The project, which also includes plans for a parking lot and erosion control, should sail through Thursday's meeting of the Conservancy board, said Janet Diehl, who has overseen the plans.
"We've put out public notice and no one has called to complain," she said.
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Importantly, officials are touting the upgrades as another step in the statewide project to link the California coast by walking paths. Plans for the California Coastal Trail eventually aim to connect 15 coastal counties through 1,200 miles of accessible walkways.
But even locally these dreams are some distance away. The Coastside portion of the Coastal Trail still remains a patchwork, with sections unconnected in the South Coast, Half Moon Bay and Moss Beach.
"It's a process," said Diehl. "But we take advantage of each opportunity we can to extend the project."
Pending Thursday's approval, work may begin as soon as this summer, according to a staff report prepared for the project. A Coastal Development Permit was approved earlier, and designs have been deemed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act - a major hurdle for local development.
Legal obstacles aside, often neighbors need to be coaxed into support of the project, say those at the Peninsula Open Space Trust, the current owner of the land. Paul Ringgold, director of land stewardship, said that a number of public meetings were held to get input from residents concerned by the project's impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
In the end, POST opted to relocate a proposed parking lot from the bluff area to a lower location on Airport Road. The new design resulted in "lower scenic impacts," he said.
The 119-acre parcel was purchased by POST in 2004 in partnership with the Conservancy for $2.7 million, pulling what would have been prime oceanside real estate from the private market and ensuring public use. The windswept site offers sweeping views of Mavericks, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and Montara Mountain.
Surrounded by seven pets on Monday, Paula Robinson, a professional dog walker with Creature Comforts in Half Moon Bay, said that a new trail would be a welcome addition.
"This is one of the few places I can let the dogs run free," said Robinson, who added that she uses the trails daily.
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