Local government surveys should consider the presence of potential historic districts which may be eligible for national, state or local designation or may warrant special consideration in local planning such as the development of design guidelines, historical preservation overlay zones (HPOZs), conservation zones, or review by a historic preservation commission prior to granting permits for demolitions or other actions which could alter or destroy district contributors.
State Historic Preservation Office website https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page id=23317 Policy CD‐P3.7 Demolition Alternatives. This policy is too narrowly defined to be only National Register‐eligible resources This policy should apply to all pre‐war structures to preserve the integrity of our neighborhoods, minimize waste diverted to a landfill, and foster sustainable development.
Actions
Action CD‐A3.1 Historic Building Survey. This action should address historic districts as well as buildings and sites. “Establish and maintain an inventory of architecturally, culturally, and historically significant structures, and sites, and districts.
Action CD‐A3.2 Historic Preservation Ordinance. Update and maintain the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance to be consistent with State and Federal standards and guidelines, and to support local historic preservation objectives.
Action CD‐A3.4 Historic Design Standards. Create objective design standards for development within historic districts or and adjacent to historic structures and/or culturally important sites to maintain the historic character of these resources.
In my letter to Zachary Dahl of February 8, 2022 regarding the General Plan Notice of Preparation, I requested that the City hold a General Plan EIR workshop to address the scope, methodology, and potential mitigation measures for the historic resources sections of the General Plan and EIR. You have not yet responded to this request so I am reiterating the request here.
Thank you for your attention to these comments.
Sincerely,
Laurie Hietter
Randy Hi
etter
Laurie and Randy Hietter
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From: Janna Kolodi
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2022 2:37 PM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Subject: Noise from the rail road
Hello,
it seems like the issue of the train signal/noise will never be resolved. Can you revisit this problem and think better about what can be done to minimize the torture? There are a lot of people who are affected, elderly and children included who lack sleep and rest because of the noise. My heart goes to the people who live in close proximity to the rails and I would be mentally broken from having this nuisance 24/7 (except for a few hours at night).
I hope you will include the conversation (at least) in your plan and will try to imrove our lives.
Thank you,
--
Janna Kolodii
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Name: Janna Kolodii
Email:
Message: Infrastructure is important for each city and San Mateo is not an exception. I have recently moved t
o SM from the South Bay and noticed right away how in bad shape the city was, especially North San Mateo. Yes, it's an unprivileged people's area and you can see it once you cross the 4th Ave. Roads are crumbling, and sidewalks pose immediate hazards. Trash is everywhere and is not being regulated. (Owners and landlords must follow the rules and keep their properties and around them neat). I believe San Mateo can do better and care about their citizens, and the conditions they live in. Just drive/walk along Grant street and you will see the neglect (by the city). It screams "Oh, it will do for them, they are used to these conditions". Please change your attitude and make the area as nice as other streets. Thank you
---
Date: August 23, 2022
Time: 9:30 pm
Page URL: https://strivesanmateo.org/participate-online/ User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/104.0.0.0 Safari/537.36
Remote IP: 73.202.225.10
Powered by: Elementor
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From: Khanh Russo <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2022 11:48 AM
To: Zachary Dahl <[email protected]>; General Plan <[email protected]> Cc: Aysha Pamukcu <[email protected]>; Evita Chávez <[email protected]>; Subject: Equity Focused Input for Housing Elements
Dear City of San Mateo:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on the city of San Mateo’s housing element. The Partnership for the Bay’s Future (“PBF”) is a public-private-nonprofit partnership working to create a more livable Bay Area in which diverse people of all walks of life can afford to live and thrive. To do so, we address the challenges of housing and protecting tenants through the support of equitable policy change as well as investing in the production and preservation of affordable housing.
In consultation with government leaders, housing policy experts, and communities, we have compiled a list of equitable housing priorities that we hope San Mateo will consider incorporating into the new housing element. We are including the following resources for your review and consideration:
• a slide deck covering each priority policy idea, with template language for your jurisdiction to consider,
• examples of places where the policy has been adopted, and • additional links and resources.
We believe that your current efforts already include some of the listed policies, which we applaud. In addition to the attached equitable policy resources, we are offering technical assistance from Baird + Driskell Community Planning if your jurisdiction is interested in exploring or developing some of these policies even further. If you have any questions, please contact me ([email protected]) and our colleagues at Baird + Driskell (Kristy Wang, [email protected], and Joshua Abrams, [email protected]). We will follow up with you shortly to see if we can provide further support.
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide input into San Mateo’s housing element. We appreciate all your efforts to address the housing needs of Bay Area and California residents.
Sincerely,
Khanh Russo
Vice President of Policy and Innovation
San Francisco Foundation
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Khanh Russo
Vice President of Policy and Innovation
One Embarcadero Center, Suite 1400 | San Francisco , CA 94111
T: (415) 733-8570 |
[email protected] | www.sff.org
Pronouns: He, Him, His
Please follow the Partnership for the Bay's Future on Twitter
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August 24, 2022
Submitted by email to: [email protected]
RE: San Ramon’s 6 th Cycle Housing Element Update
Dear City of San Ramon:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on the city of San Ramon’s housing element.
Your work supporting your community to meet its housing needs is critical in addressing the current housing affordability crisis. We understand that at this moment in the housing element process, your jurisdiction is waiting for comments from HCD. As such, we request that you incorporate additional equitable housing policies into your draft housing element during your next revision. We offer the attached equitable policy resources as well as potential technical assistance from Baird + Driskell Community Planning (“B+D”) if your jurisdiction is interested in this level of support.
The Partnership for the Bay’s Future (“PBF”) is a public-private-nonprofit partnership working to create a more livable Bay Area in which diverse people of all walks of life can afford to live and thrive. To do so, we address the challenges of housing and protecting tenants through the support of equitable policy change as well as investing in the production and preservation of affordable housing.
In consultation with government leaders, housing policy experts, and communities, we have compiled a list of equitable housing priorities that we request San Ramon incorporate into the new housing element. In some cases, these are policies that housing element law requires jurisdictions to address as a potential action or recommendation in their housing elements, but in other cases, these are suggested policies that we are raising up as PBF’s equitable planning priorities. We are including the following resources for your review and consideration:
● a slide deck covering each priority policy idea, with template language for your jurisdiction to consider,
● examples of places where the policy has been adopted, and ● additional links and resources.
We believe that San Ramon’s current efforts already include some of the listed policies, which we applaud. We also believe that all Bay Area communities can take more steps to make their housing elements more equitable. The attached summaries can be used as resources for staff as they communicate with both decision makers and the public, and we are happy to provide further assistance to incorporate these policies into your housing element as well as help draft talking points that can be tailored for local implementation.
We believe the following policies can play an important role in meeting the requirements of this housing element and supporting thriving communities, and we request that San Ramon include them in the next housing element draft:
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1. Favorable Zoning and Land Use
○ Make multifamily infill easier to develop
○ Allow, require or encourage multifamily housing in more places ○ Allow or encourage missing middle housing in single-family neighborhoods ○ Provide incentives for affordable housing development ○ Provide incentives for affordable ADUs and "missing middle" housing
2. Accelerating Production Timeframes
○ Streamline development approvals and environmental review process for multifamily housing
○ Streamline permitting process for multifamily housing
3. Reducing Construction and Development Costs
○ Ensure local requirements are not making development more expensive without requisite benefits
○ Actively support the use of modular and factory-built construction methods
4. Providing Financial Subsidies: Generate new or dedicate existing revenue for affordable housing
5. Advocating for Rent Control and Just Cause for Eviction Policies ○ Adopt or update rent stabilization policies
○ Adopt or update just cause eviction policies
6. Advocating for Community Land Trusts (CLTs): Support the formation and operation of community land trusts
7. Advocating for Inclusionary Zoning and Impact Fees: Create or review/update inclusionary housing (including in-lieu fees) and commercial linkage fee requirements
8. Inventory of Sites: Ensure that land is equitably zoned for multifamily housing, especially in high-opportunity areas
If you have any questions, please contact me ([email protected]) and our colleagues at Baird + Driskell (Kristy Wang, [email protected], and Joshua Abrams,[email protected]).
We will follow up with you shortly to see if we can provide further support, including technical assistance from the B+D team to further explore some of these policies.
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide input into San Ramon’s housing element. We appreciate your efforts to address the housing needs of Bay Area and California residents.
Sincerely,
Khanh Russo
Vice President of Policy and Innovation
San Francisco Foundation
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August 24, 2022
Submitted by email to: [email protected]
RE: San Ramon’s 6 th Cycle Housing Element Update
Dear City of San Ramon:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on the city of San Ramon’s housing element.
Your work supporting your community to meet its housing needs is critical in addressing the current housing affordability crisis. We understand that at this moment in the housing element process, your jurisdiction is waiting for comments from HCD. As such, we request that you incorporate additional equitable housing policies into your draft housing element during your next revision. We offer the attached equitable policy resources as well as potential technical assistance from Baird + Driskell Community Planning (“B+D”) if your jurisdiction is interested in this level of support.
The Partnership for the Bay’s Future (“PBF”) is a public-private-nonprofit partnership working to create a more livable Bay Area in which diverse people of all walks of life can afford to live and thrive. To do so, we address the challenges of housing and protecting tenants through the support of equitable policy change as well as investing in the production and preservation of affordable housing.
In consultation with government leaders, housing policy experts, and communities, we have compiled a list of equitable housing priorities that we request San Ramon incorporate into the new housing element. In some cases, these are policies that housing element law requires jurisdictions to address as a potential action or recommendation in their housing elements, but in other cases, these are suggested policies that we are raising up as PBF’s equitable planning priorities. We are including the following resources for your review and consideration:
● a slide deck covering each priority policy idea, with template language for your jurisdiction to consider,
● examples of places where the policy has been adopted, and ● additional links and resources.
We believe that San Ramon’s current efforts already include some of the listed policies, which we applaud. We also believe that all Bay Area communities can take more steps to make their housing elements more equitable. The attached summaries can be used as resources for staff as they communicate with both decision makers and the public, and we are happy to provide further assistance to incorporate these policies into your housing element as well as help draft talking points that can be tailored for local implementation.
We believe the following policies can play an important role in meeting the requirements of this housing element and supporting thriving communities, and we request that San Ramon include them in the next housing element draft:
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1. Favorable Zoning and Land Use
○ Make multifamily infill easier to develop
○ Allow, require or encourage multifamily housing in more places ○ Allow or encourage missing middle housing in single-family neighborhoods ○ Provide incentives for affordable housing development ○ Provide incentives for affordable ADUs and "missing middle" housing
2. Accelerating Production Timeframes
○ Streamline development approvals and environmental review process for multifamily housing
○ Streamline permitting process for multifamily housing
3. Reducing Construction and Development Costs
○ Ensure local requirements are not making development more expensive without requisite benefits
○ Actively support the use of modular and factory-built construction methods
4. Providing Financial Subsidies: Generate new or dedicate existing revenue for affordable housing
5. Advocating for Rent Control and Just Cause for Eviction Policies ○ Adopt or update rent stabilization policies
○ Adopt or update just cause eviction policies
6. Advocating for Community Land Trusts (CLTs): Support the formation and operation of community land trusts
7. Advocating for Inclusionary Zoning and Impact Fees: Create or review/update inclusionary housing (including in-lieu fees) and commercial linkage fee requirements
8. Inventory of Sites: Ensure that land is equitably zoned for multifamily housing, especially in high-opportunity areas
If you have any questions, please contact me ([email protected]) and our colleagues at Baird + Driskell (Kristy Wang, [email protected], and Joshua Abrams,[email protected]).
We will follow up with you shortly to see if we can provide further support, including technical assistance from the B+D team to further explore some of these policies.
Thank you again for the opportunity to provide input into San Ramon’s housing element. We appreciate your efforts to address the housing needs of Bay Area and California residents.
Sincerely,
Khanh Russo
Vice President of Policy and Innovation
San Francisco Foundation
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PBF’s Priorities for 6th Cycle
Housing Elements
August 2022
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Priority Policies and Actions
1. Favorable Zoning and Land Use
• Make multifamily infill easier to develop
• Allow, require or encourage multifamily housing in more places
• Allo
w or encourage missing middle housing in single-famil y neighborhoods
• Provide incentives for affordable housing development • Provide incentives for affordable ADUs and "missing
middl
e" housing
2. Accelerating Production Timeframes
• Streamline development approvals and environmental
revie
w process for multifamily housing
• Streamline permitting process for multifamily housing
3. Reducing Construction and Development Costs
• Ensure local requirements are not making development
more e
xpensive without requisite benefits
• Actively support the use of modular and factory-built construction methods
4. Providing Financial Subsidies: Generate new or dedicate existing reve
nue for affordable housing
5. Advocating for Rent Control and Just Cause for Eviction Policies • Adopt or update rent stabilization policies
• Adopt or update just cause eviction policies
6. Advocating for Community Land Trusts (CLTs): Su pport the formation and operation of community land trusts (CLTs)
7. Advocating for Inclusionary Zoning and Impact Fees: Cr eate or review/update inclusionary housing (including in-lieu fees) and commercial linkage fee requirements
8. Inventory of Sites: En sure that land is equitably zoned for multifamily housing, especially in high-opportunity areas
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Actively support the use of modular and factory-
built construction methods
11 Explore the following policies and programs:
• Expedited permits: Establi sh a clear and expedited approval and permitting process for modular and manufactured homes.
• Pre-fab trainings: Conduct or require a training for building officials and relevant staff to ensure they are aware of current state processes and requirements and how they intersect with local authority/responsibilities.
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Other equitable housing policies for further exploration 18 • Anti-tenant harassment policies (Oakland and Concord) • Preservation policies including acquisition/rehab models • Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) policies
Explore the following policies and programs:
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From: Raayan Zarandian Mohtashemi
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2022 2:47 PM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Cc: Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: August 30th Subcommittee Meeting Comments
Dear General Plan Subcommittee,
Attached are my comments regarding the draft circulation element, along with one comment regarding the draft land use element. I have reviewed the draft circulation element, and proposed revised language and additional policies and actions throughout the document. Thank you for your review.
Raayan Mohtashemi
Team Lead, Move San Mateo (Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition San Mateo Local Team)
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Dear General Plan Subcommittee,
Below is my preliminary review of the circulation element (with one comment regarding the land use element). One broad comment I would make is that while it is good to recognize the importance of multimodal streets, we should, in the general plan, clarify that active transportation modes are to be prioritized.
When reviewing the circulation plan, I encourage you to ask: does the policy/program focus on one or more of the following?
1. Increasing active transportation (walking, biking, other micromobility) mode share
2. Increasing transit mode share
3. Reducing driving
4. Making biking or walking safer
5. Making transit faster/more convenient
Further, some elements that should be included in the plan, in my opinion:
6. El Camino Road diet, and/or El Camino HOV/bus-only lanes/BRT improvements
7. Higher standards for bicycle boulevards (not just pavement markings and signage)
8. Cost of parking better reflecting the negative impacts that cars have on safety and livability of cities
9. A reexamination of the capital program’s alignment with the general plan goals, policies, and actions, and alignment with the state climate action plan for transportation infrastructure and other climate goals
10. Fully funding the re-evaluated capital program
11. Connecting divided neighborhoods
a. Put a cap on Highway 101, to replace the freeway with a mixed-use neighborhood with abundant housing and open space.
b. Grade separations, El Camino Real Improvements, and Hwy 92 Improvements
12. Move away from LOS analysis to determine “feasibility” of certain active transportation improvements
13. Invest more staff time/bandwidth and funds in active transportation and transit improvements as opposed to roadway improvements
Below, please see my specific proposed revision to the goals, policies, and actions listed in the draft circulation element. I have bolded/highlighted where I am proposing a revision, and I have listed each draft statement as it appears in the draft plan for comparison.
Thank you,
Raayan Mohtashemi
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Goal C-1: Multimodal Transportation
Design and implement a multimodal transportation system that is sustainable, safe, and accessible for all users and that connects the community utilizing all modes of transportation.
Revised language: “Design and implement a multimodal transportation system that prioritizes transit and active transportation modes, is sustainable, safe, and accessible for all users, and connects the community.”
Policies:
1. C- P1.1 - Sustainable Transportation: Reduce GHG emissions from transportation by increasing mode shares for sustainable travel modes such as walking, bicycling, and transit.
a. Revised language: “Reduce VMT and GHG emissions from transportation by increasing mode shares for sustainable travel modes such as active transportation and transit modes.”
2. C- P1.2 - Complete Streets: Apply complete streets design standards to future projects both in the public right-of-way and on private property. Complete streets are streets designed to facilitate safe, comfortable, and efficient travel for all users regardless of age or ability or whether they are walking, bicycling, taking transit, or driving. a. Revised language: “A
pply complete streets design standards to future projects both in the public right-of-way and on private property. Complete streets are streets designed to facilitate safe, comfortable, and efficient travel for all users regardless of age or ability or whether they are walking, bicycling, taking transit, or driving. Complete streets standards should clarify that active transportation and transit mobility should be prioritized over driving convenience.”
3. C- P1.3 - Vision Zero: Work towards eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Use a safe systems approach for transportation planning, street design, operations, emergency response, and maintenance that proactively identifies opportunities to improve safety where conflicts between users exist.
4. C- P1.4 - Prioritize Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Needs: Prioritize pedestrian and bicycle mobility, connectivity, and safety when designing roadway and intersection improvements.
a. Revised language: Prioritize Active Transportation and Transit Mobility Needs (Active transportation and transit first policy): “Prioritize active transportation and transit mobility, connectivity, and safety when designing roadway and intersection improvements.”
5. C- P1.5 - El Camino Real: Prioritize high-capacity travel along El Camino Real a. Revised language: “Prioritize high-capacity travel and safety for active transportation and transit modes along El Camino Real”
6. C- P1.6 - Transit-Oriented Development: Increase access to transit and sustainable transportation options by encouraging high density mixed-use transit-oriented development near the City’s Caltrain stations and transit corridors
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a. Revised language: “Increase access to transit and active transportation options by encouraging high density housing-heavy mixed-use transit-oriented development near the City’s Caltrain stations and transit corridors.”
7. C- P1.7 - Equitable Multimodal Network: Prioritize new amenities, programs and multimodal projects, developed based on community input and data analysis, in San Mateo’s disadvantaged neighborhoods
8. C- P1.8 - New Development Fair Share: Require new developments to pay a transportation impact fee to mitigate cumulative transportation impacts
9. C- P1.9 - Dedication of Right-of-Way for Transportation Improvements: Require dedication of needed right-of-way for transportation improvements identified in adopted City plans, including pedestrian facilities, bikeways, and trails.
10. C-P1.10 - Inclusive Outreach: Involve the community in the City’s efforts to design and implement a multimodal transportation system that is sustainable, safe, and accessible for all users. Use outreach and engagement methods that encourage broad representation and are culturally sensitive, particularly for historically underserved communities.
Actions
1. C- A1.1 - Complete Streets Plan: Complete and implement the Complete Streets Plan to improve the City’s circulation network to accommodate the needs of street users of all ages and abilities.
a. Revised language: “C
omplete and implement the Complete Streets Plan to
improve the City’s circulation network to accommodate the needs of street users of all ages and abilities and prioritize active transportation and transit modes.”
2. C- A1.2 - Vision Zero Plan: Complete and regularly update a Plan that uses a safe systems approach to work towards Vision Zero and identifies specific citywide changes to policies, practices, funding, and other action items that will reduce speeding, collisions, and collision severity.
3. C- A1.3 - El Camino Real Plan: Collaborate with Caltrans, SamTrans, and other partners to prepare and implement a plan to accommodate higher capacity and frequency travel along El Camino Real, exploring Bus Rapid Transit and other modes of alternative transportation.
a. Revised language: “C
ollaborate with Caltrans, SamTrans, and other partners to prepare and implement a plan to accommodate safer, higher capacity, and higher frequency travel along El Camino Real, such as Bus Rapid Transit, bicycle facilities, and other modes of alternative transportation.”
4. C- A1.4 - Safe Routes for Seniors: Develop a “safe routes for seniors” program to promote active transportation connections for seniors in collaboration with seniors’ organizations. Prioritize improvements for seniors in disadvantaged communities.
5. C- A1.5 - Data Driven Approach to Project Design and Prioritization: Inform the prioritization of improvement projects through the consistent collection and analysis of modal activity data which reveals where the highest concentration of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit trips occur.
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6. C- A1.6 - Safety Education: Pursue safety education to increase awareness for all street users
7. C- A1.7 - Transportation Funding: Regularly update adopted City master plans to secure reliable funding for transportation infrastructure projects identified in these plans. a. Revised language: Regul arly update adopted City master plans to secure reliable, dedicated funding for transportation infrastructure projects identified in these plans.
8. C- A1.8 - Transportation Fees: Adopt and maintain fees and fiscal policies to fund circulation improvements and programs equitably and achieve operational goals.
9. C- A1.9 - Performance and Monitoring: Monitor the City’s mode split progress on reducing VMT and reducing GHG emissions from VMT, as data is available.
10. Proposed action: Review projects in the city's capital improvement plan based on their alignment with the State Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure and other climate goals. Modify projects and/or project list based on recommendations from this review.
11. Proposed action: Establish a realistic, ambitious, time-based goal to fully complete all infrastructure projects outlined in the city’s revised capital improvement program and improvements outlined in other plans. Identify increases in staffing levels needed in order to meet that goal.
Goal C-2: Transportation Demand Management
Use transportation demand management (TDM) to reduce the number and length of single- occupancy vehicle trips and encourage sustainable travel behaviors through policy, zoning strategies, and targeted context-appropriate programs and incentives.
