Creating the future of San Mateo

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 acknowledged that historical and cultural preservation “give a sense of orientation to the American People.” It recognized that preserving the best of a community’s built heritage is vital to bridging generations and to re-establishing a sense of place and a sense of pride in a local community. San Mateo’s historic downtown, for example, is the social and commercial center of the community and, in a sense, is owned by the entire community. It is this sense of place that fosters pride and gives residents incentive to remain active in the community.

San Mateo’s historic resources, both individually and collectively, are perhaps the city’s most undervalued asset. Oft neglected, these community assets are recognized by our current General Plan as providing “economic, cultural and aesthetic benefit to the city of San Mateo,” yet many remain unidentified and most are unprotected. As development pressure increases and the threat to these irreplaceable resources becomes ever more real, policy makers and the community at large deserve clear data about which structures have historic or potential historic value. To make informed planning decisions, policy makers need baseline information on potential historic resources. Before buildings are torn down or altered, it is our obligation to ask if they have some significance to the community. Without critical information about our historic resources, bad decisions will inevitably be made.

As stewards of historic places, the city and citizens alike have a responsibility to protect our historic resources through comprehensive goals and policies which have parity with other land use concerns such as housing, circulation and jobs. Strengthening the links between preservation and land use planning, with both economic and social benefits, serves to enhance our quality of life today and for the future.

San Mateo’s current General Plan recognizes the importance of preserving our built environment. We must ensure that our future General Plan not only retains these shared values but emphasizes them; not only maintains preservation goals, but strengthens them; and not only includes protective policies, but enforces them. While not all historic resources will be preserved, at least through a dedicated process and armed with emphasis by the community, preservation will have a seat at the table of discussion ensuring that all avenues have been exhausted before the community loses a piece of its past.

As we articulate a community vision for our long-term future and grapple with jobs, housing and transportation issues, we must not lose sight of the contributions of those who came before us and what they have left behind for our use, benefit and enjoyment. We have an opportunity to reinforce the connection between past, present and future, and in the process reaffirm something lasting and meaningful for San Mateo.

Keith Weber lives in San Mateo and has been active in urban planning, housing, historic preservation and land use issues for more than 30 years.