Publication Date
Spring 2001
Degree Type
Master's Project
Degree Name
Master of Urban Planning (MUP)
Department
Urban and Regional Planning
Abstract
Pacifica is located three miles south of San Francisco, in San Mateo County. It is on the coastal side of the San Francisco Peninsula and is separated from the rest of the peninsula by the Coast Range (A map of the area is shown in Figure 3). The area was first settled area after the discovery of the San Francisco Bay, by the Portola Expedition in 1769. The Portola Expedition began on the northern tip of Baja California and planned to explore north to Monterey Bay. They passed through the Salinas area and missed the bay as they continued north. They reached the San Pedro Valley, which is now the Linda Mar neighborhood of Pacifica, when they realized they had passed the bay. From this valley they spotted the Farallon Islands and determined from their maps that they had traveled beyond the Monterey Bay. It was decided that they would shelter in the fertile valley and recuperate before continuing their expedition. While there, Portola sent scouts up the northeastern hills on what is now Sweeney Ridge. It was from this ridge that San Francisco Bay was discovered and claimed for Spain. By the 1780s a Mission ranch was thriving in the San Pedro Valley. The ranch was the primary source of food for the Mission Dolores, and was the only major settlement in the area until the twentieth century.
Recommended Citation
Keaney, Michael, "Potential Residential Development in the City of Pacifica" (2001). Master's Projects. 1631.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.qnpe89vw
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_projects/1631
