. The City helped fund planning, worked with State Parks, and helped restore a key Coastal Trail connection used by residents, students, cyclists, and visitors.
Debbie supported Coastside Land Trust's extension of the Bird Trail, parking improvements on Redondo Beach Road, and new stairs that provide safer access to the beach. The project improved public access while strengthening one of Half Moon Bay's important trail and coastal recreation connections.
These results are grounded in Debbie's long record of local, regional, and state public service — see Debbie's Public Service.
