Coastside residents Thomas and Daniel Gearing are suing the city of Half Moon Bay after the city exercised eminent domain to take the Gearingsâ six parcels of land near Railroad Avenue.
The Gearings filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Northern California on March 15, and it was served to the city on March 22, the day before it filed the eminent domain action in San Mateo County Superior Court. The Gearings allege that the cityâs development process is unconstitutional.
The move comes as property owners spent decades protesting the planned use of the âWest of Railroadâ land between the Coastal Trail and Railroad Avenue. The city says the claims have no merit, and that its purchase of the parcels falls in line with its Land Use Plan by aligning with the publicâs best interest to deal with erosion, manage the retreat of the Coastal Trail and protect natural habitats.
A total of $292,423 was distributed to local nonprofits through their participation in the Fayette Gives event hosted by the Community Foundation of Fayette County.
The event was the first of its kind in the county and Renee Couser, executive director of CFFC, said 2020 was a good year to start it, as many nonprofit organizations are struggling financially due to the virus.
During the event, donors contributed through check or online and gave a total of more than $233,746. In addition, a $57,000 Bonus Pool, sponsored by businesses and foundations, was distributed to the organizations participating.
Couser said to participate in the Nov. 12 Fayette Gives event, nonprofit organizations in the area needed to meet certain criteria, and once they were approved, they set up a profile and directed donors to the website to give for the event. Funds in the bonus pool were used to enhance the contributions.