01 — What We’ve HeardHere’s How We Understood It — Tell Us If We Got It Right
Over the past several weeks we’ve attended the Coast MAC meeting, held BOD meetings and a community town hall, read the Press Democrat coverage, participated in working groups, talked to our neighbors, and watched what’s happening on our streets. Below is our honest attempt to capture what each stakeholder cares about most — based on what they’ve said publicly, what we’ve read, and in some cases what we’ve simply observed. We’re not putting words in anyone’s mouth. Where we’re reading between the lines, we say so. If we’ve gotten something wrong, we genuinely want to be corrected — and we’ll be raising these same questions at our BOD meetings and BHHA town hall.
We may not have every detail right. But the direction is hard to miss.
If our understanding of these positions is even roughly correct, every stakeholder is pointing toward the same category of solution: designated preserve-site parking that moves visitors off residential streets and into purpose-built infrastructure. TWC needs the preserve to stay open. The county needs something enforceable. Emergency services need the road clear. The Coastal Commission needs real access, not nominal access. Visitors need somewhere to go. And we need our neighborhood to function — and to be safe.
If we’ve misread anyone’s position, this is the moment to say so.
We want to carry forward what exists — not reinvent it.
We know real effort preceded this moment — by the conservancy, the county, the commission, and others. And we know that in efforts this complex, even the best intentions don’t always travel cleanly: sometimes what was said is not what was heard, and sometimes what was heard is not what was said. We’re not pointing at anyone. We’re naming something we all recognize. And we’re committing — here, plainly — to redouble our efforts to work with you in true partnership, so that the distance between intention and understanding keeps getting smaller.
02 — On-Site OptionsOptions for the County to Evaluate — Revisited with Fresh Eyes
Every stakeholder conversation pointed in the same direction: preserve-site parking infrastructure is the key to making the preserve work for everyone. The question isn’t whether preserve-site parking is needed — it’s where and how.
The county must evaluate preserve-site options, then select and implement one.
What follows are options we’re bringing to the table for joint evaluation — with full recognition that some or all of these concepts may have been explored before, and that the Wildlands Conservancy, the county, and other partners may have done significant prior work in this territory. We aren’t claiming authorship of these ideas. We’re asking that we look at them together with fresh eyes, informed by what we’ve all learned since the preserve opened. If prior analysis exists on any of these, we want to build on it — not relitigate it. Each option has real benefits and real drawbacks. We should evaluate them collectively and choose the one that works best for everyone.
The options fall into two primary categories based on how visitors reach the preserve: some involve roadway access (a new or improved road leading to a parking area near the Estero), and some involve hiking access (parking at an upland location with trail connection to the preserve). A third category explores shuttle / transit service as a demand management layer. Each approach has distinct trade-offs in cost, permitting complexity, ecological impact, and visitor experience — and prior thinking on any of these fronts is welcome at the table.
Every option addresses the core problem the same way: move visitor parking off residential streets and onto purpose-built preserve-site infrastructure.
Regardless of which option is ultimately selected, the underlying logic is the same. Visitors get a designated destination with clear wayfinding. Emergency services get unobstructed road access. The county gets an enforceable framework. TWC gets sustainable public access. The Coastal Commission gets enhanced — not diminished — public access to the coast. And the visiting public gets a welcome experience instead of an adversarial one.
03 — Needs, MappedHow On-Site Parking Addresses Every Stakeholder Need
Regardless of which option is ultimately selected, preserve-site parking infrastructure addresses every stakeholder need we’ve identified. Each row reflects the position described in Section 01 — confirmed or inferred — and how moving visitor parking off residential streets resolves it.
