The long-running tug-of-war between Bayshore Village residents and the Western gulls that flock to their rooftops returned to the Morro Bay City Council on Dec. 9.
“The existence of gulls at Bayshore Village has become so numerous or destructive as to constitute a menace and danger to the public health, safety, or property,” staff wrote in a report recommending an exemption from the Morro Bay Municipal Code.
Council approved a new five-year exemption allowing the Bayshore Village Home Owners Association (HOA) to remove nests, haze gulls, and addle eggs, actions typically prohibited under city law.
“Council discussed this issue … and supported continuing the contract to address gull nesting,” Morro Bay Mayor Carla Wixom told New Times in an email.
For Bayshore Village, the decision extends a long-standing management approach. The HOA received identical exemptions in 2010, 2015, and 2020, and the most recent authorization was set to expire at the end of December.
According to the staff report, residents continue to struggle with gulls choosing rooftops as nesting sites, where accumulated guano can damage shingles and create sanitation concerns. These problems have persisted for more than two decades, despite ongoing mitigation efforts.
The newly approved resolution allows the HOA to continue using non-lethal deterrents aimed at discouraging gulls from settling on buildings.
“The HOA does undertake gull harassment through use of whirly birds, spiders, spikes, bird wire, mylar tape, electrified tape, coiled wire, distress calls, and use of laser lights,” staff said.
When deterrents fail, the exemption also permits nest removal and egg addling, which involves coating eggs in oil to prevent development. Staff noted that these activities require federal authorization.
The HOA secures Fish and Wildlife permits each year, allowing it to destroy nests and addle eggs under tightly regulated conditions. The new city resolution requires the HOA to continue submitting copies of these permits to the city to verify compliance.
Mayor Wixom said the council remains supportive of the managed approach.
“They are required to follow all Fish and Wildlife guidelines and submit documentation for any action taken,” she said, noting that Bayshore Village experienced “very minimal gull activity” over the past year.
New Times reached out to Fish and Wildlife but did not receive comment before press time.
Morro Bay Community Development Director Airlin Singewald said that without council approval, the HOA would have no legal means to respond to the nesting birds.
“The municipal code prohibits anyone from harassing or destroying the nests or eggs of any wild birds … unless the City Council determines by resolution that the wild birds have become so numerous or destructive as to constitute a menace,” he said.
The Bayshore Village HOA did not respond to New Times’ requests for comment before press time.
The council approved the HOA’s renewed exemption through 2030. ∆
This article appears in Dec 11-18, 2025.