Policies
1. C- P2.1 - TDM Requirements: Require new or existing developments that meet specific size, capacity, and/or context conditions to implement TDM strategies.
Actions
1. C- A2.1 - Implement TDM Ordinance: Develop and implement a citywide TDM ordinance for new developments with tiered trip reduction and VMT reduction targets and monitoring that are consistent with the targets in their relevant area plans. Consider parking requirement reductions for projects that include TDM measures. a. Revised language: “D
evelop and implement a citywide TDM ordinance for new
developments with tiered trip reduction and VMT reduction targets and monitoring that are consistent with the targets in their relevant area plans.
Reduce parking requirements for projects that include TDM measures.
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2. C- A2.2 - TDM Education and Outreach: Pursue education for developers and employees about programs and strategies to reduce VMT, parking demand, and the resulting benefits.
3. C- A2.3 - Leverage TDM Partnership Opportunities: Work with regional partners to identify and fund TDM strategies that can be implemented at new and existing developments.
4. C- A2.4 - Facilitate TDM Services: Facilitate the provision of TDM services to employees and residents through development agreements, TMAs, and coordination with regional partners.
5. C- A2.5 - Travel to Schools: Reduce private automobile school trips and support student health by collaborating with private and public partners to increase the number of students walking or bicycling to school through expanded implementation of Safe Routes to School. Prioritize school travel safety improvements in disadvantaged communities. a. Revised language: “R
educe private automobile school trips and support student health by collaborating with private and public partners to increase the number of students getting to school with active transportation or transit through expanded implementation of Safe Routes to School. Prioritize school travel safety improvements in disadvantaged communities.”
6. Action C-A2 .6 - New Development Shuttle Services: As an option to fulfill TDM requirements, encourage new developments to provide shuttle services to and from activity centers such as the College of San Mateo, Caltrain stations, Downtown, or the Hillsdale Shopping Center. Shuttle service should accommodate the needs and schedules of all riders, including service workers.
a. Revised language: New Development Shuttle Services and/or Transit Supplement: “As an option to fulfill TDM requirements, encourage new developments to provide shuttle services to and from activity centers such as the College of San Mateo, Caltrain stations, Downtown, or the Hillsdale Shopping Center. Shuttle service should accommodate the needs and schedules of all riders, including service workers. Alternatively, encourage new developments to fund SamTrans transit service in an equal or greater amount as to the cost of running shuttle service.”
7. C- A2.7 - Unbundled Parking: Encourage residential developments to unbundle the costs of providing dedicated parking spaces. Encourage additional parking capacity created by unbundling to be reallocated as shared or public parking spaces. a. “ Require all residential developments to unbundle the costs of providing dedicated parking spaces. Encourage additional parking capacity created by unbundling to be reallocated as shared or public parking spaces in areas with high parking demand.”
8. Proposed Action: Park
ing cashout and post-tax transit/active transportation benefits:
“Require all new developments that do not unbundle parking to offer a parking cash-out program and to provide a post-tax transit or active transportation equal in value to the cost of providing vehicle parking.”
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Goal C-3: Pedestrians
Build and maintain a safe, connected, and equitable pedestrian network that provides access to community destinations such as employment centers, transit, schools, shopping and recreation.
Policies
1. C- P3.1 - Pedestrian Network: Create and maintain a safe, walkable environment in San Mateo to increase the number of people who choose to walk. Maintain an updated recommended pedestrian network for implementation.
2. C- P3.2 - Pedestrian Enhancements with New Development: Require new development projects to provide sidewalks and pedestrian ramps and to repair or replace damaged sidewalks, in addition to right-of-way improvements identified in adopted City master plans. Encourage new developments to include pedestrian-oriented design to facilitate pedestrian path of travel.
3. C- P3.3 - Right-of-Way Improvements: Require new developments to construct or contribute to improvements that enhance the pedestrian experience including human- scale lighting, streetscaping, and accessible sidewalks.
4. C- P3.4 - Utility Undergrounding: Require new private development to underground utilities adjacent to the site.
5. Proposed policy: Guarantee safe access to recreational spaces, including but not limited to open spaces and car-free streets, for all modes of transportation.
Actions
1. C- A3.1 - Implement Pedestrian Improvements: Implement goals, programs, and projects in the City’s adopted plans that improve the comfort, safety, and connectivity of the pedestrian network.
2. C- A3.2 - Utility Underground Requirements: Amend the San Mateo Municipal Code to require new private development to underground utilities on and adjacent to the site and to install and maintain signs, streetlights, and street landscaping adjacent to sidewalks.
3. C- A3.3 - Pedestrian Trails and Routes Awareness: Increase awareness of existing trails and routes by working with outside agencies and developers to promote these amenities to residents. Continue collaborating with the County on development of the trail network.
4. C- A3.4 - Access for Users of All Ages and Abilities: Implement the ADA Transition Plan and maintain accessible streets and sidewalks. Use industry standards for guidance when implementing design standards.
5. C- A3.5 - Pedestrian Connectivity: Incorporate design for pedestrian connectivity across intersections in transportation projects to provide safe interaction with other modes.
6. C- A3.6 - Safe Routes to School: Fund and implement continuous Safe Routes to School engagement with San Mateo elementary, middle, and high schools, and provide support to increase number of students walking to school.
a. Revised language: “Fund and implement continuous Safe Routes to School engagement with San Mateo elementary, middle, and high schools, and provide
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support to increase the number of students using active transportation or transit to get to school.”
7. C- A3.7 - Downtown Pedestrian Mall: Complete design and fund improvements to fully transition B Street between 1st Street and 3rd Street into a pedestrian mall. a. Revised language: “C omplete design and fund improvements to fully transition B Street between 1st Avenue and 3rd Avenue into a pedestrian mall. Extend the pedestrian mall to B Street between Baldwin Avenue and 1st Avenue.
8. Proposed action: Require the safety and quality of sidewalks fronting all properties to be assessed at point of sale. Require the existing or new owner to repair the sidewalk if minimum safety/quality conditions are not met. Provide exemptions for low income individuals from this requirement. Prioritize sidewalk repair program funding for historically marginalized/equity priority communities and/or for low income individuals.
9. Proposed action: Implement bulbouts and daylighting at all intersections to reduce crossing distances and improve line of sight, taking into account conflicts with bicycle facilities.
10. Proposed action: Implement lead pedestrian intervals and automatic actuation pedestrian signals at all signalized intersections.
Goal C-4: Bicycles and Micromobility
Build and maintain a safe, connected, and equitable bicycle and micromobility network that provides access to community destinations such as employment centers, transit, schools, shopping, and recreation.
Revised language: “Bui
ld and maintain a safe, connected, and equitable bicycle and micromobility network that provides access to community destinations such as employment centers, transit, schools, shopping, and recreation. Ensure that every street ensures a minimum level of safety and falls below a maximum level of traffic stress for bicyclists and other micromobility users, depending on roadway characteristics.”
Policies
1. C- P4.1 - Bicycle Network: Create and maintain a bike-friendly environment in San Mateo and increase the number of people who choose to bike.
2. C- P4.2 - Bicycle Master Plan: Maintain an updated recommended bicycle network for implementation in the adopted Bicycle Master Plan and related City plans.
3. C- P4.3 - First- and Last-Mile Connections: Encourage and facilitate provision of bicycle safety and connectivity.
4. C- P4.4 - Bicycle Related Technology: Explore ways to use technology to improve bicycle safety and connectivity.
5. C- P4.5 Bicycle Improvements: Require new developments to construct or contribute to improvements that enhance the cyclist experience including bike lanes.
6. C- P4.6 - Coordination with other City Projects: Maximize opportunities to implement bicycle facilities through other City of San Mateo projects.
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7. C- P4.7 - Interjurisdiction Coordination: Continue to coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions and regional partners in the development of connected bicycle and pedestrian facilities and regional trails as identified in adopted City plans.
8. Proposed policy: Ensure that every street maintains a basic level of safety and falls below a maximum level of traffic stress for bicyclists and other micromobility users, depending on roadway characteristics.
9. Proposed policy: Switch parking and bike lanes so that bike lanes are closest to the curb, and parking provides a buffer between the vehicle travel lane and the bike lane.
Actions
1. C- A4.1 - Bicycle Master Plan Implementation: Implement the Bicycle Master Plan’s recommended programs and projects to create and maintain a fully connected, safe, and logical bikeway network and coordinate with the countywide system. Update the Bicycle Master Plan and related adopted City plans to reflect future bicycle and micromobility facility needs to support the City’s circulation network. Provide an adequate supply of short- and long-term bicycle parking to support increased ridership. a. Revised language: “I
mplement the Bicycle Master Plan’s recommended
programs and projects to create and maintain a fully connected, safe, and logical bikeway network and coordinate with the countywide system. Update the Bicycle Master Plan and related adopted City plans to reflect future bicycle and micromobility facility needs to support the City’s circulation network. Provide an adequate supply of short- and long-term bicycle parking, including publicly accessible secure and covered bicycle parking, to support increased ridership.
2. C- A4.2 - Paving Coordination: Coordinate and fund the implementation of bicycle facilities identified in the Bicycle Master Plan with the City’s paving program.
3. C- A4.3 - Connectivity Across Freeway Barriers: Conduct feasibility studies and design alternatives for overcrossings at US 101 and SR 92 to facilitate connectivity across major barriers.
4. C- A4.4 - Bay Trail: Identify State and County programs to continue pursuing safe pedestrian and bicycle access to and extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail through coordination with neighboring jurisdictions.
5. C- A4.5 - Crystal Springs: Pursue safe pedestrian and bicycle access to San Francisco Water District lands via Crystal Springs Road through coordination with the Town of Hillsborough and with State and County assistance.
6. C- A4.6 - Bicycle Detection Devices: Install innovative signal modifications on existing and planned bikeways to detect bicyclists and micromobility users’ presence at intersections and facilitate their safe movement through the intersection.
7. C- A4.7 - Increased Bicycle Capacity on Caltrain and SamTrans: Coordinate with Caltrain and SamTrans to support increased bicycle capacity on transit vehicles and to provide an adequate supply of secure covered bicycle and micromobility parking at Caltrain stations, transit centers, and major bus stops.
8. Proposed action: Identify and implement dedicated funding sources for bicycle master plan implementation
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9. Proposed action: Reconnecting communities: Unite the North Central and Shoreview communities by capping hwy 101 from Peninsula Avenue to Highway 92 interchange, creating a new neighborhood and safe east-west multimodal connections.
10. Proposed action: Adopt minimum traffic calming standards for all streets including but not limited to modal filters and speed cushions.
11. Proposed action: Create a modal filter program to restrict cut-through traffic on residential streets.
12. Proposed action: More aggressively pursue a shared micromobility operator, and work with the County and region to attract a multi-jurisdictional operator already operating in major cities in the region.
13. Proposed action: Prioritize quick-build projects to more quickly implement infrastructure plans.
Goal C-5: Transit and Mobility Services
Make transit a viable transportation option for the community by supporting frequent, reliable, cost-efficient, and connected service.
Revised language: “Make transit a viable and prioritized transportation option for the community by supporting frequent, reliable, cost-efficient, and connected service.” Policies:
1. C- P5.1 - Increase Transit Ridership: Work with SamTrans and Caltrain to increase transit ridership.
2. C- P5.2 - Caltrain: Support Caltrain as a critical transit service in the City and Peninsula
3. C- P5.3 - California High Speed Rail: Support and facilitate local and regional efforts to implement High Speed Rail. Work to provide multimodal connections between San Mateo and planned High Speed Rail stations.
4. C- P5.4 - Safety at At-Grade Rail Crossings: Eliminate existing at-grade rail crossings to improve safety and local multimodal circulation.
5. C- P5.5 - Transit Safety: Prioritize improvements to increase safety, access, comfort, and educate the public about the benefits of transit use at transit centers and bus stops in disadvantaged communities, along commercial corridors, and in dense, mixed-use neighborhoods.
6. C- P5.6 - Transit Access in New Developments: Require new development projects to incorporate design elements that facilitate or improve access to public transit.
7. Proposed Policy: Prioritize transit and active transportation mode travel at intersections and on congested roadways.
Actions
1. C- A5.1 - Grade Separation Study: Conduct a grade separation feasibility study for all at- grade rail crossings in San Mateo. Identify funding to complete these grade crossing improvements.
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2. C- A5.2 - Transit Experience Improvements: Prioritize installing new transit shelters and benches or other seating and an energy-efficient street lighting program at transit stops in disadvantaged communities and areas that improve transit access, safety and experience.
3. C- A5.3 - Transit Ridership: Coordinate with SamTrans, Caltrain, and Joint Powers Board (JPB) to support implementation of transit improvements, including the following:
a. Transit priority treatments, such as signal priority, on high frequency transit corridors
b. Extended hours to provide service for shift workers
c. Bus rapid transit (BRT) in San Mateo
d. Caltrain modernization, electrification, transit experience improvements, and increased service frequency
e. Support implementation of Caltrain’s business plan, including increased service to San Mateo’s three stations.
f. Improve Caltrain station access by ensuring sidewalks and bikeways near each station are designed to provide safe and convenient access to and from transit g. Support regional transit integration and expansion efforts to improve seamless access to BART, High Speed Rail, and other regional transit systems
4. C- A5.4 - Shuttle Programs: Continue to support public shuttle programs connecting to Caltrain stations. Work to expand public awareness and access to shuttles and expand shuttle service. Support the implementation of publicly accessible private shuttles.
5. Proposed action: Microtransit: Evaluate cost-benefit ratio of cost to ridership demand for microtransit service in lower density portions or equity priority communities in the City.
Goal C-6: Roadway Improvements
Achieve a transportation system that accommodates future growth, reduces vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita, and maintains efficient operations for all modes.
Revised language: “Achieve a transportation system that improves user safety, reduces vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita, and maintains efficient operations for all modes, with safety and reduced vehicle speeds prioritized over efficient operations.”
Policies
1. C- P6.1 - Roadway Operations: Maintain acceptable roadway operations for all intersections and all modes within the City.
a. Revised language: “M aintain acceptable roadway operations for all intersections and all modes within the City without adding additional automobile capacity, including turn pockets, to the roadway, in alignment with state climate goals.” (One more lane won’t fix it)
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2. C- P6.2 - Circulation Improvement Plan: Maintain a transportation network that will accommodate future growth, reduce VMT per capita, and equitably implement complete streets.
3. C- P6.3 - Local Transportation Analysis: Require site-specific transportation impact analysis following the City’s adopted Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Policy for development projects where there may be an adverse condition or effect on the roadway system.
4. C- P6.4 - Neighborhood Traffic: Implement traffic calming measures on residential streets to reduce the volume of passthrough traffic and vehicular speeds. a. Revised language: Im
plement traffic calming measures on residential streets to reduce the volume of passthrough traffic and vehicular speeds. Such traffic calming measures should include, but not be limited to, modal filters, turn restrictions, traffic diverters, and speed cushions.
5. C- P6.5 - Truck Routes: Maintain and update the truck route network to utilize roadways that are adequately designed for truck usage and minimize potential conflicts with other transportation modes.
6. C- P6.6 - Capital Improvement Program: Prioritize improvements that increase person throughput in project prioritization in order to reduce VMT. a. Revised language: “P
rioritize improvements that increase person throughput
without adding automobile capacity to the system in project prioritization in order to reduce VMT, in alignment with state climate goals.”
7. C- P6.7 - Traffic Signal Installation: A warrant analysis may be used to determine the need for signalization and shall include consideration of both existing and projected traffic and pedestrian volumes, traffic delays and interruptions, collision history, and proximity of sensitive land uses, such as schools. A development project may be required to fund signalization and maintenance of off-site unsignalized intersections if warranted as determined by the appropriate transportation analysis.
8. Policy C-P6.8 - Emergency Signal Preemption - Require new and upgraded signals to include pre-emption for emergency vehicles to maintain and enhance emergency response times.
9. Proposed policy: Take actions to physically reduce the speeds of vehicles on most streets in the City to below 25 mph.
10. Proposed policy: Realign capital improvement program with the state climate action plan for transportation infrastructure
11. Proposed policy: Incentivize the adoption of speed governors.
Actions
1. C- A6.1 - Multimodal Level of Service Standard - Evaluate and adopt an operational metric for all roadway users that accounts for the safe, equitable, and efficient roadway access.
2. C- A6.2 - Prioritization and Timing of Roadway Improvements: Revise the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) prioritization system to include additional criteria such as:
potential to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita; proximity to high-injury
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locations identified in the Local Roads Safety Plan; eligibility and availability of grant or other funding source; benefit or harm to disadvantaged communities; and correlation with the distribution and pace of development, reflecting the degree of need for mitigation.
3. C- A6.3 - Congestion Management: Work with neighboring agencies and regional partners, such as the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) to implement traffic management strategies and technologies, such as signal coordination, to manage local traffic congestion.
4. Proposed action: Implement speed governors on the entire non-emergency city fleet so that all vehicles in the fleet operate at safer, slower speeds.
5. Proposed action: Provide a tax break/rebate to owners of vehicles registered to residents or employees in San Mateo that use speed governors to incentivize the adoption of speed governors.
Goal C-7: Parking Management
Use parking, enforcement and curb management strategies to effectively administer parking supply and maximize utilization of public assets.
Policies
1. C- P7.1 - Parking Management: Manage parking through appropriate pricing, enforcement, and other strategies to support economic growth and vitality, transportation equity, and environmental sustainability. Ensure that the available parking supply is utilized at levels that meet ongoing needs without inducing additional demand or hindering future development.
2. C- P7.2 - Shared parking: Encourage new and existing developments, especially those in mixed-use districts, to share parking between uses to maximize the existing parking supply, minimize the amount of new parking construction, and encourage “park once” behavior in commercial areas.
a. Revised language: “Require new and existing developments, especially those in mixed-use districts, to share parking between uses to maximize the existing parking supply, minimize the amount of new parking construction, and encourage “park once” behavior in commercial areas.”
3. C- P7.3 -
Public Parking: Maximize opportunities to expand the availability of existing parking by supporting the use of public/shared parking at private developments, discouraging reserved parking at new developments, providing incentives for developments to include shared/public parking, and allowing developers to fund public parking in-lieu of meeting parking demand/requirements on site.
4. C- P7.4 - Bicycle Parking: Require the provision of bicycle parking as part of new private developments.
5. C- P7.5 Curbside Management: Manage the supply and utilization of the curb to maintain an optimal balance between mobility, storage, placemaking, and loading uses allowing
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for flexibility for adaptive re-use, safety improvements, and activation of curb space whenever possible.
6. C- P7.6 - Loading Areas in New Developments: Require adequate off-street loading in new development. Consider shared loading where feasible.
Actions
1. C- A7.1 Parking Maximums: Amend the zoning ordinance to replace parking minimums with parking maximums to allow developers and the City the flexibility to provide parking at levels that encourage desired development and are appropriate to the conditions of the development and its context.
2. C- A7.2 - Parking Management Strategies: Deploy enhanced parking management strategies, parking enforcement, and evaluate dynamic parking pricing strategies that fluctuate based on peak parking and/or district level parking demands. a. Revised language: “D
eploy enhanced parking management strategies, parking
enforcement, and implement dynamic parking pricing strategies that fluctuate based on peak parking and/or district level parking demands.”
3. C- A7.3 - Curbside Management Strategies: Evaluate and implement curb management strategies such as incentivizing or discouraging certain types of trips, mode choices, and behaviors in favor of broader mobility goals.
4. C- A7.4 - Emerging Technology for Curbside Management: Evaluate and implement performance monitoring and evaluation systems, such as digitization of curbside assets, to dynamically manage evolving curbside demands.
5. C- A7.5 - Truck Loading: Evaluate and implement ways to reduce conflicts between truck loading and pedestrian, bicycle, and transit networks.
6. C- A7.6 - Public Bicycle Parking: Install safe, useful, and convenient short and long-term bicycle parking facilities in the public right-of-way or near key destinations, City facilities, and transit facilities.
a. Revised language: “I nstall safe, useful, and convenient short and long-term bicycle parking facilities in the public right-of-way or near key destinations, City facilities, and transit facilities. Also install secure, covered, bicycle parking near key destinations, City facilities, and transit facilities.”
7. C- A7.7 - Mechanical Parking Lift: Adopt and maintain an updated mechanical parking lift code or policy
Goal C-8: Future Mobility and Technology
Build a values-driven regulatory, management, and partnership framework that flexibly encourages emerging transportation technologies in service of City and community goals.
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Policies:
1. C- P8.1 - Emerging Technologies: Monitor, evaluate, test, and implement new technologies that expand options for safe and efficient trip making.
2. C- P8.2 - Equitable Mobility Options: Prioritize the needs and perspectives of residents of disadvantaged communities, those who speak limited English, and low-income, senior, and disabled travelers in the design, deployment, and management of new mobility services and technologies.
3. C- P8.3 - Mobility Data: Leverage mobility data to support new policies, investments, and programmatic actions in service of City goals.
Actions:
1. C- A8.1 - Umbrella Regulations for Modern Mobility: Develop comprehensive regulations and infrastructure standards that are not exclusive to specific service providers and that support a spectrum of digital information, micromobility services, and connected and autonomous vehicles.
2. C- A8.2 - Strategic Partnerships and Pilots: Create strategic partnerships and pilots with the mobility industry and community organizations that increase mobility options for San Mateans.
3. C- A8.3 - Future-Ready Infrastructure: Establish public realm policies and tools that reflect San Mateo’s goals and priorities in the design and management of streets, curbs, sidewalks, and parking facilities to account for emerging mobility trends and changes in demand over time.