| Stakeholder | What We Understand You Need | How On-Site Parking Meets It | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wildlands Conservancy |
Preserve stays open; access isn’t shut down by community opposition or regulatory pressure | Dedicated parking gives the preserve the infrastructure its success deserves. With visitors welcomed at a proper trailhead, the preserve can be open sustainably — exactly what TWC worked a decade to achieve. | ✓ Fully Met |
| BHHA Residents | Emergency vehicle access maintained; visitors welcomed at a proper trailhead rather than dispersed through residential streets | Visitors have a designated destination. Parking ordinance has teeth because there’s somewhere legal to send people. Osprey Drive becomes a residential street again. | ✓ Fully Met |
| Supervisor Hopkins & County |
A durable, enforceable solution — not a patch that shifts the problem | The parking ordinance works when paired with a legal alternative. Without the lot, the ordinance displaces parking to adjacent streets. With it, enforcement has a destination to point to. | ✓ Fully Met |
| CHP & Fire Services |
20 ft unobstructed emergency access on Osprey Drive at all times, including peak days | When visitors have a designated lot, Osprey Drive maintains the unobstructed clearance emergency services require. The infrastructure solution solves the safety equation completely — no ordinances, no enforcement gaps. | ✓ Fully Met |
| California Coastal Commission |
Coastal access covenant honored; public access meaningfully available, not nominal | Dedicated parking infrastructure makes public access more meaningful, not less. A well-designed trailhead welcomes the public and fulfills the spirit of the Coastal Act — not just the letter. Coastal access is genuinely enhanced. | ✓ Fully Met |
| Ag + Open Space (Easement Holder) |
“Some level of recreational use available forever” per conservation easement | Dedicated parking stabilizes and supports long-term public access. The recreation covenant is honored through infrastructure, not by accident. | ✓ Fully Met |
| Regional Parks (County) |
Managed visitor flow; ability to direct people to nearby alternatives when capacity reached | A capacity-defined lot creates a clear trigger point. When the lot is full, wayfinding and messaging redirects to Doran, Chanslor, Jenner. Managed demand becomes possible. | ✓ Fully Met |
| Visiting Public | Somewhere legitimate to park; a welcome experience; clear information | A dedicated lot with signage, accessible spaces, and clear wayfinding transforms the visitor experience from adversarial to hospitable. They want to do the right thing — give them the option. | ✓ Fully Met |
| California Coastal Conservancy |
Funded original acquisition; holds an Offer to Dedicate (OTD) on title — a conservation easement equivalent ensuring the land’s purpose endures | Dedicated parking infrastructure stabilizes the public access mission the Conservancy invested in. A well-managed trailhead is the preserve succeeding on its own terms — exactly what an OTD is meant to protect. | ✓ Fully Met |
| Ecological Conservation |
High visitation doesn’t degrade the habitat the preserve was created to protect | Concentrated, managed access from a designed trailhead is less ecologically disruptive than dispersed, ad hoc parking and informal trail entry. Management capacity enables monitoring. | ~ Partially Met |
04 — We’re InBHHA’s Commitments as a Member of the Team
These are the specific ways BHHA commits to showing up as a reliable, accountable member of whatever team emerges from this conversation.
We are asking the county to formally evaluate preserve-site parking options for the Estero Americano Coast Preserve. We’ve proposed seven to start the conversation. We hope the assembled parties will build on what’s here, correct what we’ve gotten wrong, and help us jointly select and implement the option that best serves every stakeholder. We are ready to do this work — together.
We all painted this. Now let’s build it together.
The Wildlands Conservancy added their stroke: a decade of conservation work and a genuine commitment to public access. The county added theirs: operational knowledge and regulatory tools. Emergency services added theirs: technical precision no one else had. The Coastal Commission added theirs: the legal framework that anchors the whole picture. Neighbors added theirs: specific local knowledge and real, named solutions. BHHA added ours: 50 years of living alongside this land, and a deep desire to see it succeed. Together, these strokes resolve into a picture that we hope feels familiar to everyone who helped paint it. If it does — let’s build it.
Every voice in this conversation left something real on these pages. We’ve done our best to honor all of it — and to add our own perspective as neighbors who love this coast and want this preserve to thrive for generations. Seven options are on the table. We’re not asking anyone to accept our answer — we’re asking everyone to help choose the right one. Together.