San Mateo’s front porch

It should have become a pedestrian concourse long before the pandemic — few places in the world have such a great climate for outdoor dining.   When the pandemic forced it on us, it was a thrill to see so many people enjoying this asset amid our collective troubles.

 I was delighted when the City Council agreed to make the B Street closure between First and Third avenues permanent, but dismayed by what followed. Parklets or dining decks on B Street came down, and the atmosphere took a decided step back.  

Why? It seems the council tried to solve one problem too many. It forbade parklets on B Street, in favor of being able to quickly open the full area for large festivals. While other restaurants downtown continued to offer parklets for dining, B Street diners could only have chairs on a sloping street.

This policy detail will shortly be reversed. Just weeks ago, the council teetered on the brink of abandoning half of the pedestrian mall, but a vocal group of residents urged them to give the concept more time, and to allow parklets. Fortunately, that perspective prevailed.  

A yearlong project to design permanent streetscape improvements like benches and bike racks, an equity art project and electronic bollards to allow services vehicles in for deliveries. The ugly plastic barriers will be gone. Once the council approves the design, contracts will go to bid, and work should begin early next year.

But there is much more to do. That’s where the B Street Boosters come in.   

We are on two tracks to ensure B Street’s future as our city’s “front porch.”

We are collecting and promoting informal, fun, creative programming for our shared public space. Our local astronomy society recently offered telescope views of the moon over B Street — more than 200 folks enjoyed dazzling views — and we’ll make this a recurring event.

More ideas include a roller skating night, game night, informal block parties, a whiffle ball tournament, music groups from schools and local bands, promoting B as a destination for National Night Out or even showing old movies on a wall to celebrate San Mateo’s historic role as Hollywood North in the infant days of cinema.

The idea is to foster a sense that B Street is a place for casual easy-going fun — a great place to dine out, have a drink, enjoy a boba, watch a movie or meet friends just to talk and relax.

We are also working to have a “parklet barn-raising.” These platforms can be expensive, both to design and build. We want to take a cookie-cutter approach, and come together as a community to design, build and finish regulation-compliant parklet decks for as many businesses as want them on the Pedestrian Mall. Businesses that may be reluctant to offer outdoor dining will be incentivized, and the whole B Street scene will pick up momentum.

We are approaching developers of big projects around downtown for support and will reach out to skilled trades and unions to take the lead on the building effort. We’ll reach out to the Downtown San Mateo Association, the Chamber of Commerce and other civic groups. We’ll seek donations of materials and skills. If all goes well, we hope to sponsor a fun “Build B Street” day.

We want to ensure the entirety of B Street is connected, from the core of downtown through those businesses B Street north of Baldwin Avenue, so we’ll offer the program there as well.

Finally, we’d like to see a contest to name the area, to give it a distinct identity as what it should be: San Mateo’s front porch, augmenting our beautiful Central Park, which is indeed our front yard.

It will take much more than city government, individual businesses or any one entity to make this unique space the best it can be for everyone. It will take all of us, with our energy, ideas, hard work and persistence to create the great space we all deserve.

Kevin Simpson has lived in North Central San Mateo for 13 years and works on the Peninsula. Please email b-street-boosters@googlegroups.com to receive news, get your ideas and learn how you can help.