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San Francisco Chronicle And now, hotels. The isolated Pigeon Point Lighthouse south of Pescadero is getting a new neighbor, one not too popular with
lighthouse lovers and environmentalists. They've lost the battle to prevent a bed-and-breakfast inn from being built cheek by jowl with the historic lighthouse and adjacent youth hostel. The landowner and B&B builder,
Kathleen McKenzie of Bonny Doon, is putting up three buildings, each containing three units, barely beyond the shadow of the lighthouse atop the cliff. As construction continues, longtime opponents are aghast. Most never believed
that something could be built this close to a state historical park, with approvals from the San Mateo County planners, the state Regional Water Quality Board and the state Coastal Commission. McKenzie's buildings, they say,
block views -- and are a worrisome symbol of creeping development pressures enveloping the southern San Mateo coast, which because of its isolation has managed to remain largely wild and rural. Many are particularly upset about the
future of Whaler's Cove, a tiny beach hard against jutting rocks next to the 127-year-old lighthouse that was once used by Portuguese whalers and rum-runners. Unless another way is developed to get to the beach, access will be
restricted to guests of the B&B. ``It is an abomination of a rare and beautiful spot,'' said Nelson Morosini, a park interpretative specialist who has taken groups on tours of the lighthouse for years. ``Although these new
buildings are not tall, they are extremely intrusive,'' he added. ``When you drive down Highway 1, this development looks massive because it so efficiently intrudes on the visual space, destroying the isolation, the whole
ambience of the lighthouse.'' McKenzie, who has been battling to get her bed and breakfast built on the 4.5-acre property for at least five years, refused to comment on her critics other than to note that she got all relevant
agencies to approve her plan. ``Yes, it was a long battle but I am a native Californian, fourth generation, and I am just tenacious,'' McKenzie said. ``I think it will be a beautiful development and will be much enjoyed by
people.'' She said she expects the inn to open in late spring or early summer. Pigeon Point Lighthouse, six miles north of Ano Nuevo Point, was established in 1872 at a spot on the California coast where ships need to make a
small course change. Fog and gales, reefs and currents brought many ships to disaster over the years. When the clipper ship Carrier Pigeon ran aground and sank on her maiden voyage from Boston to San Francisco on June 5, 1853,
the point gained a legend and a new name. Opponents of the new B&B acknowledge that the hostel is also a kind of inn. But they are quick to point out that the hostel is an integral part of the lighthouse heritage in a way
that the bed and breakfast can never be. The hostel buildings originally housed the Coast Guard personnel who manned the station from 1939 to 1972, the year the light was automated. Today, Pigeon Point Light Station is still
owned by the Coast Guard, which leases the site to the California Department of Parks and Recreation. McKenzie got approval after satisfying the county and the state that her project was compatible with the local coastal plan
and would not cause serious erosion, said Steve Monowitz, a planner for the Coastal Commission. ``She got permission because she went through all the required agencies and did all the geological reports needed,'' Monowitz said.
``She addressed every issue to our satisfaction.'' McKenzie solved her problem with beach access by forgoing any claim to ownership of the beach itself in exchange for private access to the beach, said William Rozar, a county
planner. Schoolchildren and fishermen who used to cross her property to get to the beach now will find that path to the sand offlimits. ``I believe her concern was liability,'' Rozar said. ``The state can now develop access at
the other end of the beach.'' Aside from questions about aesthetics and access, there were also serious concerns about water and septic systems, Rozar said. He conceded that ``some mistakes were made'' in processing McKenzie's
application to build on the site. ``I don't think we looked closely enough at the water and septic issues,'' he said. ``At this site, she had to drill hundreds of feet deep to get water, and the water still needs to be
treated to remove salt and other minerals. If we had gotten that information up front, we might have wondered if this was the right location.'' That is precious little recompense for Lennie Roberts, a legislative lobbyist for the
influential Committee for Green Foothills. ``It is a very sad situation, because the public has lost important rights of access to that beach,'' Roberts said. ``We are worried about the cumulative effect of this and how it might
open the way to other developments along this pristine stretch of the coast.'' Gary Strachan, supervising ranger in the area for the state Department of Parks and Recreation, agreed. ``I don't know how they ever got the
permits, other than it was done during past administrations and hopefully it wouldn't happen today,'' Strachan said. ``It's too late now for Pigeon Point, but a lot of people down here are worried about other plans for big houses
and developments overlooking Highway 1 and the coast. There are big battles to come.'' |
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