San Mateo Historic Resources Program
Thank you to the many D1 residents who have shared their support of or opposition to the Historic Resources Program that was before City Council on January 21. Council reached a compromise that I hope you’ll support.
We agreed to move forward with the two major elements of the Program with important caveats:
a) Develop A Historic Context Statement. This is a high-level informational statement that will be created with research and community input and outlines what our community believes is historically important in San Mateo. It was described as a high-level “history report” on San Mateo. Importantly, this will not identify any individual buildings or call for the creation of any historic districts. Nor will it interfere with any of San Mateo’s existing zoning or building regulations, e.g. Measure T, that are designed to increase housing stock, especially affordable housing, in San Mateo. This Context Statement will be used to inform future land use planning so that decisions made can ensure vibrant growth while acknowledging San Mateo’s history; and
b) Update San Mateo’s Historic Preservation Ordinance. The City’s current ordinance was written in 1995 and does not account for the many trends and regulations in land use and historic preservation made since then. The update ordinance will correct this, clarify how a building is classified as “historic” in San Mateo, and detail any specific local requirements related to its management, e.g. gaining permits for substantial renovation. Importantly, Council agreed that owner consent would be required as part of the Ordinance for buildings to be registered as historic individually, or as part of a historic district. This was added to address concerns about government overreach raised by many constituents.
The Historic Resources Program, expected to take 14-16 months, will begin with internal research and analysis. Community outreach will occur at several points during the process. I will share more specific dates as they are available. I encourage everyone interested to participate in these public meetings and to share their thoughts with me. We want to achieve the right balance of ensuring our future is strong and welcoming while also celebrating the history that is part of how we got here.
Downtown San Mateo Update and Plans
City staff presented the results of a Downtown San Mateo (DSM) Survey conducted last fall. Nearly 1,400 residents, businesses and visitors responded, a very strong result.
Overall satisfaction with DSM was high, citing it as walkable, lively, full of great events, and safe. The top three areas of importance that staff will work on in 2025 are:
Cleanliness: Continue power washing streets and sidewalks while working with local businesses to improve the cleanliness and appearance of the areas outside their establishments.
Variety of Businesses: The City is working on an Economic Development Strategy that specifically identifies increasing the variety of businesses downtown. While bricks and mortar retail is very difficult to recruit due to online shopping, there are many other types of service businesses that are being targeted.
Places To Sit and Gather: New seating and tables have been installed along the B St. Pedestrian Mall. Other seating, previously installed along the rest of Downtown and taken out for security reasons, is being reviewed with the eye to reinstall.
You can watch the full presentation and read the full research report here. I welcome your ideas on making Downtown San Mateo as great as it can be!
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