4. C- A8.4 - Equitable Mobility Technology: Develop an equitable mobility policy and data sharing requirements for vendors to ensure equitable deployment of emerging mobility options with consideration of residents who may be digitally challenged.
5. C- A8.5 - Intelligent Transportation Systems: Evaluate and deploy Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) measures to efficiently manage traffic operations and incident response, enhance transit service efficiency, and better detect and prioritize the travel and safety of people walking and biking.
One point about land use:
Action LU-A8.5 - North Central Plan: Prepare a plan for North Central that addresses the community’s health and safety needs and improves circulation patterns in the neighborhood based on community direction. Balance safety improvements with preserving the existing parking supply.
Proposed revision: “Prepare a plan for North Central that addresses the community’s health and safet
y needs and improves circulation patterns in the neighborhood based on community direction. Improve safety while optimizing existing parking supply.”
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From: Levaggi, Scott
Sent: Friday, September 2, 2022 9:59 AM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Subject: Downtown SM
Team
Closing down B street is step in right direction. Now we need to make it look desirable.
I suggest
1. Get rid of plastic road blocks and get professional. That can be raised or lowered below ground if needed to have emergency vehicles drive down
2. The City needs to build “CONSISTENT” permanent structures that would still allow for emergency vehicles to drive down middle of b street if needed.
You need to make consistent and classy. Not fold down table and chairs. Make it enjoyable to walk the street. Even string Lights from one side of the
Street to the other (attach to buildings) to create ambiance.
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Pass cost on to landlords as you are giving them increased footage that they did not have before….
Finally level the street and make it presentable…
Thanks for listening
Scott Levaggi
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From: Ken A red
Sent: Monday, September 5, 2022 2:26 PM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Cc: Gita Dev ; Gladwyn d'Souza
Subject: Fwd: Council Meeting Sept 6, 2022: Sierra Club Comments on Draft General Plan Goals, Policies, and Actions, July 2022
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Gita Dev <
Date: September 5, 2022 at 1:29:22 PM PDT
To: c
[email protected]
Cc: Sierra Club Chair Conservation Comm Gladwyn d'Souza , Ken A red
Subject: Council Meeting Sept 6, 2022: Sierra Club Comments on Draft General Plan Goals, Policies, and Ac
tions, July 2022
Mayor
Bonilla and Members of the City Council
City of San Mateo
Via email: [email protected]
Subject: Comments on Draft General Plan Goals, Policies, and Actions, July 2022 Dear Mayor Bonilla and Members of the San Mateo City Council and Planning Commission, The Sustainable Land Use Committee of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club (SLU) advocates on land use issues in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Thank you for providing the opportunity for SLU to provide input on the Draft General Plan Goals, Policies, and Actions, July 2022.
The overall draft is a good start, but there is still opportunity for improvement. SLU has previously commented on the evolving General Plan (GP) in three major letters (May 13, 2021, February 16, 2022 and April 26, 2022). We ask that you review those letters as they all make significant comments on the GP. In this letter we will highlight the most important themes from our earlier letters, with comments on five chapters (2, 3, 4, 6 and 8). The attachment to this letter will comment specifically on the certain goals, policies and actions in the draft.
Major Themes:
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1. The lack of housing, particularly affordable housing, is a major crisis and needs to be strongly addressed. Much higher housing density is needed, particularly within ½ mile of transit. See our Guideline for Downtown and Station Area plans
(https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce-aut hors/u4142/D-
SAP%20Guidelines%20Rev%2010-14-19.pdf)
2. The changes envisioned by the GP need to use this opportunity to green the city. The GP needs to pursue Green Streets, more parks/open space, and more pedestrian and bike paths. See our Guidelines on Green Streets (https://www.sierraclub.org/ sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce- authors/u4142/Green%20Streets%20Presentation%20-%201-20-21%20DC.pdf)
3. The GP needs to more clearly advance concepts to make more neighbors compact and walkable. This includes the 15-minute neighborhood and Barcelona “superblocks” concepts.
4. Resilience and Sea Level Rise need to be fully planned for and should emphasize nature -based approaches for adaptation to rising sea levels and flooding.
In the following, we provide specific comments to the Goals, Policies and Actions.
We ask that you consider these comments as you refine and finalize the GP.
Respectfully Yours,
Gita Dev, FAIA, Co-Chair
Sustainable Land Use Committee
Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter
Cc: James Eggers, Executive Director, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Gladwyn d’Souza, Conservation Chair, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter
_____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________--
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SIERRA CLUB specific Comments on Draft General Plan Goals, Policies, and Actions - July 2022 Below are specific comments on Chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8:
1. Suggested additions are in ital ics and bold, suggested deletions are strike through .
2. We also list those Policies that we feel are particularly important to include.
Chapter 2 Land Use
1. Make Goal LU-1 much stronger and focused on addressing the housing crisis, Suggested rewording;
Plan carefully for orderly growth that, wit h a high degree of certainty, fully provides ample for the housing and job opportunities for all citizens, maximizes efficient use of infrastructure, limits adverse impacts to the environment and improves social, economic, and health equity.
2. Modify Policy LU-P1. 3 to emphasize housing in mixed use development. Suggested rewording:
Policy LU-P1.3 Mixed-Use. Encourage mixed-use developments to include a strong residential component provide greater proximity between jobs and housing, promote pedestrian activity, and reduce traffic congestion. Any office space in Mixed Use should be for local uses, by people in San Mateo County and not for corporate offices.
3. Policy LU-P2. 3. Building Height and Density;
This item was left open for suggestions. Increased density is a way to help assure the needed housing gets built and will allow for more walkable communities with amenities nearby. Allowing more height is a way to create more open space for green streets, parks, etc.
Suggested wording: Utilize higher density (e.g., up to 50-200 units per acre) in areas near the train stations and along El Camino Real (ECR). Also allow increased height (6-10 stories) in the areas near train stations and along ECR.
4. Policy LU-P2.4. Building Intensity;
This item was also left open for suggestions. But it is not clear what Building Intensity means.
Perhaps the suggestion above on density and height addresses intensity.
5. Policy LU-P4.1 Downtown Land Uses.
This is an important Policy to retain as proposed below:
Allow and encourage a wide range of residential, office, medical, dining, entertainment, and retail uses downtown, at high intensities and densities, with strong connectivity to the San Mateo Caltrain station and other transit.
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6. Action LU-A4.1 Downtown Area Plan.
This is an important Policy to retain as proposed below:
Update the Downtown Area Plan to support and strengthen the Downtown as a vibrant and active commercial, cultural and social district. The updated Downtown Area Plan shall align with the General Plan, integrate recommendations from other concurrent City efforts, focus growth and intensity in proximity to the Caltrain station, update parking standards and parking management strategies, allow for increased housing units and density, and support high quality pedestrian- oriented design and architecture.
7. Goal LU-6 is very important, as are the Policies and Actions below it. All should be retained as listed below.
Goal LU-6: Promote transit -oriented development around Hillsdale Caltrain station Policy LU-P6.1 Rail Corridor Transit-Oriented Development Plan (Corridor Plan). Implement the Corridor Plan to allow, encourage, and provide guidance for the creation of world class transit- oriented development (TOD) within a half-mile radius of the Hillsdale Caltrain station area, while maintaining and improving the quality of life for those who already live and work in the area.
Policy LU-P6.2 Hillsdale Shopping Center. Allow redevelopment of the Hillsdale Shopping Center for a mix of uses, including commercial, retail, office, hotel, and residential uses. Require preparation of a Master Development Plan to ensure the site is developed comprehensively and provides appropriate transitions to the adjacent neighborhoods.
Action LU-A6.1 Hillsdale Station Area Plan. Update the Hillsdale Station Area Plan to foster higher density residential and mixed-use, transit-oriented development that connects to neighborhoods to the east and west, improves bicycle and pedestrian circulation and adds park and open space areas.
8. Modify Goal LU-13 to include seeking to reduce the costs and time to develop affordable housing. Suggested changes below:
Goal LU-13: Maintain Development Review and Building Permit processes that are comprehensive and e
fficient and seek ways to responsibly reduce the costs and time to develop affordable housing.
Chapter 3: Circulation
1. Make Policy C-P1.2 to be broader and include Green Streets. Modified below:
Policy C-P1.2 Complete Streets. Apply complete streets design standards to future projects both in the public right-of-way and on private property. Complete streets are streets designed to facilitate safe, comfortable, and efficient travel for all users regardless of age or ability or whether they are walking, bicycling, taking transit, or driving. Complete streets should include a network of “slow and safe streets” with priority for the safety of pedestrians, bicycles and micromobility, where auto
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traffic is slowed, and which includes green landscaping and shade trees as well as green street stormwater infrastructure to reduce runoff and pollution.
2. Policy C-P1.4, Policy c-P1.6 and Action C-A2.7 are important to implement Policy C-P1.4 Prioritize Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Needs. Prioritize pedestrian and bicycle mobility, connectivity, and safety when designing roadway and intersection improvements. Include “Vision-Zero” as a goal to reduce fatalities and accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists.
Policy C-P1.6 Transit-Oriented Development. Increase access to transit and sustainable transportation options by encouraging high density mixed-use transit-oriented development near the City’s Caltrain stations and transit corridors.
Action C-A2.7 Unbundled Parking. Encourage residential developments to unbundle the costs of providing dedicated parking spaces. Encourage additional parking capacity created by unbundling to be reallocated as shared or public parking spaces.
3. Goals C-3, C-4, C-5 and C-8 as well as Action C-A3.1 are particularly important to implement.
Goal C-3: Build and maintain a safe, shaded (with street trees), connected, and equitable pedestrian network that provides access to community destinations such as employment centers, transit, schools, shopping and recreation.
Goal C-4: Build and maintain a safe, connected, and equitable bicycle and micromobility network that provides access to community destinations such as employment centers, transit, schools, shopping, and recreation.
Goal C-5: Make transit a viable transportation option for the community by supporting frequent, reliable, cost-efficient, and connected service.
Goal C-8: Build a values-driven regulatory, management, and partnership framework that flexibly encourages emerging transportation technologies in service of City and community goals.
Action C-A3.1: Implement Pedestrian Improvements. Implement goals, programs, and projects in the City’s adopted plans that improve the comfort, safety, and connectivity of the pedestrian network.
Chapter 4: Housing- see end of this letter.
Chapter 6: Conservation, Open Space, Parks and Recreation
1. Several Goals are particularly important implement: COS-1, COS-2, COS-3, COS-8, COS-9 COS-1: Protect and enhance the City's natural resource areas that provide plant and animal habitat and benefit human and ecological health and resilience.
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COS-2: Ensure that current and future generations will enjoy the environmental, social, health, and economic benefits derived from access to our urban forest, parks and open spaces.
COS-3: Protect and improve San Mateo’s creeks as valuable habitat, green infrastructure, and components of human and environmental health. Provide adequate creek setbacks given greater anticipated storm events as well as sea level rise.
COS-8: Provide equitable and convenient access to parks, recreational programs, and facilities so that all residents experience the benefits of parks and open space on their physical and mental health.
COS-9: Provide the appropriate mix of parks and facilities that balances the needs of active and passive facilities, allows formal and informal uses, is accessible for all residents, and meets existing and future recreation needs.
2. Modify Policy COS-P3.5 and COS-P3.6 to strongly encourage the improvement of the creek habitats for San Mateo Creek and for Laurel Creek.
San Mateo Creek is in an area that is targeted for redevelopment in both the Downtown and Shoreview area. Laurel Creek is in the Hilldale redevelopment area. Both are now mostly concrete lined ditches. Any development will provide the opportunity to get the creeks back to a natural setting and provide the opportunity for plants, fish, insects and animals in the creek and restored riparian areas. This would provide new valuable open space and parks for people as well. And this will be an educational opportunity for children of San Mateo to see the creek environment in a natural setting. See suggested modifications below:
Policy COS-P3.5 Hydrologic Impacts. Ensure that improvements to creeks and other waterways do not cause adverse hydrologic impacts or significantly increase the volume or velocity of flow of the subject creek. The priority will be to use nature-based improvements to reduce hydrologic impacts.
Policy COS-P3.6 New Creekside Development Requirements. Require that new creekside development protect and improve setbacks, banks, and waterways adjacent to the development project in order to increase flood protection and enhance riparian vegetation and water quality. This will be a particular focus for Laurel Creek near Hillsdale Mall and San Mateo Creek in Shoreview and Downtown.
3. Policy COS-P9.2 and COS-P9.3 are particularly important to implement. And allowing higher building height well make implementation more likely since more open space will be available.
Policy COS-P9.2 Acreage Standards. Acquire or accept for dedication two acres of neighborhood and community parks per 1,000 residents.
Policy COS-P9.3 Walkable Parks and Amenities. Provide accessible public park or other recreational opportunities that are within approximately 1/3 of a mile of residents without travel over significant barriers. Ideally, one or more of the following amenities should be available: multi-purpose turf
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area, children's play area with pre-school and youth apparatus, seating areas, picnic areas, a multiuse court, and an opportunity for passive enjoyment of an aesthetic landscaped space.
Chapter 8: Safety
1. Goal S-4 is particularly important implement as are Actions S-A4.5 and S-A4.6. These actions fit with the earlier comments to use the redevelopment around Laurel Creek and San Mateo Creek to restore natural features that will help protect against sea level rise.
Goal S-4: Develop regionally coordinated sea level rise adaptation measures and programs.
Action S-A4.5 Natural Infrastructure. Use or restore natural features and ecosystem processes where feasible and appropriate as a preferred approach to the placement of hard shoreline protection when implementing sea level rise adaptation strategies.
Action S-A4.6 Removal of Hard Infrastructure. Remove existing shoreline or creek bank protective devices when the structure(s) requiring protection are redeveloped, removed, or no longer require a protective device.
Chapter 4: Housing: Our letter of April 26
th 2022 commented on the draft Housing Element and so our comments are still as noted in that letter.
However, we would like to make some additional suggestions here on possible mechanisms that the city could utilize to better assure that more affordable housing will be built:
1. Do not upzone and give away any aspects of any revisions to the zoning code by r ight; but instead trade increased zoning density and benefits for significant community benefits - the topmost which should be affordable housing. This can be done by establishing a base density below what is generally desired while instituting a local density bonus scheme which encourages zoning increases, and benefits above State density bonus law in exchange for substantial community benefits. This was an effective approach in Millbrae during Millbrae's review of the BART Station Area Plan.
Upzoning by right without any off-set ting limitations will only increase the cost of land for both for-profit and non-profit developers which will translate into even more expensive housing in residential-zoned areas.
2. Do not establish specific maximum density limits for any multi-fam ily residential project, but instead let the density of each project be determined by objective design standards using a form-based code and vetting and approval of all community benefits proposed by the developer. This allows for a wider variety of unit types from micro-units and SROs to family and luxury units. It also allows for greater flexibility in determining the most valuable community benefits.
3. Require all new office building and R&D developers to present a plan to the city indicating how the developer will aid the city in supporting the amount of new housing construction needed to house any net increase in new employees. This could be in the form of substantial financial set asides for new
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housing, or actually building enough new housing on or off-site, but the goal must be to strive for a reasonable jobs / housing balance within the city. It’s important to link commercial development to the jobs/housing balance because, too often, cities accept in lieu fees or on or off-site new housing off-sets that are far too small to meet the anticipated need.
4. 4. Add Transfer of Development Rights to the toolkit: Climate change is accelerating the displacement of people due to sea level rise flooding, wildfires, water availability, and extreme heat. Consider using Transfer Of Development Rights similar to the Syufi Theater site, East of 101, in Redwood City to increase density in safer receiving locations like downtown and reclaim land from sending areas for creating restored ecosystem to buffer the force of flooding with landward migrating wetlands and to reduce the risk of wildfire with rehydrated landscapes.
Though FEMA picks up all liability from continuing to flood and burn out residents, planning for impacts, can return positive economic benefits to the city from resilient development, safety, and reduced disaster mitigation.
5. 5Consider micro grids as
a resilient Community Benefit: Climate change is increasing health impacts to vulnerable populations with smoke intensity, power safety shutdowns, and extreme heat and water cutbacks requiring alternative power and water. Consider encouraging housing that incorporates energy, waste, and water microgrids, that can provide resilient shared resources in the face of increasing health impacts and function within local distributed grids.
END
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From: Catherine Marreiro >
Sent: Thursday, September 8, 2022 10:25 AM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>; Zachary Dahl <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected]; Amourence Lee <[email protected]> Subject: Letter to the Planning Commission for Sept. 13 General Plan goals discussion (amended)
Dear members of the planning commission and planning staff,
My apologies for a second letter, we realized we had mistakenly listed a couple of people on Claremont who actually are on delaware.
The Land Use Alternatives maps were a tremendous undertaking and we appreciate staff’s efforts in creating them. With hundreds of tiny squares on these maps, there may be some missing elements and this is where we would like to take the opportunity to address a potential concern with the designation for the block at 545 First Ave., the current site of Hassett Hardware.
This site, at the corner of Delaware Street, is where the commercial uses of downtown transition to the residential area of North Central San Mateo. The immediate residential uses are mainly single-story houses with a few two-story houses. There is also a three-story condominium building on the block. The Hassett site, along with the Andrews Building immediately to the north, is currently zoned commercial, with a 50-foot cap.
The Land Use Alternatives map designates the section of this block as both mixed-use medium 4-7 stories next to residential low 1-3 stories on the same block. On paper, the transition may make sense since the highest use for residential is 3 levels and lowest use for mixed-use is 4 levels. In reality, however, the current conditions are different. The potential jump up to 7 stories, and possibly up to 9 with state density bonuses from SB 35, means there is a very real possibility that there could be a 9- story commercial building immediately next to a single-story residence. While that is a worst-case scenario, we worry establishing such zoning could make the possibility real as the new property owner for the Hassett site has a history of commercial development. If the adjoining Andrews building is purchased by this developer, the potential for this rises.
As part of the goals section of the General Plan discussion, we ask that consideration be provided to current uses in residential areas and that zoning reflect the need to transition heights into these areas.
We also ask that zoning on the same block be compatible.
We enjoy having Hassett here and appreciate its convenience and ability to provide jobs for neighborhood youth, and would love for it to stay. We could envision a new development with the current store returning on the ground floor and up to 3 levels of housing under the current 50-foot cap.
We also could see a 3-4 level condominium building with limited parking to address this area’s need for “missing middle” housing that transitions from commercial to residential areas. We also understand that a 5-level housing development could be built under the current cap. We are absolutely fine with these scenarios to varying degrees. As is typically the case with new development with a significant shift in land use, we would hope that there would be some accommodations when possible when it comes to setbacks, stepbacks and, when possible, retention of daylight planes.
We understand one of the main goals of the General Plan was to provide areas in which new housing could be built to address this area’s growing need. We recognize this site’s potential for new housing
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and welcome it as high as 50 feet, if done well and with some accommodations, and would prefer it to be slightly lower to transition better to the existing North Central neighborhood, which includes the city’s oldest house directly across the street and a number of unique and interesting single-family homes in a traditionally low-income area of the city.
However, we would also like to be treated the same as other areas of the city and other blocks, which had accommodations for transitions to neighborhoods. Nowhere else in the city is there the potential for a current single-story residential use immediately next to a potential 9-story commercial building in any of the Land Use Alternatives map.
To summarize, we would like a goal established that any new zoning remain compatible within the same block so that heights stay within 2-3 floors of the current average after any density bonuses, that future development transition into established neighborhoods, and that the height for any future development on the commercial portion of this block be limited to allow for these two requests.
We are submitting this request as part of the goals section of the General Plan discussion but can also submit it during the Land Use Alternatives section when the draft General Plan is discussed next year. If there is another time for us to submit this request, or any other action we must take, please let us know.
Thanks again for the effort in creating this plan, receiving our concerns, and making the necessary modifications.
Catherine and David Marreiro
31 S. Claremont St.
Woodrow Andrews
501 First Ave. (Owner of The Andrews Building)
Yan Li
26 S. Delaware St.
Jessica Huang
30 S. Delaware St.
Val Lucero
34 S. Delaware St.
Jon Mays and Dayna Alpine
38 S. Delaware St.
John Aikin
45 S. Delaware St.
George and Olga Derby
105 Delaware St.
Citania Tam
619 First Ave.
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Gary and Olivia Edwards
615 First Ave.
Susan and Wayne Purdom
61 North Claremont St.
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-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Ballard
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2022 4:00 PM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Subject: General Plan feedback for September 13th meeting
Regarding the draft circulation goals and policies, I am strongly in favor of circulation measures which put us on a trajectory to reduce car use in San Mateo over time, improve public transit, and ensure safe and welcoming urban design for pedestrian and bicycles. Reducing car use is critical for climate, public safety, and public health; the electric transition is required but not sufficient for climate goals and does not address the public safety impact of cars.
Regarding policies around historic preservation, I encourage the commission to be mindful to employ balanced historic preservation requirements so as not to block much-needed housing and transit- oriented development. Some neighborhood character (specifically with regard to community density) may need to change in order to appropriately add housing throughout the city. Additionally, as the owner of a historic house myself which needs work including a foundation replacement, I find the current regulations around carefully protecting the facade and public character of the house appropriate and not burdensome; but adding new regulations should be done carefully so as not to prevent these kinds of important projects.
Regarding noise policies, while community noise levels are important to protect, I would encourage the commission to be mindful to structure policy requirements so as to avoid placing an undue burden of planning process on housing and transit development, and to avoid providing more avenues for a minority of community members to hold up development projects unfairly. But noise levels are an important part of community health and should be controlled appropriately.
