by Jan Gray

In 1968 I packed up my daughters and moved from the Los Angeles area to El Granada, and I’ve kissed the ground ever since.

Back then the Coastside was a completely different place. Most of the streets and roads were dirt, with hardly any trees anywhere — except for back in Montara, where the ads for homes said, “Tahoe-like setting.” No traffic lights, no sidewalks — it was life on the edge of civilization. Commuting was a nightmare because of the narrow, one-lane roads, and Devil’s Slide closed several times each rainy season.

Take away all the subdivisions (Clipper Ridge, Frenchman’s Creek, Casa del Mar, Sea Haven); they didn’t exist. There were a few family-run businesses in town, such as Gilcrest Drugs, Alves Dairy, Dutra-Randleman Funeral Home, a few gas stations and no convenience marts. Who can remember Ralph’s Beer Barn and the Old Half Moon Bay Inn where “Happy Hour” meant drinks for 25 cents? For groceries, we went “over the hill” and emergency services came from over the hill; we were pretty much on our own and we seemed to prefer it that way.

Slowly more homes were built and families began to “discover” the merits of living by the sea. These newcomers, as they were called back then, insisted on the finer things of life, like streetlights, sidewalks, paved streets and better schools. The old-timers often resented the changes, and resisted growth in any shape or form.

Once the newcomers put down roots, obstacles were put in place to inhibit, if not stop, any form of growth. For some odd reason, it was thought that if no new water or sewer permits were available, no one could build a house and we’d have the Coastside all to ourselves. But the pressures of civilization took over, federal agencies mandated a better sewer treatment plant, and wells were approved as a source of domestic water supply. And more people came to live on the coast. Subdivisions were built and because our housing prices were so low compared to other towns in San Mateo County, they were quickly filled with new families.

For a while so many new people came that our schools were overcrowded and the solution was split sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. You can only imagine the havoc that created in the working family households, shuffling transportation and childcare.

Attitudes evolve slowly, and perceptions change. The strife that once kept folks apart dissolved and a feeling of community emerged. The collective “we” worked for more teachers and more classrooms; we supported our schools with fundraisers and attempted to pass bond issues for further improvements. Back in ’97 we passed Measure K for Kids and now we have construction ongoing at Cunha Middle School. Yes, it does take along time for things to happen on the coast!

The Devil’s Slide solution was a bypass around the slipping sections with a new road cutting through Montara. This bypass was placed on our maps back in 1956. Because the word “freeway” was bandied about, the local people quickly circled the wagons and nothing was done until the current tunnel project was started. There were years of angry meetings and a split was apparent between those who wanted better roads and those who considered anything like that to be “growth-inducing.” 

Forty years — it seems like yesterday, or rather, the day before yesterday. Our Coastside is a pleasant place to live, work and play. We have many forefathers and foremothers to thank for their vision and hard work. It’s a different place now, poised for future growth. Collectively, we can make it happen.

Jan Gray has been a local real estate agent for 34 years. She has always maintained that she sells used houses and is not a developer. She can be reached at 650-728-4506 or at jan.gray@camoves.com.