The following letter regarding the Burnham Strip was sent by Midcoast Parklands to the San Mateo County Harbor District on Friday, March 2. Dear Commissioner Tucker: Thank you for taking the time recently to visit the Midcoast Community Council meeting. As you could readily see, passions run high in our community. People here care about our environment, our home and our front door. The Burnham property is squarely in the eye of the community as it sits as the southern entry to the Mid-Coast and extends the length of El Granada astride Highway 1. The Burnham property is a broad open space that opens up ones vision to the expansiveness and beauty of the Mid-Coast. One can see an unbroken view beginning at the continental edge, from coastal bluffs across open terrain to the hills and creeks. Midcoast Parklands (MPL) is a community-driven, self-funded, volunteer nonprofit corporation that is an amalgam of the community, the school district and San Mateo County. The mission of MPL is to promote land stewardship, conservation, and recreation on the San Mateo coast. Currently, we have a maintenance and operation agreement for Quarry Park in El Granada, a former Harbor District property. Quarry Park has a tot lot, forty acres of hiking/ biking/equestrian trails, and a new Harbor Vista platform. The makeup of the MPL Board of Directors is a broad range of Coastside people, with representation from our two partners. Our membership is overwhelmingly Coastsiders, with a sprinkling of those from over the hill. As you stated at the Midcoast Community Council meeting, the current goals of the Harbor District are to listen, to learn what the community wants and to determine what will work financially for the Harbor District. In that regard, MPL offers to work with you and the Midcoast Community Council to determine the desire of the community, financial options for the land, and what is best for us all. Thank you for your time on our behalf, and we look forward to working with you. Jim Blanchard Vice President, Midcoast Parklands
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