San Mateo City Council taking on Draft General Plan 2040

The presentation to the City Council was a culmination of recommendations and insights from the Planning Commission, General Plan Subcommittee and city residents since the fall of 2018.

Of particular importance was the city’s approach to the designation of new historic resources.  City staff noted that ambiguous preservation policies have created concern among the community, which in turn may affect the relationship between the general plan and their neighborhoods. 

“We do see [establishing the designation process] as the first step, so that we have something that is transparent and that is consistent for all resources that would seek a designation,” said Interim Assistant City Manager Christina Horrisberger. 

City staff also clarified that they will begin a separate process to update the historic preservation policies in early 2024, independent of the general plan. 

San Mateo currently maintains six historic resources listed on the National Register of Historic Places  — including the National Bank of San Mateo and Hotel St. Matthew — and approximately 37 more structures in the city could be eligible for inclusion. While local municipalities should have some leeway in how historic resources are identified and preserved, state and federal guidelines should serve as the foundation, some councilmembers maintained. 

“I’d like to engage in this process of better fleshing out the city’s policies on how to conform with state and federal laws while maintaining discretion and understanding ways we may have discretion and how it might fit within the general picture of the general plan,” said Councilmember Adam Loraine. 

Some public comments from individuals and organizations urged the City Council to help enact policies that boost preservation efforts. 

“There are a few other people who don’t like historic resources, but it is a shared value at the state, national and international level. Let’s have San Mateo be a leader in protecting historic resources,” said Laurie Hieter, speaking on behalf of the San Mateo Heritage Alliance. 

The historic designation process highlights a perennially contentious issue surrounding housing needs and how to balance the city’s culture with the need to accommodate a growing population over the next one to two decades

“In my view, it would be a travesty if our downtown and surrounding areas were zoned for anything less than 10 stories going forward and the coming years. We have a housing crisis that grows worse and worse every day, and we need to utilize the land we do have for its highest and best use, especially in areas close to transit,” said San Mateo resident Jordan Grimes, also resilience manager with Greenbelt Alliance.

But historic preservation policies were not the only topic of discussion during the meeting. Councilmembers, residents and city staff discussed how the general plan should ensure the conservation of certain areas, including Marina Lagoon, as well as the protection of groundwater resources and creation of more parks, particularly as housing development increases. Noise concerns related to new construction were also addressed, as the general plan will likely add more than 20,000 new housing units over the course of 20 years, according to city staff’s Project Buildout report. 

Councilmember Rich Hedges and Deputy Mayor Lisa Diaz Nash also reiterated the need for more cultural and entertainment venues as a way to appeal to the younger generation. 

“I also think that we should look into cultural and entertainment venues in the city,” said Hedges. “We’re really redeveloping portions of the downtown. We hope to bring in young people, because they’re the future of the city over the long term. And what we’re going to need downtown is venues for those young people to feel like they have nightlife. And if they don’t, we won’t retain them.”

Additional City Council meetings held Oct. 16 and Oct. 30 will focus on the remaining elements of the general plan. The Oct. 16 meeting will focus on safety, public services and facilities, and circulation and the Oct. 30 meeting will focus on land use. The final draft will be published in January 2024, according to the city staff presentation. 

alyse@smdailyjournal.com

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