Regarding the water supply policies PS-A2.1 and PS-A2.2, specific promotion of greywater initiatives might be warranted.
Thank you,
- Rick Ballard
North-Central San Mateo resident
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From: Nancy Cussary
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2022 5:15 PM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Subject: general plan comments
September 13, 2022
Hello,
I have concerns about this statement that appears several times in the general plan document: "Use outreach and engagement
methods that encourage broad representation and are
culturally sensitive, particularly for historically underserved communities".
I think this language needs to be more robust, more resolute, more current, more inclusive. As the statement is currently, it almost seems like an afterthought. Outreach and engagement methods need to not only encourage broad representation, they need to include broad representation and hopefully be developed by a broad representation. Further, outreach and engagement methods should be more than just culturally sensitive, they should be culturally reflective, culturally representative.
Thank you for your Consideration.
Respectfully,
Nancy Cussary
Shoreview resident
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From: Paul Dagnelie
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2022 3:23 PM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Subject: General Plan
I would like to advocate the return of increased outdoor seating at restaurants in downtown San Mateo.
A loss of parking spaces is a small price to pay for a more welcoming and friendly downtown space.
Combined with investments in transit, and walk- and bikeability of areas around the downtown, the reduced parking spaces will not be missed, especially since there is almost always garage space open.
In addition, electric vehicle charging should be a priority. The lack of charging points in existing apartment buildings will be a blocker to adoption by renters, and homeowners using street parking are also challenged. These issues can be mitigated with ample facilities charging reasonable rates available in publicly accessible spaces. Even with improvements to mobility in San Mateo, cars will still be a fact of life for many residents for some time to come, and reducing the number of fossil fuel vehicles on the road is a priority.
Paul Dagnelie
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From: Keith Weber
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2022 3:13 PM
To: Zachary Dahl <[email protected]>
Cc: General Plan <[email protected]>; Margaret Williams <[email protected]>
Subject: Planning Commission Meeting 9/27/22
Hi Zach,
Attached please find a pdf of San Mateo Heritage Alliance's Recommended Alternative Historic Resources Element, General Plan 2040. It has been revised since it was submitted to the GP Subcommittee.
Please forward to the Planning Commission and include it in the 9/27/22 Planning Commission agenda packet.
San Mateo Heritage Alliance was formed in 2022 in response to community concerns about losing irreplaceable historic resources and the resulting erosion of neighborhood character and sense of place that makes San Mateo the special community we call home. San Mateo Heritage Alliance believes that economic growth and resource protection are not mutually exclusive, but partners in a more prosperous future. We believe it is important to protect our heritage as it adds character and distinctiveness to our community and provides a sense of identity. We also believe the only way to ensure that San Mateo lives up to its General Plan 2040 vision of being a healthy, resilient, vibrant and diverse community, is to grow stronger by identifying, protecting and preserving its irreplaceable historic resources.
Thank you,
Keith Weber for
San Mateo Heritage Alliance
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SAN MATEO
HERITAGE ALLIANCE
RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
HISTORIC RESOURCES ELEMENT
GENERAL PLAN 2040
HISTORIC RESOURCES
The Historic Resources component of the General Plan confirms the City’s commitment to the protection, enhancement, perpetuation, and use of historic resources as economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits to the City of San Mateo.
PRESERVATION PRINCIPLES
The goal of historic preservation is to keep properties and places of historic and cultural value in active use, accommodating appropriate improvements to sustain their viability while maintaining the key character-defining features which contribute to their significance as cultural resources. Preservation also seeks to keep cultural resources intact for the benefit of future generations. It is an integral component of other community initiatives in neighborhood livability, sustainability, economic development, and cultural appreciation.
GOALS
GOAL CD-3.2 Use historic preservation principles as an equal component in the planning and development process. Fully integrate the consideration of historic, architectural and cultural resources as a major aspect of the City's planning, permitting and development activities.
GOAL CD-3.1 Identify and preserve historic, architectural and cultural resources, including individual properties, districts and sites, to maintain San Mateo’s sense of place and special identity, and to enrich our understanding of the city’s history and continuity with the past.
GOAL CD-3.3 Ensure compatibility between new development and existing historic, architectural and cultural resources.
DEFINITIONS
Definitions and interpretations used herein shall be consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State Historical Building Code, the California Register of Historical Resources, the National Register of Historic Places, and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.
SMHA (smheritage.org) 8/9/22 (Rev. 9/12/22) Page of 1 3
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SAN MATEO
HERITAGE ALLIANCE
POLICIES
Policy CD-A3.1 Historic Preservation. Incorporate historic preservation as an integral part the general plan, specific plans, environmental processes, planning, permitting, and development activities.
Policy CD-P3.2 Historic Preservation Surveys and Context Statements. Identify and preserve historic buildings, districts and sites. Actively identify and protect concentrations of buildings which convey the flavor of local historical periods or provide an atmosphere of exceptional architectural interest or integrity when they meet national, state or local criteria.
Policy CD-P3.3 Downtown Historic District. Maintain the identified historic district along portions of 3rd Avenue and B Street, and continue to implement regulations to protect the overall historic and architectural character and integrity of the area.
Policy CD-P3.4 Scale, Character and Compatibility. Promote an architecturally sensitive approach to new construction in, and adjacent to identified and potentially eligible historic districts to ensure compatibility of new and old. Ensure design compatibility that maintains the historic character and integrity of the area.
Policy CD-A3.5 Consider effects on historic resources. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires public agencies to consider the effects of actions on historic resources.
Under CEQA, a historic resource is any resource that is listed in or determined to be eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources. Any resource that is eligible for listing in the California Register is considered significant for the purposes of CEQA. The California Register of Historical Resources also includes resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Properties that are designated significant in an adopted local survey are also presumed to be eligible for the California Register, and are considered significant.
Policy CD-P3.6 Demolition. The City shall consider demolition of historic resources as a last resort, to be permitted only if rehabilitation of the resource is not feasible, demolition is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its residents, or the public benefits outweigh the loss of the historic resource.
ACTIONS
Action CD-A3.1 Historic Context. Structures over 45 years old proposed for substantial alteration or demolition shall be evaluated for both individual significance and as contributors to an identified or potential historic district.
Action CD-A3.2 Coordinate and align the general plan, specific plans, zoning code, environmental processes, planning, permitting, and development activities to incorporate preservation as an integral component in accordance with the principles, goals and policies herein.
SMHA (smheritage.org) 8/9/22 (Rev. 9/12/22) Page of 2 3
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SAN MATEO
HERITAGE ALLIANCE
Action CD-A3.3 Public Awareness. Foster public awareness and appreciation of the City's historic, architectural, cultural and archaeological resources and educate the community about how to preserve and improve these resources. Increase public appreciation through neighborhood workshops, public presentations, interpretive signage, and walking tours.
Action CD-A3.4 Historic Resources Survey. The City shall establish and maintain an inventory of architecturally, culturally, and historically significant structures, districts and sites.
Proactively update and maintain an up-to-date historic resources inventory. For areas that have not been surveyed, the City shall seek funding to prepare new historic context surveys to identify structures, districts and sights potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, the California Register of Historical Resources, or local register.
Action CD-A3.5 Design Standards. The City shall use the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards as the basis for objective design standards for alterations to historic resources and new development within and adjacent to commercial and residential historic districts. Design standards shall ensure that proposed new construction projects have a contextual relationship with land uses and patterns, spatial organization, visual relationships, cultural and historic values, and relationships in height, massing, modulation, and materials Action CD-A3.6 Demolition Alternatives. Require an applicant to submit alternatives to full demolition on how to preserve a historic building as part of any planning application and implement methods of preservation unless health and safety requirements cannot be met.
SMHA (smheritage.org) 8/9/22 (Rev. 9/12/22) Page of 3 3
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From: Bill Williams
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2022 12:29 PM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Subject: General Plan
The City of San Mateo has been paying fines for untreated storm runoff entering the Bay. The proposed storm storage system has not been completed. The new sewage plant has not been completed.
According to Baykeeper, recent red tides and fish kills were exacerbated by treated sewage discharges.
Are we setting the stage for an ecological disaster by planning for 55,000 new residents?
x Bill Williams, San Mateo
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From: Catherine Marreiro
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2022 10:11 AM
To: General Plan <[email protected]>
Cc: Zachary Dahl <[email protected]>; [email protected] Subject: Updated Letter to the Planning Commission for Sept 27 planning commission meeting
Please find an updated letter to the one I sent on 9/8, which includes two new households among the signers. Please include this version in the agenda packet for the 9/27 planning commission meeting.
Dear members of the planning commission and planning staff,
The Land Use Alternatives maps were a tremendous undertaking and we appreciate staff’s efforts in creating them. With hundreds of tiny squares on these maps, there may be some missing elements and this is where we would like to take the opportunity to address a potential concern with the designation for the block at 545 First Ave., the current site of Hassett Hardware.
This site, at the corner of Delaware Street, is where the commercial uses of downtown transition to the residential area of North Central San Mateo. The immediate residential uses are mainly single-story houses with a few two-story houses. There is also a three-story condominium building on the block. The Hassett site, along with the Andrews Building immediately to the north, is currently zoned commercial, with a 50-foot cap.
The Land Use Alternatives map designates the section of this block as both mixed-use medium 4-7 stories next to residential low 1-3 stories on the same block. On paper, the transition may make sense since the highest use for residential is 3 levels and lowest use for mixed-use is 4 levels. In reality, however, the current conditions are different. The potential jump up to 7 stories, and possibly up to 9 with state density bonuses from SB 35, means there is a very real possibility that there could be a 9- story commercial building immediately next to a single-story residence. While that is a worst-case scenario, we worry establishing such zoning could make the possibility real as the new property owner for the Hassett site has a history of commercial development. If the adjoining Andrews building is purchased by this developer, the potential for this rises.
As part of the goals section of the General Plan discussion, we ask that consideration be provided to current uses in residential areas and that zoning reflect the need to transition heights into these areas.
We also ask that zoning on the same block be compatible.
We enjoy having Hassett here and appreciate its convenience and ability to provide jobs for neighborhood youth, and would love for it to stay. We could envision a new development with the current store returning on the ground floor and up to 3 levels of housing under the current 50-foot cap.
We also could see a 3-4 level condominium building with limited parking to address this area’s need for “missing middle” housing that transitions from commercial to residential areas. We also understand that a 5-level housing development could be built under the current cap. We are absolutely fine with these scenarios to varying degrees. As is typically the case with new development with a significant shift in land use, we would hope that there would be some accommodations when possible when it comes to setbacks, stepbacks and, when possible, retention of daylight planes.
We understand one of the main goals of the General Plan was to provide areas in which new housing could be built to address this area’s growing need. We recognize this site’s potential for new housing
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and welcome it as high as 50 feet, if done well and with some accommodations, and would prefer it to be slightly lower to transition better to the existing North Central neighborhood, which includes the city’s oldest house directly across the street and a number of unique and interesting single-family homes in a traditionally low-income area of the city.
However, we would also like to be treated the same as other areas of the city and other blocks, which had accommodations for transitions to neighborhoods. Nowhere else in the city is there the potential for a current single-story residential use immediately next to a potential 9-story commercial building in any of the Land Use Alternatives map.
To summarize, we would like a goal established that any new zoning remain compatible within the same block so that heights stay within 2-3 floors of the current average after any density bonuses, that future development transition into established neighborhoods, and that the height for any future development on the commercial portion of this block be limited to allow for these two requests.
We are submitting this request as part of the goals section of the General Plan discussion but can also submit it during the Land Use Alternatives section when the draft General Plan is discussed next year. If there is another time for us to submit this request, or any other action we must take, please let us know.
Thanks again for the effort in creating this plan, receiving our concerns, and making the necessary modifications.
Catherine and David Marreiro
31 S. Claremont St.
Woodrow Andrews
501 First Ave. (Owner of The Andrews Building)
Yan Li
26 S. Delaware St.
Jessica Huang
30 S. Delaware St.
Val Lucero
34 S. Delaware St.
Jon Mays and Dayna Alpine
38 S. Delaware St.
John Aikin
45 S. Delaware St.
George and Olga Derby
105 Delaware St.
Citania Tam
619 First Ave.
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Gary and Olivia Edwards
615 First Ave.
Susan and Wayne Purdom
61 North Claremont St.
Daryl Khoo
21 S Claremont St Unit 12
Nicole and Mark Engler
55 North Claremont St
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MEMORANDUM
DATE August 31, 2022
TO San Mateo Planning Commission
FROM Joanna Jansen and Carey Stone, PlaceWorks
SUBJECT Summary of General Plan Subcommittee Input on the Draft Policies and Actions This memorandum summarizes the General Plan Subcommitee (GPS) input on the draft policies and actions. The GPS met three times on August 11, 18, and 30, 2022 to review and provide feedback on the policies and actions.
GENERAL COMMENTS
• Overall, the GPS felt that the draft goals, polices, and actions are well written and reflect community input to date.
• Make sure there is deliberate thought given to which policies begin with “continue to” versus which ones do not.
• Climate change should be featured prominently in the General Plan, and the General Plan and the City’s Climate Action Plan should align.
• Highlight climate change and sustainability similar to how environmental justice policies and actions are highlighted, or consider if we should have an Energy and Climate Change element.
COMMUNITY DESIGN AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION ELEMENT
• Aspire to make El Camino Real a space to spend time, not only a space to rush through. • Replace “pedstrian-oriented” with “people-oriented.”
• Throughout the design-related policies, shift language to be less subjective and more objective.
• Include objective standards to preserve historic resources • Add language that emphasizes the importance of keeping architectural details at the human-scale.
• Acknowledge the important architectural features of traditional pre-war architecture that should be carried forward in new development downtown. • Preserving cherished and beautiful historic buildings is important, but historic preservation should not be weaponized to prevent homeonwners from upgrading their own property or to prevent needed new housing.
• Define “character” to clarify that it refers to visual or architectural rather than social characteristics.
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August 31, 2022 | Page 2
• The General Plan should address historic preservation at a general level of detail and not get into the weeds; the Historic Preservation Ordinance and State and federal regulations should provide more detail.
• Goal CD-2 should reference preserving heritage trees “where feasible.” Sometimes old trees are dangerous and need to be removed. Goal CD-2 should also reference median trees.
• Policies and actions under Goal CD-3 should be broadened to refer to historic “assets,” not only buildings, consistent with the wording of the goal. Consider adding policies or actions under Goal CD-3 to adopt incentives for property owners to preserve and/or restore historic assets.
• In response to Goal CD-4 about City Image, some GPS members expressed that San Mateo has lost a sense of a identity that distinguishes it from other Peninsula cities, and that the General Plan could be an opportunity to clarify what makes San Mateo unique.
Some ideas were Downtown, dining, Hillsdale Mall, and the San Mateo Bridge. A unique identity should be consistently expressed through signage and other City materials. • Under Goal CD-5, delete Policy CD-P5.1 regarding building mass and scale. This policy is too vague and is not needed; the desired outcomes are addressed more clearly and explicitly in other policies under this goal.
• Consider adding area-specific design policies for the San Mateo Park and Baywood- Aragon neighborhoods.
CONSERVATION, OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATION ELEMENT
• Address public accessibility of private open spaces, including signage. • Address the lack of access to recreational facilities for neighborhoods east of El Camino Real and especially east of 101.
• Add language about public spaces that are age-integrated and offer spaces for teens. • Strengthen references to local school districts and mutual collaboration in support of recreational access.
• Confirm that the parks figure accurately reflects facilities at Bayside/Joinville (school district property), Dale Avenue, and Station Park Green. • Add an Action under Goal COS-2 to develop a volunteer stewardship program, especially as the City opens up access to creeks.
• Goal COS-4 should acknowledge the importance of reducing vehicle miles traveled as a way to improve air quality.
• Goal COS-6 could include an action to modernize and make more accessible data that the City has on areas with high archaeological sensitivity. • Policies under Goal COS-9 should mention wi-fi, water fountains, and restrooms public amenities offered in park and recreational facilities.
• Consider an action under Goal COS-10 to do more frequent surveys of residents to ask about park and recreation amenities.
• Add an Action under Goal COS-11 to identify new funding sources for parks and recreation facilities.
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August 31, 2022 | Page 3
PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES ELEMENT
• Consider whether we need to add more policies about code enforcement in the General Plan.
• Sewer laterals upgrades should be covered in the General Plan to address leakage. The policy could help encourage sewer laterals maintenance and replacement. Reference the City’s program that helps subsidize these type of upgrades. • Add “as needed” after new fire stations in Policy PS-P1.3. Fire stations are a very expensive investment.
• Add a policy that encourages existing homes to convert to water efficient landscaping under Goal PS-2. Offer incentives, rebates, and education in partnership with Cal Water. • Mention greywater and potable water in Action PS-A2.1. Also, reference the City’s water treatment facility where there are ongoing measures to produce greywater and potable water. Maybe there is more that can be done to encourage greywater systems in residential and commercial buildings.
• Include stronger language about water conservation in Policy PS-P2.2. • Add the word “coordinate” to action PS-A3.1.
• Add “and bay” after lagoons at the end of Policy PS-P3.3. Simplify and make this policy stronger.
• Mention bicycle and pedestrian projects in Action PS-A3.3. • Add “consider” at the beginning of Policy PS-P4.3.
• Add language that encourages green space in Policy PS-P4.9. • Under Goal PS-5, add a policy or action about encouraging the development of licensed preschool facilities. This should be a priority. Also work with school districts to encourage efforts to provide more before and after school programs. • Agree with Policy PS-P5.2, but rewrite the policy to make it more clear. Explain what “compatible with surrounding land uses” means.
• Emphasize non-residential development in Action PS-A5.2. • Revise Policy PS-P5.5 to address inadequacies in existing childcare facilities. There are a number of existing facilities under Parks and Recreation that cannot be utilized for child care because they do not meet the square footage requirement to be a licensed facility.
We need to go beyond retaining facilities and consider if there are some existing facilities that need to be shutdown or expanded. Also, collect park fees and make it a priority to expand existing childcare facilities.
• Add a policy under Goal PS-6 about distributing health centers throughout the city to make sure they are accessible. Also add a policy about mobile health care, perhaps the City can help support the County’s efforts.
• Ensure Policy PS-P6.3 balances the need for social services in each community while also ensuring that services are not concentrated in one area. • Add nonprofits and community based organizations to Policy PS-P6.4. Revise this policy to say “support vulnerable populations by prioritizing reduction of vulnerabilities” and then list nonprofits and religious groups to help.
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August 31, 2022 | Page 4
SAFETY ELEMENT
• Support efforts to underground utilities.
• Revise the examples in Policy S-P1.7 to include data-driven defensible design examples. • Consider vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and bicyclists, in Policy S-P1.8 and Action S-A1.10. Do not support expansion of Highway 101 and other roadways. Focus on designing roads that help prevent traffic fatalities. There should be a reference somewhere in the language that addresses roadway design for vulnerable users. • Revise Policy S-P5.6 to ensure monitoring of peakload water supply is occurring by the appropriate entity.
• Add policies and actions to reduce per capita energy use, such as “encourage energy use reduction by incentivizing active transportation and reducing single occupant vehicle use”. Another policy could be “encourage the creation of energy efficient homes, businesses, and other buildings”. Possible actions could be “encourage energy use reduction through the creation of safe and comfortable opportunities for active transport modes by implementing the City’s pedestrian and bicycle master plan and focusing new development near major transit nodes”. Another action could be encouraging the installation of energy efficient home insulation, weather sealing and other physical means to reduce heating and cooling needs through greater Title 24 building efficiency.
• Cover energy saving appliances and electric appliances.
NOISE ELEMENT
• Revise Policy N-P1.2 to add a reference about outdoor equipment such as leaf blowers and two-stroke engines. Maybe the policy can be revised to list the known noise irritants. Consider adding a reference about outdoor equipment in Policy N-P2.1. • Consider whether the roads mentioned in Policy N-P2.4 will actually be widened since Caltrans has been deprioritizing widening of roads.
• City could help reduce traffic speeds in Policy N-P2.4 since they are a noise generator. • Emphasize or add more about railroad noise.
CIRCULATION ELEMENT
• Support for many of the revisions requested in the letter submitted by Move San Mateo.
• Add a threshold for the size of development when we say “require new developments to” in the policies and actions. Applying requirements for new development makes sense for larger projects.
• Replace walking, bicycling and transit everywhere it appears with “transit and active transportation modes”. A few subcommittee members disagree and believe the General Plan should include commonly known terms.
• Add an action under Goal C-1 that requires implementation of the pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure outlined in the Circulation Map anytime a roadway is resurfaced.
This is partially covered by Action C-A4.2, but it only mentions bicycle infrastructure and could be expanded to include pedestrian infrastructure.
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August 31, 2022 | Page 5
• Revise Policy C-P1.3 as follows:
o Delete “works towards”.
o Revise policy to say: Use a safe systems approach for transportation planning, street design, operations, emergency response, and maintenance that proactively identifies opportunities to “improve safety where conflicts between users exist in order to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries in our roadways”.
• Revise Policy C-P1.5 to address high capacity travel, facilitate efficient travel, and limit left turns during high traffic hours. However, there may not be much the City can do because El Camino Real is a State road.
• For Action C-A1.5, study not only where people already go, but where they would like to go and build routes around their needs.
