San Carlos getting ready to celebrate 100th year

Although the mayor said she’s saving plenty of space in her calendar for celebrations, McDowell looks forward to getting to work.  

“It’s going to be a very busy year, but I’m really excited,” McDowell said. “We’re going all out to celebrate our history as a segue to be really excited about our future too.” 

Downtown San Carlos is getting a major upgrade, with a complete reimagining centered around Laurel Street. The city’s Streetscape Master Plan and Downtown Specific Plan are expected to be officially adopted this year, meaning construction can begin as soon as funding becomes available. 

The refined street designs look to elevate the downtown experience, centered around the recently established pedestrian mall at the 700 block of Laurel Street, and increase connectivity between downtown, Caltrain and East San Carlos for all modes of travel. Proposals currently include widened sidewalks, increase in protected bike lanes, urban greening and plenty of space for outdoor dining, events and more.

McDowell said the City Council expects to hear updates from staff on the “transformational change” in March.

“Overall, the community is really excited,” she said. “The plans are really shaping up to be incredible. The community keeps asking so I know there is a lot of anticipation out there.” 

The city also has a bicycle and pedestrian master plan, passed in 2020, that McDowell hopes to continue to reference as more concern for traffic safety grows. A bicyclist’s recent fatality has reignited conversations over a dangerous overpass and the broader safety network of San Carlos streets, and possible updates to the existing master plan.

“I know that the Holly/101 overcrossing has been on my mind for a while of needing some significant improvements,” McDowell said.“I think it’s important that we listen to the community who use that route and think about both the short and longer term fixes it needs.” 

McDowell said she received an update from staff about what was discussed at a recent listening session held in regards to the Holly Street/Highway 101 overpass. 

“Doing an overpass is not something San Carlos can do alone, we have to work with regional partners, but we are working on moving forward with near-term improvements as well as the bigger improvements.” 

One of the mayor’s long term projects, along with Vice Mayor Pranita Venkatesh, is to address the need for child care spaces in San Carlos. Proud of the work done so far — an established impact fee and grant for 75 new child care spaces — McDowell looks to continue this effort. 

“I want our community to be a place where everyone can thrive, so that means certainly thinking about the needs of our children, and our families and those choosing to age in place,” McDowell said. 

The last time McDowell was mayor, one of the things she was most proud of was working with her fellow mayors within the county to establish the San Mateo County Mayor Mental Health Initiative. 

The group launched a “Mental Health First Aid Training” program in 2022 that instructed residents on how to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis. McDowell was instrumental in bringing together mayors from 16 cities across the county to address the need for mental health awareness. 

Sitting on the San Mateo County Libraries governing board, McDowell also helped facilitate getting over 130 library employees trained in mental health first aid. McDowell said she is working with South San Francisco Mayor Eddie Flores and Pacifica Vice Mayor Mary Bier on how to continue the work throughout the county again. 

“A lot of us know first aid for physical distress but unfortunately in our society if we see someone who is struggling, it’s still hard to find the right words to say,” McDowell said. “Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to approach the situation and about the resources that are available.” 

McDowell also noted the city is working hard to build more affordable housing, and is particularly excited to see the completion of the 100% affordable housing development downtown on Cherry Street. 

The first female councilmember of San Carlos was Winifred Gale, who served in the late 1950s, but she was not allowed to serve as mayor. At the Dec. 9 council meeting, McDowell noted that Venkatesh is the first woman of color to serve as vice mayor and for only the second time in city history have two women served in the mayor and vice mayor role. 

McDowell reiterated that the significance is not lost on her.  

“I recognize that this is a really special year and I’m just really grateful to serve as mayor,” McDowell said. “Representation matters and I think it really shows that San Carlos has come a long way.”