My wife Kathleen and I looked at many sites and had numerous discussions literally over years prior to choosing this site. Finding this site happen by coincidence with my son David. After having lunch at a nearby restaurant we decided to take a walk and explore the Pedro Point area in Pacifica, California. When walking up a road along the ocean, we stumbled across an undeveloped lot that had a spectacular view of Linda Mar beach. At that moment, I knew that this was the place for my dream property and worked from then on to make this project a reality. This site was perfect for the house and had many elements important for us including the factor below.
Proximity to the Ocean
My wife and I love California, and believe the best part about the beautiful state is the drama of the ever-changing landscape of the Pacific Ocean. We looked at many sites from Santa Cruz to Point Reyes. As an occasional surfer I also looked for a site that I could walk to the waves with my surfboard. Our site is a 5 min walk to the beautiful Linda Mar beach with a long beach break to catch some waves. Clean ocean air is available year round.
Neighborhood Community and Walking Friendly
We enjoy being part of a community. In part due to its access from a single road, Pedro Point in Pacifica has a small, vibrant community, with its own community activity facility, holiday parties on certain streets, and many multigenerational families living in it. We enjoy attending events at the Pedro Point Firehouse down the road, home of the local community association, which has regular potlucks and works on protecting the neighborhood’s environment. The site is walking distance to good restaurants, coffee shops, hardware store, and organic grocery. There are terrific trails accessible along the ocean or to the mountain. We prefer to avoid using the car when possible and this site enabled that lifestyle. The site has a rural feel – with views of the Montara Mountain to the south – but San Francisco is only 15 minutes up the coast.
Infill vs Green Field Site
Our site was an near empty lot on a residential street with utilities available on the site border. There was a single small structure that was reused in the masonry walls. During excavation we discovered foundation stone and other materials that indicated a structure existed on our parcel at one point. Choosing an infill site avoids developing a pristine site that is better left unspoiled.
Excellent Solar Access
Being a solar enthusiast, good solar access was essential for us to consider any site. We desired a home warmed and lit by sunlight whenever possible, and wanted to convert as much light hitting the roof as possible into valuable electricity. While the coast and Pacifica can be quite foggy, our particular site in southern Pacifica has more sun than further north in town, as the Montara mountain protects the site from the fog that inhabits Moss Beach with considerable frequency