• Clarify the word “consider” in the second sentence of Action C-A2.1. • Be more specific about “safe routes to school” in Action C-A2.5. • A few subcommittee members would like to revise Action C-A2.7 to say “required” instead of “encourage”, but some believe the General Plan should stay high level. • Modify Policy C-P3.2 to require the widest sidewalks that are feasible and comfortable. • Unsure why Policy C-P3.4 is under the pedestrian goal. • Action C-A3.1 should be revised to clarify that there is an urgent need for implementation of pedestrian improvements.
• Add increasing sight lines and removing conflicts at the cross walks to Action C-A3.5.
There should be an action about the visibility at cross walks for pedestrians. • Change “transit centers” to “community destinations” in Policy C-P4.3. • Add “undercrossings” in Action C-A4.3.
• Add “at intersections” to Action C-14.6.
• There is a transit operator shortage not ridership shortage. Maybe we need to change the focus to “increasing the service” instead of “increasing ridership” in Policy C-P5.1. • Break Policy C-P5.5 into two policies. Also, revise the policy to educate the public about all alternative travel modes, not just transit.
• Do not limit Action C-A5.2 to only include disadvantaged communities. There should be a focus on disadvantaged communities, but the action should be expanded to other areas.
• Explain what vehicles miles traveled per capita is in Goal C-6. Say “efficient and safe” operations and also say “residents” instead of “modes”. • Revise Policy C-P6.4 to include a reference to improving the City’s process to request and receive traffic calming measures on residential streets. • One subcommittee member would like Action C-A7.2 revised to say “implement” instead of “evaluate”, but another subcommittee member disagreed. • Revise Action C-A8.4 to address data privacy. Do not limit the action to new technology options, we should require this from public transportation as well.
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• Prioritize traffic calming measures in Goal C-6 and focus on areas with the highest vehicle collisions. Add an action under this goal that calls for annual vehicles, pedestrian and bicycle counts at different intersections to measure how the City is doing. • Add an action that requires new development in Downtown to have shared parking agreements that allows the public to use the parking space in the evenings. One subcommittee member believes we should remove existing public parking spaces if we are adding more public parking opportunities in Downtown. • Add a new policy or action about education under Transportation Demand Management. There are programs out there where people can trade in their car to get transit and e-bike credits.
• Add a policy or goal about connecting neighborhoods or reducing barriers to help traffic flow, for example there is a wall that separates the Shoreview neighborhood and the new parks on J Hart Clinton Drive.
• Place a stronger emphasis on traffic efficiency, infrastructure, traffic calming, and parking in the Circulation Element. One subcommittee member believes the focus should be on getting people out of their cars, which helps reduce traffic. • In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, also reference vehicle miles traveled in the goals of this element.
• Consider how some of the emerging technology trends could change the city if they actually came into fruition.
• Add an action about school safety speed zones.
• Make sure we are prioritizing local projects, not only regional projects. • Concern about scooter safety.
LAND USE ELEMENT
• Revise Goal LU-1 as follows:
o Change “citizens” to “residents.”
o Include a reference about affordability. Suggested revision could be “provides ample housing which is affordable at all levels”.
o Consider using “balanced” instead of “orderly” growth. • Revise Policy LU-P1.1 to add the word affordability. Would like to see one or two actions that could meaningfully achieve this policy.
• Revise Action LU-A1.1 to be more specific. Would also like to see an action about maintaining a real time list of pipeline projects such as the amount of office, jobs and housing that is planned. There should be a requirement that we report this information on an annual basis.
• Consider using “encourage” instead of “require” in Policy LU-P1.2. • Unsure why Action LU-A1.2 is titled as surplus land inventory. • Revise Policy LU-P1.3 to say, “component to provide”. • Policy LU-P1.6 may be outdated.
• Define what the Sphere of Influence is in Policy LU-P1.7. • Define the term ”equity priority communities” used in Policy LU-P1.8.
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• Flush out the community benefits in Policy LU-P2.2. Would recommend building heights above 65 feet only for projects that provide housing as a community benefit. An increase in height should be tied to housing being a major part of that building and also providing a greater amount of below market rate units than what the City’s inclusionary ordinance requires. Include high quality materials and context appropriate design as a community benefit for taller buildings. One subcommittee member believes we should be careful about how much we ask for from developers because there are other ways to make a project pencil that may not benefit the community, such as hiring out-of-state labor.
• Add the concept of access to commercial services in Policy LU-P2.5. • Add the word “recreation” to Goal LU-3.
• Add circulation somewhere in Policy LU-P3.2, but unsure were. • Policy LU-P3.6 seems to be outdated.
• The following comments were received about Policy LU-P3.9:
o This policy should not dictate the type of businesses. Delete “to research and development, bio-tech, and life sciences uses, and/or”. o Clarify what “as far as possible from high-volume roadways” means. o California Air Resources Board recommends against siting sensitive uses, like housing, within 500 feet from high-volume roadways which is defined as 100,000 vehicles or more a day. El Camino Real does not meet that criteria, but Highway 101 and State Route 92 East of El Camino does meet the criteria. There seems to be contradiction in the General Plan, we say we have a policy to locate new residential away from high volume roadways, but Study Area 7 and another study area along State Route 92 are designated as high and medium density residential.
• Revise Policy LU-P3.12 to encourage the design of publicly accessible spaces that people can intuitively know the space is for their use.
• Comments received on Policy LU-P3.14:
o This policy is the same policy as PS-P5.2.
o Policy is outdated and confusing, it needs wordsmithing. o Delete the rest of the policy after the first sentence. o The school district and the City have a 55 year lease on Bayside Park. Maybe we can have a separate policy that references Bayside Park because that lease will come up at the end of this General Plan.
• Replace “support” with “prioritize” in Action LU-A4.1. • Action LU-A5.1 is missing what the alternative transportation is alternative to. Change “alternative transportation” to “active transportation”. • Encourage buffers between people and cars in Policy LU-P5.2. Mention the City’s tree planting plan here. There needs to be a discussion about downtown landscaping in this policy.
• Add an action about the pedestrian mall.
• Revise Policy LU-P6.1 to say world class transit-oriented “mixed use” development. • Concerned about including the term “gentrification” in Policy LU-P8.2.
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• Add green space where it says “includes retail, services and housing” in Policy LU-P7.1. • Add biking and walking facilities to Action LU-A7.2, similar to Bridgepointe. • Add a separate policy or action for the King Center instead of including it in Policy LU- P8.3. There is a need to enhance the King Center beyond maintaining it. Also, confirm if the park impact fees are only supposed to be for physical park improvements and address this in the action.
• Identify other funding sources in Action LU-A8.3.
• Unsure if we should keep convenience markets in Policy LU-P8.5 since they do not typically provide healthy foods.
• Suggested revisions to Action LU-A8.5:
o Maybe we can say “balance safety improvements with optimizing the existing parking supply” or “balance the design of the safety improvements.” o There was a North Central community based transportation plan that was well received. Reference the plan or maybe we need to complete a new plan, it received a lot of public support at that time.
o Possible new language “the plan shall seek to make the North Central neighborhood streets a measurably safer place while improving accessibility for residents and visitors. Parking availability and access shall be featured as a factor in assessing the planning and design of projects. Changes shall be developed and enacted with the expressed purposes of improving health, safety, welfare and comfort for members of the community”. • Add “sanitation” to Action LU-A8.6.
• Comments received on Policy LU-P8.7:
o Not sure this is within the City’s purview; the County health department has been closely working on healthy food in school efforts. o This policy seems outdated.
o There was a question about whether the school district has a meal program for the summer or if the City can help fill the gap. Historically, the school district does not provide food for the community in the summer only for summer school.
o One subcommittee member asked if we could add language about “explore or incentivize plant based foods in schools”, but a few subcommittee members disagreed.
o Maybe this policy should go beyond schools. Having fresh produce in neighborhoods is the key thing people need access to.
• Modify Action LU-A8.7 to go beyond partnering with neighborhood organizations and instead also encourage neighborhood cleanliness and beautification programs that do not rely solely on volunteers and neighborhood organizations. • Highlight how members of the public can influence development projects through community engagement under Goal LU-9.
• Add child care in Policy LU-P9.1 as a feature of public meetings that will increase attendance.
• Add a policy or action about recycled water under Goal LU-10. Remove the word “boldly” from this goal.
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• Change “reduce” to “eliminate” in Policy LU-P10.2 since this is a long term plan. • Change five years to three years in Action LU-A10.3 since the reach codes and building codes come out every three years.
• Improve the definition of “provide a living wage” in Action LU-A11.1. Maybe we should say “a wage that is indexed to the cost of living”.
• Mention “support remote work options” and “public wifi” in Policy LU-P11.3 about telecommunications.
• Clarify what projects Action LU-A12.1 would apply to. This action is also not clear. • There is no action for the Shoreview shopping center, only for the Bridgepoint and Bel Mateo shopping centers. Add an action for the Shoreview shopping center. • Add an action about jobs housing balance. Mountain View’s East Whisman Precise Plan has a requirement of 3 units of housing to be built for every 1,000 feet of commercial.
Redwood City’s General plan also specifies a maximum additional residential capacity of 2,500 units, a maximum additional office capacity of 574,667 and a maximum additional retail capacity of 100,000 sq. ft. within their Downtown area. Would like to see a similar action in the General Plan.
• There is an area in the Land Use Map that is designated mixed use low right next to State Route 92, across from The Fish Market, City Council asked for this parcel to be designated as mixed use medium but it was recorded in the notes as mixed use low.
Note to staff to go back and watch the recording to double check. • Add an action to increase the urban tree canopy while maintaining existing trees as much as possible. Identify neighborhoods with less street tree canopy and adopt programs to add climate adapted trees to the right of ways and front yards of adjacent properties.
• Add an action under the Hillsdale Station Area about working with Caltrain to make the station accessible for biking.
• Ensure there are roughly equal heights along contiguous blocks. There are some blocks where it goes from residential to mixed use. Important where it changes to residential and mixed use to have a consistent height between these types of land uses. • Add mention about having less paved surfaces that reflect heat in our city under climate change and sustainability.
• Add a policy or action about green infrastructure in multi-unit developments under climate change and sustainability.
• Consider how Assembly Bill (AB) 297 would eliminate parking requirements for projects within a certain distance of transit.
• Think about how the City is moving towards reallocating the public space for a wider variety of uses that could be used by small businesses. • Mixed use should not only include office and residential, but it can also include commercial service type of uses.
• High speed rail is a huge land use issue that should be addressed further. Add a reference to preserving access to Downtown and neighborhoods.
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MEMORANDUM
DATE September 16, 2022
TO San Mateo City Council
FROM Joanna Jansen and Angelica Garcia, PlaceWorks
SUBJECT Summary of Planning Commission Input on the Draft Policies and Actions
This memorandum summarizes the Planning Commission (PC) input on the draft policies and actions from their meeting on September 13, 2022. The PC reviewed and provided feedback on the policies and actions for the Circulation, Public Services and Facilities, Noise, and Conservation, Open Space, and Recreation elements. Following the September 13 Planning Commission meeting, Commissioner Wiggins submitted additional comments via email, which are attached to this memorandum for reference.
GENERAL COMMENTS
• General support for the comments made by the General Plan Subcomittee, except some comments were clarified or refined by the PC.
• The term “accessible” was used quite a bit, especially in the Circulation and Conservation, Open Space and Recreation Elements. Define this term since many people will think it is connected with accessibility for those who have impaired mobility. There should also be more policies and actions about this issue.
CIRCULATION ELEMENT
• Revise Goal C-1 to say “design and implement a multimodal transportation system that prioritizes walking, biking, and transit and…”.
• Agree with Sierra Club’s recommendation to add trees and green infrastructure to Policy C-P1.2. • Revise policy C-P1.5 to say “prioritize high-capacity travel and pedestrian and bicyclist safety along El Camino Real”.
• Change “consider parking requirement reductions for projects that” to “reduce parking requirements for projects”. There should be room for City Staff to allow exceptions to this policy for unusual projects.
• Add “or other areas” to the list of destinations mentioned in Action C-A2.6. • There was discussion about whether unbundled parking should be required under Action C- A2.7. The PC ultimately recommended to change the wording in the policy to start with “allow and encourage…”. There was also support for adding a new action to study the feasibility of requiring unbundled parking.
• Instead of industry standards, say “use American Disabilities Act requirements when implementing design standards” in Action C-A3.4.
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• Add the words “and improvements” after “engagement” in Action C-A3.6 to support efforts to fund safe routes to school improvements. Also, this action is in the pedestrian section, but safe routes to schools are not just for pedestrians, it also includes bicyclists. • Recommend adding a new policy that is titled “Safe Routes to School Master Plan.” This policy should encourage the creation of safe routes maps based on school boundaries. Map out the routes that are safe routes to the school, identify deficienciesand the capital improvement projects to fix those deficiences, and fund the improvements. The new policy could be “Create a safe routes to school master plan” that includes is the details mentioned above. • Add an action that requires pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure on the Preferred Circulation Scenarioto be implemented anytime a roadway is resurfaced. Revise Action C-A4.2 to mention pedestrian infrastructure.
• The following comments were made about Action C-A4.3:
o Strengthen the language; commit ourselves to go a bit further. Add text to this action that lays out a schedule to reallocate dollars where feasible from vehicle to bikeway improvements consistent with Goal C-6.
o Concern the overcrossings at US 101 and SR 92 mentioned will not be constructed any time soon. Do not include goals, policies and actions that are infeasible. • Change “continue pursuing” to “maintain” in Action C-A4.4. • Support for Action C-A4.5.
• Revise Goal C-6 to include “prioritizes user safety” after “achieve a transportation system that”. • Revise Policy C-P6.6 to make it clearer that the desired outcome should be to prioritize projects that are primarily bike/ped rather than vehicular.
• Comments about Goal C-7 include:
o Add a sentence to or create a new policy that says “to plan for the reduction of public parking supply as a whole” which relates to the goal to reduce vehicular travel. o Look into a program where parking fees in certain areas are used for improvements for that neighborhood.
• Add a policy that commits us to the long term plan to reduce public parking supply. There should text in this policy about “heavily scrutinizing any proposed increase in public parking supply”.
• Revise Policy C-P7.1 to focus on addressing street parking management more narrowly and eliminate references to land use changes that would be intended to indirectly result in parking changes.”
• There was discussion about whether the word “require” should be added to Policy C-P7.2 and the PC ultimately decided against requiring shared parking. • Concern about data sharing language in Action C-A8.4. How will the data be used? Technology companies also have strict rules about data privacy.
• The following items were discussed in connection with Move San Mateo’s letter:
o Agree with the policies and actions in Move San Mateo’s letter, except there should be more thought about the suggestion to add a new action related to capping Highway 101 from Peninsula Avenue to the Highway 92 interchange.
o There was discussion about the suggested action to switch parking and bike lanes but the PC agreed the Complete Streets plan would be the best place to address this action.
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o There was discussion about the recommendations on speed governors and the PC agrees there should be language in the General Plan that supports a pilot program about speed governors.
o There was a recommendation to incorporate the following policies and actions:
Review projects in the City's capital improvement plan based on their alignment with the State Climate Action Plan for transportation infrastructure and other climate goals. Modify our capital improvement projects based on the State Climate Action Plan for transportation infrastructure.
Establish a realistic, ambitious, time-based goal to complete all infrastructure projects outlined in the City’s revised capital improvement program and improvements outlined in other plans. Identify increases in staffing levels needed to meet this goal.
Require the evaluation of the safety and quality of sidewalks fronting all properties at the point of sale. Require the existing or new owner to repair the sidewalk if minimum safety/quality conditions are not met. Provide exemptions for low income owners from this requirement. Prioritize sidewalk repair program funding for historically marginalized/equity priority communities and/or for low income individuals.
Adopt minimum traffic calming standards for all streets including but not limited to modal filters and speed cushions.
More aggressively pursue a shared micromobility operator, and work with the County and region to attract a multi-jurisdictional operator already operating in major cities in the region.
• There are some policies and actions in the Circulation Element that are unclear. For example, the language in Action C-A7.4 should be clarified. Review and revise the draft goals, policies and actions in the Circulation Element to simplify and improve clarity. • Prioritize the policies and actions connected with safe routes to school. • Add a reference about superblocks somewhere in the General Plan, maybe it makes the most sense in the Circulation Element but the PC would not like this concept to get lost.
CONSERVATION, OPEN SPACE, PARKS AND RECREATION ELEMENT
• Agree with GPS comments on this element.
• Change the word “manage” to “maintain” or “protect” in Policy COS-P1.6. • Remove the hatch on Borel Park in Figure COS-3 because the park is already developed. Add the hatch on the undeveloped open space area on Dale Avenue. • Add a policy or action about reducing light pollution; however, do not conflict with public requests for better lighting and pedestrian safety. Think about the neighborhood context and their priorities on reducing light pollution versus having better lighting for safety reasons. • Support Goal COS-5, it is important to keep this goal. • Add or revise policy COS-P3.2 to “protect and restore creeks to a level acceptable for healthy marine and bird habitat.”
• Add a new policy under Goal COS-4 that discourages new housing development within 500 feet of high volume roadways averaging more than 100,000 daily trips. Maybe one of the ways we
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could allow housing development near high volume roadways is if an applicant completes a computational modeling to show there will not be impacts. This policy should an environmental justice policy.
• Revise Goal COS-6 to include “encourage projects to recognize historical tribal lands.” • Add a policy under Goal COS-8 to include an equitable access analysis in park master plans to identify deficiencies and solutions and funding to fix these deficiencies. • Add the following policies or actions below Goal COS-10:
o Eliminate gas powered equipment and eliminate toxic fertilizers and chemicals from being used in the parks over time. Sustainable park design should consider what kind of equipment is necessary.
o Implement a 10-year plan to repurpose the golf course into a higher and better use as identified by outreach and surveys. Do not specify the use in the policy or action, instead leave it open for discussion.
• Add “habitat” to the list of uses in Policy COS-P10.2. • Revise Action COS-A10.5 to prioritize beautification efforts in equity priority communities over wealthier neighborhoods.
• Add “creating a park system that is best in class or sets a standard for the Bay Area” in Goal COS-
11. • There was a discussion about whether leaf blowers should be banned due to air quality, noise, and health concerns. The PC suggested adding a policy or action that bans gas-powered leaf blowers within the public right-of-way.
• Add a new policy to “ensure a balanced set of funding sources that is comprised of annual budget dollars and new development impact fees each in proportion to its impact on parks and recreational facilities to provide a stable funding source.” • Add a new action to “evaluate the City’s annual budget to identify funding sources for impacts on parks and recreation facilities caused by existing development, as needed. Identify other funding sources including but not limited to a bond.”
• Add a policy or goal that supports efforts to create passive recreation that connects parks and certain nodes, such as Downtown, to increase connectivity on select public right-of-ways for runners and pedestrians.
• Composting is a State requirement for homes and businesses. Address composting in City parks in the General Plan. There should be compost receptables in City parks. We should also use a special smaller electric garbage trucks to service parks. • Encourage volunteering programs at parks.
PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES ELEMENT
• Correct the name of the element, in some places it is labelled as facilities or infrastructure. • Support continuing to try to find a downtown facility as mentioned in Policy PS-P4.3. • Delete the first sentence of Policy PS-P5.2. Change the word “city” to “community” in the fourth sentence. Make it clear in the policy that this would apply to any school district land that becomes available. Leave in “community recreation needs” in the policy. Housing and
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community recreation uses should be the first priority for these sites. • Change “continue to allow” to “encourage” in Policy PS-P5.6. • Clarify a comment made in the GPS meeting about Goal PS-2. Add a new policy to “encourage existing homes all properties to convert to water-efficient landscaping over time”. • Expand policy PS-P5.5 to not only mention child care centers, but also include public facilities in general as places that support child development. Change “retain” to “improve” in this policy. • Add a policy or action to study and implement water regulations related to water conservation.
Set a maximum gallons per day quota of 40 gallons and implement this policy through Cal Water a
nd the City Council. City has taken position that it does not control its water supply for decades, but we have the tools to have major impacts on water supply. • The wastewater treatment plant mentioned in Policy PS-P3.4 is the most important in
frastructure in the city. The General Plan should consider impacts to the plant from sea level ris
e. Figure out how to at least use some recycled water for irrigation, groundwater recharge. • Add “public restroom facilities” to Policy PS-P4.1 or create a separate policy about increasing public restroom facilities.
• Combine Policy PS-P4.4 and Policy PS-P4.5 or make these policies more distinct since they both cover libraries.
• Policy PS-P5.1 is too broad. Include the same level of specificity as the policy about effective p
olice and fire services.
• One commissioner would like to study barriers to creating new child care centers and try to address those barriers but City Staff noted that these facilities are licensed through the State an
d County and the City’s only role is related to the physical location of the facility. • Revise the first sentence in action PS-A2.1 to make this action stronger. • Action PS-A3.3 seems unnecessary.
NOISE ELEMENT
• Add an action to “do monitoring to gather more quantitative data on existing noise nuisances” below Goal N-2. For example, ambient noise levels around schools, along the railroad corridor, along Highways 92 and 101, and other noise sources of interest. Then use the data to put p
olicies in place to target nuisance noise sources.
• Add language about banning leaf blowers.
• Add a policy that “County Hospital should maintain equipment to minimize noise for adjacent residential areas”.
• Revise policy N-P2.7 to include “require” instead of “continue to”.
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From: Martin Wiggins
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2022 6:17 PM
To: Zachary Dahl
Cc: Manira Sandhir
Subject: GPU agenda item - minor comments
Hi Zach,
In addition to comments I will make tonight, I wanted to send along some smaller comments on tonight’s GPU agenda item that might be more easily conveyed in writing.
