A Caltrans project aimed at improving El Camino Real in Burlingame and parts of San Mateo faces encroachment issues that could affect more than 50 properties in San Mateo, according to a recent Caltrans report.
The El Camino Real Roadway Renewal aims to improve the safety of the roads and sidewalks that stretch for three miles from East Santa Inez Avenue in San Mateo to Millbrae Avenue north of Burlingame while maintaining the character and health of the famous eucalyptus trees. However, according to a presentation at an Aug. 21 San Mateo City Council meeting, there are encroachment issues from private properties onto Caltrans public areas on El Camino Real that will interfere with the project. That will require meeting and addressing the issue with owners.
Caltrans has identified around 150 areas in Burlingame, 56 in San Mateo and 214 in total where property owners encroached on the public right-of-way, with it possible some property owners did this unknowingly or bought it unaware of the issue. The public right-of-way is the road, sidewalk and planting area. El Camino Real was a county road until around 1909, when the state was authorized to take control of it as a state highway.
According to the Aug. 21 presentation, Caltrans has defined encroachment levels as low, medium or high, with low encroachment being 2 feet, medium 2 to 5 feet, and high severity more than 5 feet. Of the 56 properties in San Mateo facing encroachment problems, around seven properties would be under low encroachment status, 34 would be medium and 15 instances of high encroachment.
San Mateo Deputy Mayor Lisa Diaz Nash represents District 1, the location of many affected properties. Her focus is on ensuring Caltrans has early, detailed communication with residents on possible ramifications beyond the minimum requirements, noting she plans to be involved in as much of the process as she can to figure out if there are any mitigating or alternative solutions possible in the early days. She said it is still too early to know how many people know about the situation. However, she believes a majority of property owners don’t know about the issue.
“I want to make very sure, and I know my counterparts in Burlingame feel the same way, that the parcel owners are noticed early on and have the full facts,” Diaz Nash said.
Caltrans plans to have a public reveal of renderings and design in mid-September and meet with property owners through invitation-only meetings in the fall.
The project aims to improve poor pavement conditions, sidewalks that do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards and local drainage and flooding issues. Caltrans plans to remove around 250 to 300 trees to repair the road, with plans to replant them at a later point. The trees on the road are part of the Howard-Ralston Tree Rows, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to Caltrans. As of spring 2023, the project is in the design phase, with construction scheduled to begin in the summer of 2024.
(1) comment
I’m sure many of the issues are real, however, Caltrans attacking the people, prior to attacking the city of San Mateo, and their lack of maintenance is obviously politically motivated. People pay millions every year to the city to maintain the city, yet the city of San Mateo basically does little to nothing, the city streets are in complete disarray, our sewage system and water system is like a third world country. Two years ago when the city was flush in cash with extra $12 MILLION, the city did nothing, except to hand out bonuses to city workers who had to suffer through Covid. These hero like workers had to work from home or work from City Hall with doors locked like Fort Knox. These these tortured workers did nothing to deserve a bonus, and today has changed
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