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| All about the stripped-down sign Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, August 7, 2002 10:00 PM PDT For those who drive up or down Highway 1 on a regular basis and have seen the big "Save the Strip" sign in El Granada, you may have noticed a much smaller, less obtrusive sign has recently replaced it. So what is the strip, exactly, and why does it needs saving? The Burnham strip is the brainchild of Daniel Burnham, who originally designed those winding El Granada streets. The idea of the strip is to provide a sense of openness and invitation to the town. The strip is 26 acres of land between El Granada homes and Highway 1, from the light at the harbor to the new light at Coronado. Most of the strip is privately-owned parcels, and some of them have been developed (the Picasso preschool, for example). There are approximately six acres in front of the El Granada fire station that are owned by the harbor district, and that piece of the strip could possibly remain public access property. Joe Gore, former Midcoast Community Council member, says he remembers sitting on the council when developer Keet Nerhan came up with a plan - he wanted to build some commercial buildings, a parking lot for people using Surfer's Beach and a tiered, grassy park with picnic tables for people to sit and enjoy ocean views. That project was shot down pretty quickly, Gore says. Since that time, efforts have been made to keep the strip in its current state, including the huge "Save the Strip" sign. The current state of the property does not look like pristine open space. Since it's not maintained or used by anyone, it has become dried out, with trash littering much of the strip. And the sign itself, on Leni Schultz' property, has caused a buzz of its own. If open views and a pleasing landscape are at issue, that ugly 'Save the Strip' sign is pretty antithetical to that desire. Schultz owns a home across from the strip, which has led to accusations that she just wants to save her own personal "visual resource." Nothing could be further from the truth, she says, since Schultz has fought for environmental and other causes around the Coastside for years. This is just one of the issues worth fighting for, she says. Now that the big sign is down - "It had made its statement," Schultz says - it's time for El Granada residents to figure out what to do with the strip. Even if the town just plants wildflowers there, it would be more open and inviting than the empty lot it is now. Half Moon Bay Review |