COS-1
Can we add 'where an opportunity arises, restore' natural resources including wetlands'? I am just thinking of, sometime in the next twenty years, some piece of land comes available to the City that was historically a wetland, wouldn't it be synergistic with our Safety element on sea level rise which we'll discuss in two weeks, to at least say in here that, when we can, we will try to restore wetlands, both as an environmental stewardship opportunity and as a safety one? The only policies we have are about limitations on new development and I think this implies that what's already here is fine. But there is a legacy of environmental destruction throughout most of the 20th century that we are sitting on top of. So I think at least some mention of restoration seems appropriate.
COS-P7.1 - Active & Healthy Lifestyles
Suggest addition of walking and bicycling as a mode of healthy transportation. Before someone says this doesn't belong in COS, note that the current language includes healthy eating and nutrition, and that's obviously not limited to parks. Within the context of parks programming I could imagine a number of ways this could be incorporated and wouldn't be surprised if it was already happening, but no harm in including it here.
COS-P10.2 - Park Preservation
Can we add the word 'habitat' between open space and recreational use? I'd like to emphasize, if we can, the importance of fostering habitat space as a resilience strategy among other reasons. I think 'open space and recreational use' by itself, feels a little outdated to me.
COS-P10.4 - Optimum Cost-Effectiveness
Can we put the word 'Proactively' right in front of all of this? I think anyone's that worked in maintenance knows how much more expensive things get to fix if you let them deteriorate too much, and so optimizing cost-effectiveness should usually come with a lens of proactivity that I'd suggest we be explicit about.
PS-P5.3 - Child Care Needs
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Add text that clearly states we are meeting the needs 'of children of all abilities, incomes, and backgrounds' through 2040 (not just 'the needs').
PS-A2.1 - Recycled Water
We say 'explore the feasibility' of working with Cal Water, but I'd suggest we say 'Work with Cal Water…to explore the feasibility of distributing recycled water'.
This may sound like a
grammatical tweak but I think it’s a material change as it requires u to at least work with them.
Thanks,
Martin
* PRIVILEGE AND CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message, together with any attachments, is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. It may contain information that is confidential and prohibited from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination or copying of this message or any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the original sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail and delete this message along with any attachments from your computer. Thank you.
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C I T Y O F S A N M A T E O 2 0 4 0 G E N E R A L P L A N
3. CIRCULATION ELEMENT
These suggested revisions to the draft goals, policies and actions are based on input provided by staff, community members, the General Plan Subcommittee and the Planning Commission, and are shown in italics and track changes. For policies and actions with suggested revisions, they are listed below the original draft language that was published in July for comparison purposes.
GOALS AND POLICIES
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION
GOAL C-1Design and implement a multimodal transportation system that prioritizes walking, biking and transit, and is sustainable, safe, and accessible for all users, connects the community utilizing all modes of transportation and reduces vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita.
POLICIES
Policy C-P1.1 Sustainable Transportation. Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from transportation by increasing mode shares for sustainable travel modes such as walking, bicycling, and public transit.
Policy C-P1.2 Complete Streets. Apply complete streets design standards to future projects both in the public right-of-way and on private property. Complete streets are streets designed to facilitate safe, comfortable, and efficient travel for all users regardless of age or ability or whether they are walking, bicycling, taking transit, or driving.
Complete Streets. Apply complete streets design standards to future projects both in the public right-of-way and on private property. Complete streets are streets designed to facilitate safe, comfortable, and efficient travel for all users regardless of age or ability or whether they are walking, bicycling, taking transit, or driving, and should include landscaping and shade trees as well as green streets stormwater infrastructure to reduce runoff and pollution.
Policy C-P1.3 Vision Zero. Work towards eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Use a safe systems approach for transportation planning, street design, operations, emergency response, and maintenance that proactively identifies opportunities to improve safety where conflicts between users exist.
Vision Zero. Work towards eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Use a safe systems approach for transportation planning, street design, operations, emergency response, and maintenance that proactively identifies opportunities
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to improve safety where conflicts between users exist to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries in our roadways.
Policy C-P1.4 Prioritize Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Needs. Prioritize pedestrian and bicycle mobility, connectivity, and safety when designing roadway and intersection improvements.
Prioritize Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Needs. Prioritize local pedestrian and bicycle projects that enhance mobility, connectivity, and safety when designing roadway and intersection improvements.
Policy C-P1.5 El Camino Real. Prioritize high-capacity travel along El Camino Real.
El Camino Real. Prioritize high-capacityFacilitate efficient travel and pedestrian safety along El Camino Real.
Policy C-P1.6 Transit-Oriented Development. Increase access to transit and sustainable transportation options by encouraging high density mixed-use transit-oriented development near the City’s Caltrain stations and transit corridors.
Policy C-P1.7 Equitable Multimodal Network. Prioritize new amenities, programs, and multimodal projects, developed based on community input and data analysis, in San Mateo’s disadvantaged neighborhoods. (Environmental Justice) Policy C-P1.8 New Development Fair Share. Require new developments to pay a transportation impact fee to mitigate cumulative transportation impacts.
Policy C-P1.9 Dedication of Right-of-Way for Transportation Improvements. Require dedication of needed right-of-way for transportation improvements identified in adopted City plans, including pedestrian facilities, bikeways, and trails.
Policy C-P1.10 Inclusive Outreach. Involve the community in the City’s efforts to design and implement a multimodal transportation system that is sustainable, safe, and accessible for all users. Use outreach and engagement methods that encourage broad representation and are culturally sensitive, particularly for historically underserved communities.
ACTIONS
Action C-A1.1 Complete Streets Plan. Complete and implement the Complete Streets Plan to improve the City’s circulation network to accommodate the needs of street users of all ages and abilities.
Action C-A1.2 Vision Zero Plan. Complete and regularly update a Plan that uses a safe systems approach to work towards Vision Zero and identifies specific citywide changes to policies, practices, funding, and other action items that will reduce speeding, collisions, and collision severity.
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Action C-A1.3 El Camino Real Plan. Collaborate with Caltrans, SamTrans, and other partners to prepare and implement a plan to accommodate higher capacity and frequency travel along El Camino Real, exploring Bus Rapid Transit and other modes of alternative transportation.
Action C-A1.4 Safe Routes for Seniors. Develop a "safe routes for seniors" program to promote active transportation connections for seniors in collaboration with seniors' organizations. Prioritize improvements for seniors in disadvantaged communities.
Action C-A1.5 Data Driven Approach to Project Design and Prioritization. Inform the prioritization of improvement projects through the consistent collection and analysis of modal activity data which reveals where the highest concentration of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit trips occur.
Data Driven Approach to Project Design and Prioritization. Inform the prioritization of improvement projects through the consistent collection and analysis of modal activity data which reveals where the highest concentration of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit trips occur, and study routes and places people would like to access but are currently unable to because of limitations in pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure.
Action C-A1.6 Safety Education. Pursue safety education to increase awareness for all street users.
Action C-A1.7 Transportation Funding. Regularly update adopted City master plans to secure reliable funding for transportation infrastructure projects identified in these plans.
Action C-A1.8 Transportation Fees. Adopt and maintain fees and fiscal policies to fund circulation improvements and programs equitably and achieve operational goals.
Action C-A1.9 Performance and Monitoring. Monitor the City's mode split progress on reducing VMT, and reducing GHG emissions from VMT, as data is available.
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT
GOAL C-2Use transportation demand management (TDM) to reduce the number and length of single-occupancy vehicle trips and encourage sustainable travel behaviors through policy, zoning strategies, and targeted context- appropriate programs and incentives.
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POLICIES
Policy C-P2.1 TDM Requirements. Require new or existing developments that meet specific size, capacity, and/or context conditions to implement TDM strategies.
ACTIONS
Action C-A2.1 Implement TDM Ordinance. Develop and implement a citywide TDM ordinance for new developments with tiered trip reduction and VMT reduction targets and monitoring that are consistent with the targets in their relevant area plans.
Consider parking requirement reductions for projects that include TDM measures.
Implement TDM Ordinance. Develop and implement a citywide TDM ordinance for new developments with tiered trip reduction and VMT reduction targets and monitoring that are consistent with the targets in their relevant area plans.
Consider Reduce parking requirements reductions for projects that include TDM measures.
Action C-A2.2 TDM Education and Outreach. Pursue education for developers and employees about programs and strategies to reduce VMT, parking demand, and the resulting benefits.
TDM Education and Outreach. Pursue education for developers and employees about programs and strategies to reduce VMT, parking demand, and the resulting benefits. Inform the public about existing programs that encourage people to trade in their vehicle for alternative modes of transportation, such as the Clean Cars for All program.
Action C-A2.3 Leverage TDM Partnership Opportunities. Work with regional partners to identify and fund TDM strategies that can be implemented at new and existing developments.
Action C-A2.4 Facilitate TDM Services. Facilitate the provision of TDM services to employees and residents through development agreements, TMAs, and coordination with regional partners.
Action C-A2.5 Travel to Schools. Reduce private automobile school trips and support student health by collaborating with private and public partners to increase the number of students walking or bicycling to school through expanded implementation of Safe Routes to School. Prioritize school travel safety improvements in disadvantaged communities.
Travel to Schools. Reduce private automobile school trips related VMT and support student health by collaborating with private and public partners to increase the number of students walking or bicycling to school through expanded implementation of Safe Routes to School, including educating students
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and the community about the benefits of walking and bicycling and making physical improvements to streets and neighborhoods that make walking and bicycling safer. Prioritize school travel safety improvements in disadvantaged communities.
Action C-A2.6 New Development Shuttle Services. As an option to fulfill TDM requirements, encourage new developments to provide shuttle services to and from activity centers such as the College of San Mateo, Caltrain stations, Downtown, or the Hillsdale Shopping Center. Shuttle service should accommodate the needs and schedules of all riders, including service workers.
New Development Shuttle Services. As an option to fulfill TDM requirements, encourage new developments to provide shuttle services to and from activity centers such as the College of San Mateo, Caltrain stations, Downtown, or the Hillsdale Shopping Center, or other areas. Shuttle service should accommodate the needs and schedules of all riders, including service workers.
Action C-A2.7 Unbundled Parking. Encourage residential developments to unbundle the costs of providing dedicated parking spaces. Encourage additional parking capacity created by unbundling to be reallocated as shared or public parking spaces.
PEDESTRIANS
GOAL C-3Build and maintain a safe, connected, and equitable pedestrian network that provides access to community destinations such as employment centers, transit, schools, shopping, and recreation.
POLICIES
Policy C-P3.1 Pedestrian Network. Create and maintain a safe, walkable environment in San Mateo to increase the number of people who choose to walk. Maintain an updated recommended pedestrian network for implementation.
Pedestrian Network. Create and maintain a safe, walkable environment in San Mateo to increase the number of people who choose to walk. Maintain an updated recommended pedestrian network for implementation. Encourage “superblock” design in certain nodes of the city, such as Downtown, that allows vehicle access at the periphery and limits cut-through vehicles to create pedestrian focused, car-light spaces.
Policy C-P3.2 Pedestrian Enhancements with New Development. Require new development projects to provide sidewalks and pedestrian ramps and to repair or replace damaged sidewalks, in addition to right-of-way improvements identified in adopted City master plans. Encourage new developments to include pedestrian- oriented design to facilitate pedestrian path of travel.
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Policy C-P3.3 Right-of-Way Improvements. Require new developments to construct or contribute to improvements that enhance the pedestrian experience including human-scale lighting, streetscaping, and accessible sidewalks.
Right-of-Way Improvements. Require new developments to construct or contribute to improvements that enhance the pedestrian experience including human-scale lighting, streetscaping, and accessible sidewalks adjacent to the site.
Policy C-P3.4 Utility Undergrounding. Require new private development to underground utilities adjacent to the site.
Utility Undergrounding. Require new private development to underground utilities adjacent to the site. <Addressed in the Safety Element>
ACTIONS
Action C-A3.1 Implement Pedestrian Improvements. Implement goals, programs, and projects in the City’s adopted plans that improve the comfort, safety, and connectivity of the pedestrian network.
Implement Pedestrian Improvements. Implement Prioritize implementation of goals, programs, and projects in the City’s adopted plans that improve the comfort, safety, and connectivity of the pedestrian network.
Action C-A3.2 Utility Undergrounding Requirements. Amend the San Mateo Municipal Code to require new private development to underground utilities on and adjacent to the site and to install and maintain signs, streetlights, and street landscaping adjacent to sidewalks.
Action C-A3.3 Pedestrian Trails and Routes Awareness. Increase awareness of existing trails and routes by working with outside agencies and developers to promote these amenities to residents. Continue collaborating with the County on development of the trail network.
Action C-A3.4 Access for Users of All Ages and Abilities. Implement the ADA Transition Plan and maintain accessible streets and sidewalks. Use industry standards for guidance when implementing design standards.
Access for Users of All Ages and Abilities. Implement the ADA Transition Plan and maintain accessible streets and sidewalks. Use ADA requirementsindustry standards for guidance when implementing design standards.
Action C-A3.5 Pedestrian Connectivity. Incorporate design for pedestrian connectivity across intersections in transportation projects to provide safe interaction with other modes.
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Pedestrian Connectivity. Incorporate design for pedestrian connectivity across intersections in transportation projects to improve visibility at cross walks for pedestrians and provide safe interaction with other modes. Design improvements should focus on increasing sight lines and removing conflicts at the cross walks.
Action C-A3.6 Safe Routes to School. Fund and implement continuous Safe Routes to School engagement with San Mateo elementary, middle, and high schools, and provide support to increase number of students walking to school.
Safe Routes to School. Fund and implement continuous Safe Routes to School engagement and improvements with San Mateo elementary, middle, and high schools, and provide support to increase number of students walking and bicycling to school. Consider implementing safety speed zones near schools.
Action C-A3.7 Downtown Pedestrian Mall. Complete design and fund improvements to fully transition B Street between 1st Street and 3rd Street into a pedestrian mall.
BICYCLES AND MICROMOBILITY
GOAL C-4Build and maintain a safe, connected, and equitable bicycle and micromobility network that provides access to community destinations such as employment centers, transit, schools, shopping, and recreation.
POLICIES
Policy C-P4.1 Bicycle Network. Create and maintain a bike-friendly environment in San Mateo and increase the number of people who choose to bike.
Policy C-P4.2 Bicycle Master Plan. Maintain an updated recommended bicycle network for implementation in the adopted Bicycle Master Plan and related City plans.
Policy C-P4.3 First- and Last-Mile Connections. Encourage and facilitate provision of bicycle parking and shared mobility options at transit centers to provide first- and last- mile connections.
First- and Last-Mile Connections. Encourage and facilitate provision of bicycle parking and shared mobility options at transit centers and other community destinations to provide first- and last-mile connections.
Policy C-P4.4 Bicycle Related Technology. Explore ways to use technology to improve bicycle safety and connectivity.
Bicycle and Shared Mobility Related Technology. Explore ways to use technology to improve bicycle and shared mobility safety and connectivity.
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Policy C-P4.5 Bicycle Improvements. Require new developments to construct or contribute to improvements that enhance the cyclist experience, including bike lanes.
Policy C-P4.6 Coordination with other City Projects. Maximize opportunities to implement bicycle facilities through other City of San Mateo projects.
Policy C-P4.7 Interjurisdiction Coordination. Continue to coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions and regional partners in the development of connected bicycle and pedestrian facilities and regional trails as identified in adopted City plans.
ACTIONS
Action C-A4.1 Bicycle Master Plan Implementation. Implement the Bicycle Master Plan’s recommended programs and projects to create and maintain a fully connected, safe, and logical bikeway network and coordinate with the countywide system.
Update the Bicycle Master Plan and related adopted City plans to reflect future bicycle and micromobility facility needs to support the City’s circulation network. Provide an adequate supply of short- and long-term bicycle parking to support increased ridership.
Action C-A4.2 Paving Coordination. Coordinate and fund the implementation of bicycle facilities identified in the Bicycle Master Plan with the City's paving program.
Paving Coordination. Coordinate and fund the implementation of bicycle facilities and pedestrian improvements identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans with the City's paving program.
Action C-A4.3 Connectivity Across Freeway Barriers. Conduct feasibility studies and design alternatives for overcrossings at US 101 and SR 92 to facilitate connectivity across major barriers.
Connectivity Across Freeway Barriers. Conduct feasibility studies and design alternatives for overcrossings and undercrossings at US 101 and SR 92 to facilitate connectivity across major barriers.
Action C-A4.4 Bay Trail. Identify State and County programs to continue pursuing safe pedestrian and bicycle access to and extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail through coordination with neighboring jurisdictions.
Bay Trail. Identify State and County programs to continue pursuingmaintain safe pedestrian and bicycle access to and extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail through coordination with neighboring jurisdictions.
Action C-A4.5 Crystal Springs. Pursue safe pedestrian and bicycle access to San Francisco Water District lands via Crystal Springs Road through coordination with the Town of Hillsborough and with State and County assistance.
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Action C-A4.6 Bicycle Detection Devices. Install innovative signal modifications on existing and planned bikeways to detect bicyclists and micromobility users’ presence at intersections and facilitate their safe movement through the intersection.
Action C-A4.7 Increased Bicycle Capacity on Caltrain and SamTrans. Coordinate with Caltrain and SamTrans to support\increase bicycle capacity on transit vehicles and to provide an adequate supply of secure covered bicycle and micromobility parking at Caltrain stations, transit centers, and major bus stops.
TRANSIT AND MOBILITY SERVICES
GOAL C-5Make transit a viable transportation option for the community by supporting frequent, reliable, cost-efficient, and connected service.
POLICIES
Policy C-P5.1 Increase Transit Ridership. Work with SamTrans and Caltrain to increase transit ridership.
Policy C-P5.2 Caltrain. Support Caltrain as a critical transit service in the City and Peninsula.
Policy C-P5.3 California High Speed Rail. Support and facilitate local and regional efforts to implement High Speed Rail. Work to provide multimodal connections between San Mateo and planned High Speed Rail stations.
Policy C-P5.4 Safety at At-Grade Rail Crossings. Eliminate existing at-grade rail crossings to improve safety and local multimodal circulation.
Policy C-P5.5 Transit Safety. Prioritize improvements to increase safety, access, comfort, and educate the public about the benefits of transit use at transit centers and bus stops in disadvantaged communities, along commercial corridors, and in dense, mixed-use neighborhoods.
Transit Safety. Prioritize improvements to increase safety, access, and comfort, and educate the public about the benefits of transit use at transit centers and bus stops in disadvantaged communities, along commercial corridors, and in dense, mixed-use neighborhoods.
Policy C-P5.6 Transit Access in New Developments. Require new development projects to incorporate design elements that facilitate or improve access to public transit.
Recommended New Policy:
Transit Education. Educate the public about the benefits of transit use.
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ACTIONS
Action C-A5.1 Grade Separation Study. Conduct a grade separation feasibility study for all at- grade rail crossings in San Mateo. Identify funding to complete these grade crossing improvements.
Action C-A5.2 Transit Experience Improvements. Prioritize installing new transit shelters and benches or other seating and an energy-efficient street lighting program at transit stops in disadvantaged communities and areas that improve transit access, safety and experience.
Action C-A5.3 Transit Ridership. Coordinate with SamTrans, Caltrain, and Joint Powers Board (JPB) to support implementation of transit improvements, including the following:
Transit priority treatments, such as signal priority, on high frequency transit corridors. Extended hours to provide service for shift workers.
Bus rapid transit (BRT) in San Mateo.
Caltrain modernization, electrification, transit experience improvements, and increased service frequency.
Support implementation of Caltrain's business plan, including increased service to San Mateo’s three stations.
Improve Caltrain station access by ensuring sidewalks and bikeways near each station are designed to provide safe and convenient access to and from transit. Support regional transit integration and expansion efforts to improve seamless access to BART, High Speed Rail, and other regional transit systems.
Action C-A5.4 Shuttle Programs. Continue to support public shuttle programs connecting to Caltrain stations. Work to expand public awareness and access to shuttles and expand shuttle service. Support the implementation of publicly accessible private shuttles.
ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS
GOAL C-6Achieve a transportation system that prioritizes user safety, accommodates future growth, reduces vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita, and maintains efficient and safe operations for all modes and all residents.
POLICIES
Policy C-P6.1 Roadway Operations. Maintain acceptable roadway operations for all intersections and all modes within the City.
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Policy C-P6.2 Circulation Improvement Plan. Maintain a transportation network that will accommodate future growth, reduce VMT per capita, and equitably implement complete streets.
Policy C-P6.3 Local Transportation Analysis. Require site-specific transportation impact analysis following the City’s adopted Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Policy for development projects where there may be an adverse condition or effect on the roadway system.
Policy C-P6.4 Neighborhood Traffic. Implement traffic calming measures on residential streets to reduce the volume of passthrough traffic and vehicular speeds.
Policy C-P6.5 Truck Routes. Maintain and update the truck route network to utilize roadways that are adequately designed for truck usage and minimize potential conflicts with other transportation modes.
Policy C-P6.6 Capital Improvement Program. Prioritize improvements that increase person throughput in project prioritization in order to reduce VMT.
Policy C-P6.7 Traffic Signal Installation. A warrant analysis may be used to determine the need for signalization and shall include consideration of both existing and projected traffic and pedestrian volumes, traffic delays and interruptions, collision history, and proximity of sensitive land uses, such as schools. A development project may be required to fund signalization and maintenance of off-site unsignalized intersections if warranted as determined by the appropriate transportation analysis.
