Parking a priority in San Mateo's North Central

The council discussed potential strategic initiatives and objectives for the upcoming 2022-23 fiscal year at its March 7 meeting, with parking mitigation in the North Central neighborhood the main issue. Councilmember Amourence Lee asked the city to study a residential parking permit pilot program in the neighborhood. The council in February approved a controversial bike lanes project there that will remove more than 200 street parking spaces. The project has angered neighbors who already deal with limited parking options on narrow streets worsened at night. When approved in February, the council directed staff to look into parking mitigation options to help parking loss, reiterating its desire for action at its strategic plan meeting. However, city staff said it would need additional analysis and revisions to its existing residential parking permit program policy.

“From staff’s perspective, we are not convinced that we could implement a successful residential parking permit program in that neighborhood because we don’t believe there is an issue with nonresident parking,” City Manager Drew Corbett said, adding he believed it would take time to craft an effective policy that identified a financial generator as part of the policy.

However, the council made it clear it wanted parking mitigation options to be a priority.

“I’m confused as to why it feels like there is some resistance or rigidity to this process where there doesn’t need to be, especially given the concerns coming from this neighborhood,” Lee said.

Deputy Mayor Diane Papan suggested parking permits in the evening on North Amphlett Boulevard for people coming home from work.

“We could at least, for people coming home at night with their work trucks, give them some sense of stability,” Papan said.

The city is examining turning the Martin Luther King Community Center parking lot on Monte Diablo Avenue into overnight use. After council direction, the Public Works Department, City Manager’s Office, and the Police Department will work together to develop solutions and return options to the council as quickly as possible.

A public presentation to the council from the city’s Climate Action Team called for decarbonizing buildings and infrastructure and eliminating methane gas by 2030. The team is made up of concerned residents who want to see changes to environmental policy in San Mateo. It noted 42% of San Mateo buildings are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. City staff said San Mateo will be analyzing reach codes for new and existing buildings to prepare for developing new electrification codes for the 2023 cycle. The council has made decarbonizing existing buildings and infrastructure and eliminating methane gas use by 2030 a priority in its strategic plan. Mayor Rick Bonilla asked staff to study policy from other cities to develop a timeline with milestones for achievement.

“There’s an urgency here,” Bonilla said, citing increased climate disasters and the need to reduce greenhouse gases to meet carbon requirements.

The council removed creating COVID-19 children’s programming as a priority, given the return to full library services. It also made downtown grade separations, long-term train corridor improvements, and finding solutions for commercial building vacancies priorities. The council praised city staff for identifying more than 50 objectives that the council will consider for final priority approval. Some objectives include addressing structural issues at the Marina Library, minimizing train horn noise at crossings, implementing bike and pedestrian projects, a public restroom downtown, traffic improvement services, climate change, increasing housing, increasing parking and increasing education and resources to small businesses on ADA compliance. The city has scheduled final approval for April 4.

“I agree with the overwhelming majority of the priorities, and I appreciate the process we have utilized to get to this place,” Goethals said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102