SAN BRUNO CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
May 19, 2026
Public Comment(s)
From: Sadana Traxler
To: City Clerk
Subject: Public Comment 5/19/2026
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 6:57:51 PM
Hello Mayor, Council and City Staff,
I’m writing as a business owner on the avenue. Josh and I are disappointed we cannot attend in person tonight due to a family obligation, but we are very appreciative to see the City and the Planning Department actively having this conversation about downtown zoning and the future of the Central Business District.
We have been business owners in downtown San Bruno for nearly 11 years, and over that time we have really developed a strong understanding of what happens day to day on the ground.
We are in our business five to seven days a week, often long hours, and we see and hear a lot through both customers and neighboring businesses. There is a steady flow of informal communication throughout the downtown community, and in many ways, we have our “eyes on the street,” observing how the corridor functions in real time.
As part of our commitment to downtown, we also stepped outside of our business and helped formally organize an improvement group to help activate the avenue through community events. The goal was simple—bring people downtown, create awareness, and support all of the local businesses. Over time, that effort has grown into annual events such as our Trick-or- Treat and Easter celebrations, which we are very proud of and grateful to see the community embrace.
At the same time, we want to be honest that this work takes a significant amount of time and energy. We are balancing the responsibilities of running our own business while also investing additional time outside of it to help create activity downtown, with the hope that it benefits the broader community and supports neighboring businesses as well.
When these events take place, we absolutely see the impact. For a few hours, downtown is full of life, families are walking, visiting shops, engaging with merchants, and the avenue feels active and connected. It is very rewarding to see, and we intentionally include as many local businesses as possible, so attendees have a reason to visit each storefront and engage with business owners they may already know or are meeting for the first time.
However, we also notice a consistent pattern. Once the event ends, the foot traffic leaves quickly, and the corridor becomes quiet again. Over time, this has led us to reflect on why that happens. Our perspective is that while events are successful at bringing people downtown temporarily, the underlying mix of businesses plays a major role in whether people stay, explore, and return on a regular basis.
We believe downtown performs best when there is a strong and intentional balance of uses.
Retail, restaurants, and other walk-in-oriented businesses tend to create ongoing movement and encourage people to explore more of the avenue. When there is a higher concentration of appointment-based or destination-only businesses, the flow of foot traffic can become more limited, even if those businesses are valuable and serve an important role in the community.
This is why we support the City’s current discussion around zoning and business mix. We believe thoughtful, intentional decisions about what types of businesses are encouraged in the downtown core can have a meaningful long-term impact on activity and vibrancy.
We also want to respectfully share that much of our motivation in organizing events and participating in downtown activation efforts has been rooted in trying to answer a simple question: how do we bring more consistent life and energy to the avenue beyond just short- term events? Over time, we have come to believe that the answer is not just programming, but also the composition of businesses themselves.
We would encourage the City, as part of this process, to continue thinking carefully about business concentration and the types of uses that best support an active, walkable downtown where people naturally want to spend time, not just attend events, but stay, explore, and return.
Our goal has always been to contribute positively to the downtown and to support its growth.
We care deeply about this community, and we want to remain part of it long-term. We believe it is possible to strengthen downtown in a way that supports existing businesses while also being intentional about future growth.
We appreciate the City’s willingness to engage in this conversation and to consider how zoning decisions today can shape the downtown experience for years to come. We are excited about the possibility of continuing to be part of that progress and seeing downtown evolve into a place the community is proud of and excited to spend time in.
As you continue this work, I would like to leave you with a question for reflection:
When was the last time you visited downtown not for a meeting or obligation, but simply to spend time there and what would need to change for downtown San Bruno to feel like a place you would choose to bring your own family, sit for a while and spend your personal time? Sadana & Josh Traxler
Twice As Nice