Policy C-P6.8 Emergency Signal Preemption. Require new and upgraded signals to include pre-emption for emergency vehicles to maintain and enhance emergency response times.
ACTIONS:
Action C-A6.1 Multimodal Level of Service Standard. Evaluate and adopt an operational metric for all roadway users that accounts for the safe, equitable, and efficient roadway access.
Action C-A6.2 Prioritization and Timing of Roadway Improvements. Revise the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) prioritization system to include additional criteria such as: potential to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita; proximity to high-injury locations identified in the Local Roads Safety Plan; eligibility and availability of grant or other funding source; benefit or harm to disadvantaged communities; and correlation with the distribution and pace of development, reflecting the degree of need for mitigation.
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Action C-A6.3 Congestion Management. Work with neighboring agencies and regional partners, such as the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG), to implement traffic management strategies and technologies, such as signal coordination, to manage local traffic congestion.
PARKING MANAGEMENT
GOAL C-7Use parking, enforcement, and curb management strategies to effectively administer parking supply and maximize utilization of public assets.
POLICIES
Policy C-P7.1 Parking Management. Manage parking through appropriate pricing, enforcement, and other strategies to support economic growth and vitality, transportation equity, and environmental sustainability. Ensure that the available parking supply is utilized at levels that meet ongoing needs without inducing additional demand or hindering future development.
Policy C-P7.2 Shared Parking. Encourage new and existing developments, especially those in mixed-use districts, to share parking between uses to maximize the existing parking supply, minimize the amount of new parking construction, and encourage "park once" behavior in commercial areas.
Policy C-P7.3 Public Parking. Maximize opportunities to expand the availability of existing parking by supporting the use of public/shared parking at private developments, discouraging reserved parking at new developments, providing incentives for developments to include shared/public parking, and allowing developers to fund public parking in-lieu of meeting parking demand/requirements on site.
Policy C-P7.4 Bicycle Parking. Require the provision of bicycle parking as part of new private developments.
Policy C-P7.5 Curbside Management. Manage the supply and utilization of the curb to maintain an optimal balance between mobility, storage, placemaking, and loading uses allowing for flexibility for adaptive re-use, safety improvements, and activation of curb space whenever possible.
Policy C-P7.6 Loading Areas in New Developments. Require adequate off-street loading in new development. Consider shared loading where feasible.
Loading Areas in New Developments. Require adequate off-street loading in to meet the needs of new development. Consider shared loading where feasible.
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ACTIONS
Action C-A7.1 Parking Maximums. Amend the zoning ordinance to replace parking minimums with parking maximums to allow developers and the City the flexibility to provide parking at levels that encourage desired development and are appropriate to the conditions of the development and its context.
Action C-A7.2 Parking Management Strategies. Deploy enhanced parking management strategies, parking enforcement, and evaluate dynamic parking pricing strategies that fluctuate based on peak parking and/or district level parking demands.
Action C-A7.3 Curbside Management Strategies. Evaluate and implement curb management strategies such as incentivizing or discouraging certain types of trips, mode choices, and behaviors in favor of broader mobility goals.
Action C-A7.4 Emerging Technology for Curbside Management. Evaluate and implement performance monitoring and evaluation systems, such as digitization of curbside assets, to dynamically manage evolving curbside demands.
Action C-A7.5 Truck Loading. Evaluate and implement ways to reduce conflicts between truck loading and pedestrian, bicycle, and transit networks.
Action C-A7.6 Public Bicycle Parking. Install safe, useful, and convenient short and long-term bicycle parking facilities in the public right-of-way or near key destinations, City facilities, and transit facilities.
Action C-A7.7 Mechanical Parking Lift. Adopt and maintain an updated mechanical parking lift code or policy.
FUTURE MOBILITY AND TECHNOLOGY
GOAL C-8Build a values-driven regulatory, management, and partnership framework that flexibly encourages emerging transportation technologies in service of City and community goals.
POLICIES
Policy C-P8.1 Emerging Technologies. Monitor, evaluate, test, and implement new technologies that expand options for safe and efficient trip making.
Policy C-P8.2 Equitable Mobility Options. Prioritize the needs and perspectives of residents of disadvantaged communities, those who speak limited English, and low- income, senior, and disabled travelers in the design, deployment, and management of new mobility services and technologies. (Environmental Justice)
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Policy C-P8.3 Mobility Data. Leverage mobility data to support new policies, investments, and programmatic actions in service of City goals.
ACTIONS
Action C-A8.1 Umbrella Regulations for Modern Mobility. Develop comprehensive regulations and infrastructure standards that are not exclusive to specific service providers and that support a spectrum of digital information, micromobility services, and connected and autonomous vehicles.
Umbrella Regulations for Modern Mobility. Develop comprehensive regulations and infrastructure standards that are not exclusive to specific service providers and that support a spectrum of digital information, micromobility services, and connected andemerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles.
Action C-A8.2 Strategic Partnerships and Pilots. Create strategic partnerships and pilots with the mobility industry and community organizations that increase mobility options for San Mateans.
Action C-A8.3 Future-Ready Infrastructure. Establish public realm policies and tools that reflect San Mateo’s goals and priorities in the design and management of streets, curbs, sidewalks, and parking facilities to account for emerging mobility trends and changes in demand over time.
Action C-A8.4 Equitable Mobility Technology. Develop an equitable mobility policy and data sharing requirements for vendors to ensure equitable deployment of emerging mobility options with consideration of residents who may be digitally challenged.
Equitable Mobility Technology. Develop an equitable mobility policy, including a and data sharing requirements policy, for vendors to ensure equitable deployment of emerging mobility options with consideration of residents who may be digitally challenged.
Action C-A8.5 Intelligent Transportation Systems. Evaluate and deploy Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) measures to efficiently manage traffic operations and incident response, enhance transit service efficiency, and better detect and prioritize the travel and safety of people walking and biking.
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6. CONSERVATION, OPEN SPACE, PARKS & AND RECREATION ELEMENT These suggested revisions to the draft goals, policies and actions are based on input provided by staff, community members, the General Plan Subcommittee and the Planning Commission, and are shown in italics and track changes. For policies and actions with suggested revisions, they are listed below the original draft language that was published in July for comparison purposes.
GOALS AND POLICIES
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
GOAL COS-1Protect and enhance the City's natural resource areas that provide plant and animal habitat and benefit human and ecological health and resilience.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P1.1 Sensitive Natural Communities. Protect riparian habitat and other sensitive natural communities.
Sensitive Natural Communities. Protect riparian habitat and other sensitive natural communities. When an opportunity arises, restore natural resources including wetlands.
Policy COS-P1.2 Interjurisdiction Coordination. Coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions and regional, State, and federal agencies to protect critical wildlife habitat, including by participating in comprehensive habitat management programs.
Policy COS-P1.3 Site Evaluations. Require independent professional evaluation of sites for any public or private development located within known or potential habitat of species designated by State and federal agencies as rare, threatened, or endangered.
The site evaluation shall determine the presence/absence of these special- status plant and animal species on the site. The surveys associated with the evaluation shall be conducted for proper identification of the species. The evaluation shall consider the potential for significant impacts on special-status plant and animal species and shall include feasible mitigation measures to mitigate such impacts to the satisfaction of the City and appropriate governmental agencies (e.g., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game). The City shall require adequate mitigation measures for ensuring the protection of sensitive resources and achieving “no net loss” of sensitive habitat acreage, values, and functions.
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In lieu of the site evaluation, presence of special status plant and animal species may be assumed and the City may require mitigation requiring “no net loss” mitigation of sensitive habitat acreage may be applied to the satisfaction of the City and appropriate governmental agencies.
Policy COS-P1.4 Development Near Wetlands or Water. Restrict or modify proposed development in areas that contain wetlands or waters to ensure the continued health and survival of special-status species and sensitive habitat areas.
Development projects shall be designed to avoid impacts on sensitive resources, or to adequately mitigate impacts by providing on-site or off-site replacement at a higher ratio. Project design modification shall include adequate avoidance measures such as the use of setbacks, buffers, and water quality, drainage control features, or other measures to ensure that no net loss of wetland acreage, function, water quality protection, and habitat value occurs. This may include the use of setbacks, buffers, and water quality, drainage control features, or other measures to maintain existing habitat and hydrologic functions of retained wetlands and waters of the US.
Policy COS-P1.5 Wetland Development Mitigation. Avoid wetlands development where feasible (as defined under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15364). When an applicant has demonstrated that no net loss of wetlands would occur and that on-site restoration is not feasible, provide replacement habitat on-site through restoration and/or habitat creation that would ensure no net loss of wetland acreage, function, water quality protection, and habitat value. Off-site wetland mitigation preferably will consist of the same habitat type as the wetland area that would be lost.
1. Restricting or modifying proposed development in areas that contain wetlands or waters of the U.S., as defined by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers delineations, as necessary to ensure the continued health and survival of special-status species and sensitive habitat areas. Development projects shall be designed to avoid impacts on sensitive resources, or to adequately mitigate impacts by providing on-site replacement or (as a lowest priority) off-site replacement at a higher ratio. Modification in project design shall include adequate avoidance measures to ensure that no net loss of wetland acreage, function, water quality protection, and habitat value occurs. This may include the use of setbacks, buffers, and water quality, drainage control features, or other measures to maintain existing habitat and hydrologic functions of retained wetlands and waters of the U.S.
2.Designing public access to avoid or minimize disturbance to sensitive resources, including necessary setback/buffer areas, while facilitating public use, enjoyment, and appreciation of wetlands.
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3.Avoiding wetlands development where feasible (as defined under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15364). Where complete avoidance of jurisdictional wetlands is not feasible (as defined under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15364), require provision of replacement habitat on- site through restoration and/or habitat creation that would ensure no net loss of wetland acreage, function, water quality protection, and habitat value. Allow restoration of wetlands off-site only when an applicant has demonstrated that no net loss of wetlands would occur and that on-site restoration is not feasible. Off-site wetland mitigation preferably will consist of the same habitat type as the wetland area that would be lost.
Policy COS-P1.6 Bird Island. Manage Bird Island as a bird nesting and breeding site.
Bird Island. Manage Maintain Bird Island as a bird nesting and breeding site. <Located in the Lagoon adjacent to Bayside/Joinville Park. A location map will be included in the Draft General Plan.>
ACTION
Action COS-A1.2 Environmental Review. Review the environmental documents for projects located adjacent to City boundaries regarding impacts and mitigations to species and habitat.
ACCESS TO NATURE
GOAL COS-2Ensure that current and future generations will enjoy the environmental, social, health, and economic benefits derived from access to our urban forest, parks, and open spaces.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P2.1 Sustainable Access. Continue to design and manage public access to the City’s natural resources in a way that promotes public health and connection to nature while avoiding or minimizing disturbance and sustaining these resources into the future.
Policy COS-P2.2 Equitable Conservation. Prioritize preservation, restoration, and enhancement of natural landscapes in or near underserved communities for their role in improving air quality and community health.
Policy COS-P2.3 Shoreline Interpretive Opportunities. Promote public awareness of the value and care of the Shoreline for habitat values, water quality, and safety through on-site interpretive programs or outdoor displays which are in character with the adjacent open spaces.
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Policy COS-P2.4 Lagoon and Shoreline Public Access. Require public access from new developments adjacent to the Marina Lagoon and Shoreline as a condition of approval.
Policy COS-P2.5 Sugarloaf Mountain Management. Improve, maintain, and manage the natural qualities and habitat of Sugarloaf Mountain and Laurelwood Park, including management of public access, study, recreation, and wildland fire hazards.
Policy COS-P2.6 Sugarloaf Mountain Interpretive Opportunities. Promote public awareness of the value and care of Sugarloaf Mountain through on-site interpretive programs or displays which are in character with the open space, consistent with the adopted management plan.
ACTION
Action COS-A2.1 Improvements to Bayfront Nature Area. Review plans for the remaining uncompleted portions of Shoreline Park, including the Bayfront Nature Area, Tidelands Park, San Mateo Creek improvements east of Highway 101, Bay Marshes and J. Hart Clinton Drive to ensure they reflect current environmental and programmatic needs.
Recommended New Action:
Volunteer Program. Focus volunteer resources on restoring native habitat around the City, especially in the creeks, where feasible.
WATER QUALITY, CREEKS, AND RIPARIAN AREAS
GOAL COS-3Protect and improve San Mateo’s creeks as valuable habitat, green infrastructure, and components of human and environmental health.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P3.1 Low Impact Development. Minimize stormwater runoff and pollution by encouraging low-impact design (LID) features, such as pervious parking surfaces, bioswales, and filter strips in new development.
Policy COS-P3.2 Water Quality Standards. Manage City creeks, channels, and the Marina Lagoon, to meet applicable state and federal water quality standards and sustain aquatic/wildlife habitat appropriate to the water flow.
Water Quality Standards. Manage City creeks, channels, and the Marina Lagoon, to meet applicable state and federal water quality standards and sustain aquatic/wildlife habitat appropriate to the water flow. Protect and restore creeks to a level acceptable for healthy marine and bird habitat.
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Policy COS-P3.3 Aesthetic and Habitat Values - Public Creeks. Preserve and enhance the aesthetic and habitat values of creeks, such as San Mateo, Laurel, and Beresford creeks, and other City-owned channels in all activities affecting these creeks, including revegetation, erosion control, and adequate setbacks for structures.
Policy COS-P3.4 Aesthetic and Habitat Values – Private Creeks. Encourage preservation and enhance the aesthetic and habitat values of privately owned sections of all other creeks and channels, shown in Figure C/OS-1.
Policy COS-P3.5 Hydrologic Impacts. Ensure that improvements to creeks and other waterways do not cause adverse hydrologic impacts or significantly increase the volume or velocity of flow of the subject creek.
Policy COS-P3.6 New Creekside Development Requirements. Require that new creekside development protect and improve setbacks, banks, and waterways adjacent to the development projects in order to increase flood protection and enhance riparian vegetation and water quality.
Policy COS-P3.7 Groundwater Recharge in Open Spaces. Protect existing open spaces, natural habitat, floodplains, and wetland areas that serve as groundwater recharge areas.
Policy COS-P3.8 Groundwater Recharge in Urban Areas. Protect groundwater recharge and groundwater quality when considering new development projects.
Policy COS-P3.9 Preservation of Beneficial Uses. Manage Marina Lagoon to balance and enhance its beneficial uses. Manage other water bodies to allow for limited nearby recreation, such as picnicking, hiking, boating, sightseeing, and interpretive study.
ACTIONS
Action COS-A3.1 Stormwater Treatment. Continue to participate in the San Mateo Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program to ensure compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to prevent water pollution from point and non-point sources.
Action COS-A3.2 Groundwater Recharge Area Mapping. Identify, map, and disseminate information on groundwater recharge areas, to the extent feasible, and provide educational materials and resource information on ways of reducing and limiting the development of non-pervious surfaces in those areas.
Action COS-A3.3 Incentives for Low Impact Development. Develop and implement incentives to encourage applicants to include low-impact design features in new development.
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AIR QUALITY
GOAL COS-4All San Mateo residents should have the ability to breathe safe, clean air.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P4.1 Air Quality Thresholds. Use thresholds of significance that match or are more stringent than the air quality thresholds of significance identified in the current Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Air Quality Guidelines when evaluating air quality impacts of projects.
Policy COS-P4.2 Health Risk Assessment. Require a cumulative health risk assessment, including consideration of truck traffic impacts, when a project potentially affects sensitive receptors in disadvantaged communities, and require appropriate mitigation based on the findings of the assessment.
Health Risk Assessment. Require new sources of air pollution that will generate significant new and unmitigable air quality impacts or expose sensitive receptors to substantial increases in harmful emissions of toxic air pollutants to prepare a Health Risk Assessment that identifies appropriate mitigation consistent with BAAQMD California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Air Quality Guidelines, based on the findings of the Health Risk Assessment. Require a cumulative health risk assessment, including consideration of truck traffic impacts, when a project potentially affects sensitive receptors in disadvantaged communities, and require appropriate mitigation based on the findings of the assessment.
Policy COS-P4.3 Activity Near Sensitive Receptors. Comply with State regulations that prohibit nonessential idling of vehicles near sensitive receptors such as the requirements outlined in Title 13 CCR 9 Sections 2449, article 4.8, and Title 13 CCR 10 Sections 2480 and 2485 of the California Code of Regulations.
Policy COS-P4.4 Odors. When proposed development generating odors is proposed near residences or sensitive receptors, either adequate buffer distances shall be provided (based on recommendations and requirements of the California Air Resources Control Board and BAAQMD), or filters or other equipment/solutions shall be provided to reduce the potential exposure to acceptable levels.
Potential mitigation associated with this policy requirement will be coordinated with any required permit conditions from BAAQMD.
When new residential or other sensitive receptors are proposed near existing sources of odors, either adequate buffer distances shall be provided (based on recommendations and requirements of the California Air Resources Control Board and BAAQMD), or filters or other equipment/solutions shall be provided to reduce the potential exposure to acceptable levels.
Policy COS-P4.5 Toxic Air Contaminants. Require that when new development that would be a source of toxic air contaminants (TACs) is proposed near residences or sensitive
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receptors, either adequate buffer distances shall be provided (based on recommendations and requirements of the California Air Resources Control Board and BAAQMD), or filters or other equipment/solutions shall be provided to reduce the potential exposure to acceptable levels.
When new residential or other sensitive receptors are proposed near existing sources of TACs, either adequate buffer distances shall be provided (based on recommendations and requirements of the California Air Resources Control Board and BAAQMD), or filters or other equipment/solutions shall be provided to the source to reduce the potential exposure to acceptable levels.
Policy COS-P4.6 Air Quality Construction Impacts. Require new construction activities to mitigate air quality impacts generated during construction activities in compliance with BAAQMD’s regulations and guidelines on construction activity impacts.
Air Quality Construction Impacts. Require new construction and grading activities to mitigate air quality impacts generated during construction activities in compliance with BAAQMD’s regulations and guidelines on construction activity impacts.
Policy COS-P4.7 Truck Facilities. Require new development to provide adequate truck parking, loading space, and generators for refrigerated trucks to prevent idling.
Recommended New Policy:
BAAQMD Planning for Healthy Places. Require new development to adhere to BAAQMD’s Planning Healthy Places guidance when local conditions warrant.
ACTIONS
Action COS-A4.1 Air Quality Improvement. Support and partner with Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) in monitoring, education, permitting, enforcement, grants programs, or other efforts to improve air quality issues and health outcomes for all.
Action COS-A4.2 Clean Air Refuges. Develop and implement a plan to provide clean air refuges during times when outdoor air quality is unhealthy. Explore the feasibility of participating in State grant programs to fund retrofits of ventilation systems at public buildings to provide refuge for residents during periods of unhealthy air quality caused by excessive smoke from wildfires.
HILLSIDES
GOAL COS-5Minimize the impact of hillside development on the natural environment and public safety.
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Policy COS-P5.1 Hillside Development Principles. Require hillside development to minimize impacts by preserving the existing topography, limiting cuts and fills, and clustering development. Limit development on steep hillsides with a 30 percent or higher slope.
Policy COS-P5.2 Minimal Impacts. Require new development to preserve natural topographic forms and to minimize adverse impacts on vegetation, water, soil stability, and wildlife resources.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND TRIBAL CULTURAL RESOURCES
GOAL COS-6Protect archaeological resources and resources that are culturally significant to Native American tribes and acknowledge San Mateo’s past as indigenous land. Encourage development projects to recognize historical tribal lands.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P6.1 Archaeological Resource Protection. Preserve, to the maximum extent feasible, archaeological sites with significant cultural, historical, or sociological merit for present-day residents or Native American tribes.
Policy COS-P6.2 Tribal Cultural Resources. Preserve areas which have identifiable and important tribal cultural resources and comply with appropriate State and federal standards to evaluate and mitigate impacts to cultural resources, including tribal, historic, archaeological, and paleontological resources.
Policy COS-P6.3 Tribal Consultation. Consult with Native American representatives, including through early coordination, to identify locations of importance to Native Americans, including archaeological sites, sacred sites, traditional cultural properties, and other types of tribal cultural resources. Respect tribal concerns if a tribe has a religious prohibition against revealing information about specific practices or locations.
Policy COS-P6.4 Potential Archaeological Impacts. Consistent with CEQA, prior to construction, consult the California Archaeological Inventory Northwest Information Center for project-specific reviews to evaluate the potential for impact on archaeological resources and determine whether or not further study is warranted.
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Policy COS-P6.5 On-Site Mitigation. If development could affect a tribal cultural resource or archaeological resource, require the developer to contact an appropriate tribal representative to train construction workers on appropriate avoidance and minimization measures, requirements for confidentiality and culturally appropriate treatment, other applicable regulations, and consequences of violating State laws and regulations.
ACTION
Action COS-A6.1 Pre-Construction Investigations. Consistent with CEQA, establish specific procedures for pre-construction investigation of high and medium sensitivity sites identified in the 1983 Chavez investigation, unless superseded by more recent investigations, in order to assist property owners, developers, and the City in making decisions when archaeological resources may be affected.
Recommended New Action:
Archeological Sensitivity Data. Update and maintain the City’s data on areas with high archaeological sensitivity.
PARKS AND RECREATION
GOAL COS-7Provide a comprehensive system of park and recreation programs and facilities based on the needs of the City's residents to encourage healthy lifestyles and ensure access for all.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P7.1 Active and Healthy Lifestyles. Maintain and expand programs that promote active and healthy lifestyles and incorporate health and wellness practices into everyday life, such as healthy eating and nutrition education programs, water safety and swim programs, and youth fitness activities.
Active and Healthy Lifestyles. Maintain and expand programs that promote active and healthy lifestyles and incorporate health and wellness practices into everyday life, such as healthy eating and nutrition education programs, water safety and swim programs, walking and bicycling as a mode of healthy transportation, and youth fitness activities.
Policy COS-P7.2 Creating Community. Cultivate opportunities to come together as a community, celebrate our heritage, cultures and milestones, and have social supports available, which are key to creating a sense of community and building community resilience.
Policy COS-P7.3 Creative Outlets. Provide skill development and performance opportunities within each of the major art forms with an emphasis on promoting lifelong enjoyment to nurture creative discovery.
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Policy COS-P7.4 Enrichment and Lifelong Learning. Provide a wide array of enriching and lifelong learning opportunities that provide mental stimulation, self- improvement, exploration, educational opportunities, and skills that can be applied at home or business.
Policy COS-P7.5 Parks as Learning Environments. Enhance the role of parks as learning environments by providing interpretive opportunities to community organizations and at City-operated facilities to increase public awareness of their unique cultural, historical, and environmental characteristics.
Policy COS-P7.6 Child and Youth Development. Provide pre-school through teenage youth with a variety of experiences that nurture individuality, spark imagination, encourage active recreation, and build the skills needed to ensure success in the next stage of development.
Policy COS-P7.7 Aging Adults. Promote policies, programs, services and public infrastructure improvements through either direct City provision or through collaborative partnerships with other agencies to ensure that older adults can age in place while feeling valued and supported.
Policy COS-P7.8 Community-Led Activity Initiatives. Work with local community groups and San Mateo County Health to initiate walking, hiking, cycling, and other recreation clubs and activities to increase participation, safety, and social cohesion.
Policy COS-P7.9 Conservation and Nature Awareness. Increase public awareness of the importance of and appreciation for conservation opportunities and the value of connecting children to nature with enhanced programs and public outreach.
Policy COS-P7.10 Central Park. Promote Central Park’s character as the City’s signature park and community gathering place.
ACTION
Action COS-A7.1 Coordination with Education Providers. Coordinate with other education providers, such as the College of San Mateo and the Public Library, to identify appropriate service targets and provide activities within those identified targets.
Coordination with Education Providers. Coordinate with other education providers, such as including local school districts, the College of San Mateo, and the Public Library, to identify appropriate service targets and provide activities within those identified targets.
GOAL COS-8Provide equitable and convenient access to parks, recreational programs, and facilities so that all residents experience the benefits of parks and open space on their physical and mental health.
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Policy COS-P8.1 Accessible Facilities. Continue to provide general park facilities that are free and open to the public, except for reservations of specific facilities by groups or individuals, or for facilities that traditionally charge fees (e.g., Golf Course, Marina Lagoon).
Accessible Facilities. Continue to provide general park facilities that are free and open to the public, except for reservations of specific facilities by groups or individuals, or for facilities that traditionally charge fees (e.g., Golf Course, Marina Lagoon). Address the lack of access to recreational facilities for neighborhoods east of El Camino Real, especially east of 101.
Policy COS-P8.2 Recreation Fee Assistance. Continue to provide program fee assistance to qualifying families and older adults consistent with the Park and Recreation Commission-endorsed administrative policy for fee assistance.
Recommended New Policies:
Privately-Owned Public Spaces. Require privately-owned publicly accessible open spaces to include signage that encourages public access and makes clear that the space is intended for all to enjoy.
Equitable Access Analysis. When developing park master plans, include an equitable access analysis to identify deficiencies and potential solutions to address deficiencies found in the analysis.
ACTIONS
Action COS-A8.1 Customer Service. Adopt policies and practices that create satisfied customers and develop life-long relationships with our users.
Action COS-A8.2 Inclusion and Accessibility. Create policies, programs and facility designs that are inclusive, respectful, and supportive for all members of the community.
Expand cultural awareness and appreciation through culturally relevant programs and special events.
Action COS-A8.3 Inclusion and Accessibility. Create policies, programs and facility designs that are inclusive, respectful, and supportive for all members of the community.
Expand cultural awareness and appreciation through culturally relevant programs and special events.
Inclusion and Accessibility. Create policies, programs and facility designs that are age-integrated, inclusive, respectful, and supportive for all members of the community. Expand cultural awareness and appreciation through culturally relevant programs and special events.
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Action COS-A8.4 Resident Input. Solicit a broad spectrum of resident input for major park improvements or park master plans. Conduct multi-lingual and culturally sensitive outreach to ensure all voices are included in park planning efforts and that San Mateo’s parks reflect the diversity of the community.
Action COS-A8.5 Public Information. Communicate through diverse channels and in multiple languages the benefits and value park and recreation services bring in making San Mateo a more livable, economically viable, and socially responsible community.
Action COS-A8.6 Technology Innovation. Identify and incorporate technology innovations as an ongoing strategy to better serve the public, e.g. virtual trail maps, digitalized park signage, virtual programming, etc.
Provide the appropriate mix of parks and facilities that balances the needs of active and passive facilities, allows formal and informal uses, is accessible for all residents, and meets existing and future recreation needs.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P8.3 Facility Standards. Use the Park and Recreation Facility Standards to assess the adequacy of existing facilities; to design, develop, and redevelop sites, and to acquire or accept new sites.
Policy COS-P8.4 Acreage Standards. Acquire or accept for dedication two acres of neighborhood and community parks per 1,000 residents.
Policy COS-P8.5 Walkable Parks and Amenities. Provide accessible public park or other recreational opportunities that are within approximately 1/3 of a mile of residents without travel over significant barriers. Ideally, one or more of the following amenities should be available: multi-purpose turf area, children's play area with pre-school and youth apparatus, seating areas, picnic areas, a multi- use court, and an opportunity for passive enjoyment of an aesthetic landscaped space.
Policy COS-P8.6 Active Use Facilities. Provide sufficient active use facilities to support current needs and future trends including but not limited to multi-use athletic turf areas; court games; action sports, e.g. biking; and a system of pedestrian and bike trails that will provide interconnectivity between parks.
Policy COS-P8.7 Master Planning. Continue to prepare and maintain master plans for all undeveloped parks and for those parks over two acres in size prior to development or major redevelopment. Allow interim uses if such uses will not adversely impact or limit potential permanent uses.
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Policy COS-P8.8 Rehabilitation or Purchase of School Sites. Consider contributions towards rehabilitation or the purchase of recreational facilities on surplus school sites based upon an evaluation of their value as community recreation resources.
Recommended New Policy:
Passive Recreation. Support efforts to create a passive recreation system that connects parks and nodes in the city to increase connectivity on select public right-of-ways for pedestrians.
ACTIONS
Action COS-A8.7 Regional Facilities. Explore the feasibility of developing regional recreational and sports complexes with neighboring cities.
Action COS-A8.8 Bay Meadows Community Park. Complete the master planning for Bay Meadows Community Park to reflect its value as a city-wide asset that can address one or more identified facility deficiencies.
GOAL COS-9Plan and develop well-designed parks and recreation facilities compatible with surrounding uses that promote accessibility, efficient use, and practical maintenance.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P9.1 Rehabilitation Priorities. Prioritize parks and recreation facilities projects that rehabilitate facilities that have become or will become costly to maintain, only marginally usable, meet the highest community needs, provide significant benefits in relation to costs or are located in equity priority communities.
Policy COS-P9.2 Park Preservation. Preserve existing parklands, open spaces, and the golf course for open space and recreational use.
Park Preservation. Preserve existing parklands, open spaces, and the golf course for open space, habitat, and recreational use.
Policy COS-P9.3 Shared Use. Encourage schools to make their facilities available for City and community-sponsored activities to the greatest extent possible, and encourage school agencies to adopt reasonable user fees and operating practices that allow improved community access.
Policy COS-P9.4 Optimum Cost-Effectiveness. Maintain and upgrade park infrastructure to optimize its cost effectiveness and value in meeting community recreation needs.
Optimum Cost-Effectiveness. Proactively mMaintain and upgrade park infrastructure to optimize its cost effectiveness and value in meeting community recreation needs.
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Policy COS-P9.5 Sustainability Practices. Operate park and recreation facilities using environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable management and operating practices that proactively reverse the impacts of climate change or better prepare for its effects.
Policy COS-P9.6 Maintenance Standards. Maintain the park system by a set of maintenance standards that reflects community values; maintains, promotes, and optimizes positive use; reduces wildfire risk; and ensures that equipment and facilities are maintained in a safe condition.
Policy COS-P9.7 Environmentally-Sound Park Operations. Utilize native and drought tolerant plant species, efficient irrigation systems, reclaimed water, and sustainable management practices. Expand efforts to improve recycling opportunities in all parks and implement trash reduction measures, especially during large community events.
Policy COS-P9.8 San Mateo City Parks and Recreation Foundation. Continue to support the San Mateo City Parks and Recreation Foundation efforts to expand non-city resource opportunities, such as funding and volunteers, in support of park development, improvements, and maintenance.
ACTIONS
Action COS-A9.1 Recreation Facility Infrastructure. Implement the highest priority improvements identified from the Recreation Facilities Master Plan with special focus on improvements that address safety and accessibility, geographic equity, child care, aquatics and multi-generational programming.
Action COS-A9.2 Design Principles and Park Image. Establish design principles for all new or renovated parks to maximize productivity, efficiency and community value, including adding the potential for flexible use for emergency shelters and disaster response. Develop an image plan which includes the effective use of signage, color, lighting and plant material which meets both aesthetic and maintenance needs.
Action COS-A9.3 Maximized Park Assets. Review and update the Asset Management Plan to identify the highest and best use of undeveloped parcels or underutilized areas within existing parks to ensure they are best positioned to meet current and future needs.
Action COS-A9.4 Strategic Community Partnerships. Develop and maintain positive partnership relations with schools, businesses, community groups, and civic organizations for park access, maintenance, and enhancement to maximize resources, eliminate duplication of effort, and reach common goals.
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Action COS-A9.5 Neighborhood-Supported Projects. Increase efforts to seek neighborhood support for enhancement and beautification projects as the City’s fiscal resources become constrained.
Neighborhood-Supported Projects. Increase efforts to seek neighborhood support for enhancement and beautification projects as the City’s fiscal resources become constrained. Prioritize enhancement and beautification efforts in equity priority communities.
Recommended New Action:
School Gym Access. Partner with local school districts to explore ways to expand public access to school gymnasiums.
GOAL COS-10Provide stable and adequate operational and capital funding for the parks and recreation system.
POLICIES
Policy COS-P10.1 Program Fees and Cost Recovery. Maintain and periodically update program fees to recover costs.
Policy COS-P10.2 Maintenance and Operating Costs. Consider long-term maintenance and operating costs in acquisition, development, and redevelopment decisions.
Policy COS-P10.3 Parks and Facilities in Major Projects. Factor park and facility maintenance and operating costs into park master plans or major facility upgrades.
Policy COS-P10.4 Development Fees. Assess appropriate fees and taxes to ensure that new development contributes proportional funding to compensate for its impacts on recreation facilities and services.
Policy COS-P10.5 Cooperative Service Delivery. Utilize opportunities for cooperative acquisition, development, operation, and programming with private organizations or other public agencies that will provide more effective or efficient service delivery.
Recommended New Policy:
Park Equipment and Maintenance. Phase out the use of gas-powered equipment and increase the utilization of more environmentally friendly fertilization options in City parks and facilities over time.
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7. PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTUREFACILITIES ELEMENT These suggested revisions to the draft goals, policies and actions are based on input provided by staff, community members, the General Plan Subcommittee and the Planning Commission, and are shown in italics and track changes. For policies and actions with suggested revisions, they are listed below the original draft language that was published in July for comparison purposes.
GOALS AND POLICIES
COMMUNITY SAFETY
GOAL PS-1Protect the community's health, safety, and welfare by maintaining adequate police, fire, and life safety protection.
POLICIES
Policy PS-P1.1 Effective Police and Fire Services. Maintain facilities, equipment, and personnel to provide an effective police force and fire protection to serve existing and future population and employment as identified in the Land Use Element.
Policy PS-P1.2 Police Station. Provide Police Station facilities to meet the facility requirements through 2040. Distribute, locate, and design police support facilities (i.e. substations) as needed, to maximize effectiveness, use, accessibility for police personnel, and community interaction.
Policy PS-P1.3 Fire Stations. Coordinate with and support San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department (SMCFD) to maintain a high level of service by modernizing Fire Stations. Provide new stations and improvements to existing stations and training facilities to meet equipment, staffing, and training requirements, as well as Essential Services Building Requirements.
Fire Stations. Coordinate with and support San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department (SMC FireD) to maintain a high level of service by modernizing Fire Stations, as needed. Provide new stations and improvements to existing stations and training facilities to meet equipment, staffing, and training requirements, as well as Essential Services Building Requirements.
Policy PS-P1.4 Fire Inspections. Coordinate with and support SMC FireD to maintain fire inspection staffing levels to meet existing needs and the projected 2040 population, employment and development, and inspections mandated by other governmental agencies, consistent with the City’s Building Security Code.
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Policy PS-P1.5 Maintenance and Replacement. Coordinate with and support SMC FireD to provide fire apparatus replacement and maintenance programs to achieve a high state of readiness.
Policy PS-P1.6 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Readiness. Maintain the highest level of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) readiness and response capabilities possible by encouraging inter-agency medical drills and exercises where hospital personnel work with emergency responders in the field and with Emergency Operation Centers and by encouraging citizens to become trained in basic medical triage and first aid through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Policy PS-P1.7 Equitable Code Enforcement. Use code enforcement to advance equity, meaningfully engage with citizens, and mitigate negative impacts on the health and safety of residents and businesses. (Environmental Justice)
WATER SUPPLY
GOAL PS-2Support maintaining access to a safe, sustainable, and resilient supply of water for San Mateo.
POLICIES
Policy PS-P2.1 Supplemental Water Sources. Support efforts by California Water Service, Estero Municipal Improvement District, and adjacent jurisdictions to develop supplemental and resilient water sources.
Policy PS-P2.2 Water Conservation. Support local, regional, and statewide water conservation efforts.
Water Conservation. Work with California Water Service, Estero Municipal Improvement District, Bay Area Water Supply Conservation Agency and other mid- peninsula cities to sSupport local, regional, and statewide water conservation efforts. Encourage all properties to convert to water efficient landscaping.
Policy PS-P2.3 Water Efficiency. Support increased water efficiency in all new development and existing building stock.
ACTIONS
Action PS-A2.1 Recycled Water. Explore the feasibility of working with California Water Service and/or Estero Municipal Improvement District to distribute recycled water to diversify the local water supply and support long-term water resilience.
Action PS-A2.2 Water Reduction Strategies. Work with California Water Service, Estero Municipal Improvement District, Bay Area Water Supply Conservation Agency and other mid- peninsula cities to promote the water reduction strategies that are offered and to
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create an outreach program that will help inform residents and businesses of increased costs and the need for conservation efforts.
Water Reduction Strategies. Work with California Water Service, Estero Municipal Improvement District, Bay Area Water Supply Conservation Agency and other mid- peninsula cities to promote the water reduction strategies that are offered and to create an outreach program that will help inform residents and businesses of increased costs, and the need for conservation efforts, and available incentives and rebates.
SEWERWASTEWATER AND STORMFLOOD CONTROL DRAINAGEINFRASTRUCTURE GOAL PS-3Maintain sewer, storm drainage, sewer, and flood control facilities adequate to serve existing needs, projected population, and employment growth and that provide protection from climate change risk.
POLICIES
Policy PS-P3.1 Sewer System. Provide a sewer system which safely and efficiently conveys sewage to the wastewater treatment plant. Implement the Sewer System Management Plan to ensure proper maintenance, operations, and management of all parts of the wastewater collection system.
Policy PS-P3.2 Sewer Requirements for New Development. Require new multi-family and commercial developments to evaluate the main sewer lines in the project vicinity which will be utilized by the new development and make any improvements necessary to convey the additional sewage flows.
Policy PS-P3.3 Sewer Overflow Reduction. Encourage efforts to help reduce sanitary sewer overflows which create a public health hazard for residents and compromises the water quality of the City’s creeks and lagoons.
Sewer Overflow Reduction. Encourage efforts to help reduceEliminate sanitary sewer overflows, which create a public health hazard for residents and compromises the water quality of the City’s creeks, and lagoons, and bays.
Policy PS-P3.4 Wastewater Treatment Plant. Provide adequate wastewater treatment for the projected service area population, employment, and development.
Wastewater Treatment Plant. Provide adequate wastewater treatment for the projected service area population, employment, and development. Operate, upgrade, and maintain the Wastewater Treatment Plant to ensure ongoing wastewater treatment in compliance with regulatory requirements.
Policy PS-P3.5 Inter-Agency Coordination for Wastewater Planning. Coordinate future planning of the sewer collection and wastewater treatment plant with the other users of the systems, including the Estero Municipal Improvement District (City of Foster City),
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the Crystal Springs County Sanitation District, Town of Hillsborough, and City of Belmont.
Policy PS-P3.6 Coordinate Infrastructure Improvements. Combine, to the extent possible, upgrades and repairs to roadways with utility needs, infrastructure and broadband upgrades, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
Coordinate Infrastructure Improvements. Combine, to the extent possible, upgrades and repairs to public infrastructure, such as roadways with utility needs, broadband upgrades, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and levees.roadways with utility needs, infrastructure and broadband upgrades, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
Policy PS-P3.7 Creek Alteration. Prohibit any reduction of creek channel capacity, impoundment, or diversion of creek channel flows which would adversely affect adjacent properties or the degree of flooding. Prevent erosion of creek banks.
Policy PS-P3.8 Stormwater Drainage System. Implement the improvements identified in the City of San Mateo’s seven watershed areas shown in Figure PSF-1 to improve and maintain drainage capacity adequate to convey water during a design storm event.
Include consideration of creek maintenance and an education and/or enforcement program to minimize illegal dumping of debris and chemicals.
Stormwater Drainage System. Implement the improvements identified in the City of San Mateo’s seven watershed areas shown in Figure PSF-1 to improve and maintain drainage capacity adequate to convey water during a design storm event. Include consideration of creek maintenance and an education and/or enforcement program to minimize illegal dumping of debris and chemicals. Operate, upgrade, and maintain a stormwater drainage and flood control system that safely and efficiently conveys runoff to prevent flooding and protect life and property; minimizes pollutants discharging to creeks and San Francisco Bay; manages stormwater as a resource and not a waste; and protects against the impacts of climate change.
Recommended New Policies:
Levee System. Continue to assess, maintain, and upgrade the City’s levee system.
Collaborate with FEMA, OneShoreline, and neighboring agencies to ensure adequate flood and sea level rise protection.
Stormwater Pollution Prevention. In accordance with requirements in the Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit, implement programs, plans, and policies to ensure pollutants are minimized in stormwater runoff.
Sewer Lateral Upgrades. Continue to support efforts to maintain and replace sewer laterals, such as the City’s private sewer lateral cost sharing program.
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ACTIONS
Action PS-A3.1 City Infrastructure Studies and Master Plans. Develop and update studies and master plans to assess infrastructure and to develop a Capital Improvement Program to make any necessary improvements.
City Infrastructure Studies and Master Plans. Develop and update coordinate studies and master plans to assess infrastructure and to develop a Capital Improvement Program to make any necessary improvements. Incorporate climate change risks, such as such as the impacts of droughts, increasing storm events, sea level rise, and groundwater changes in the planning process.
Action PS-A3.2 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Education. Partner with other agencies and organizations, such as Flows to Bay, to help inform residents and businesses of ways to protect water quality and prevent stormwater pollution.
Action PS-A3.3 Dig Once. Establish a “dig once” policy, coordinating utility and roadway construction to avoid digging up the right-of-way multiple times, to reduce costs and impacts on the public right of way. The policy shall apply to infrastructure, utilities, and broadband whenever possible.
Recommended New Actions:
Stormwater Requirements for Development. In accordance with State regulatory mandates, require applicable new and redevelopment projects to incorporate site design, source control, treatment, and hydromodification management measures to minimize stormwater runoff volumes and associated pollutants. Stormwater management via green infrastructure systems shall be prioritized.
Green Infrastructure. Implement the City’s Green Infrastructure Plan to gradually shift from a traditional stormwater conveyance system (“gray”) to a more natural system that incorporates plants and soils to mimic watershed processes, capture and clean stormwater, reduce runoff and increase infiltration, and create healthier environments (“green”).
PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES
GOAL PS-4Maintain and develop public facilities, and ensure they are equitably available to all current and future members of the community.
POLICIES
Policy PS-P4.1 Equitable Facilities. Ensure that all San Mateo residents and employees have access to well-maintained facilities that meet community service needs. Encourage the development of reasonably priced facilities and services for vulnerable
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communities, such as children, low-income households, and seniors, in a variety of settings.
Equitable Facilities. Ensure that all San Mateo residents and employees have access to well-maintained facilities that meet community service needs. Encourage the development of reasonably priced facilities and services for vulnerable communities, such as children, low-income households, and seniors, in a variety of settings.
Policy PS-P4.2 Joint Use. Encourage joint use and public-private partnerships where feasible.
Policy PS-P4.3 City Hall. Upgrade or expand City Hall to increase office space and consider establishment of a Downtown facility or Civic Campus to meet City staffing needs through the year 2040.
City Hall. Consider Uupgradeing or expanding City Hall to increaseensure sufficient office space is available and consider establishment of a Downtown facility or Civic Campus to meetsupport City staffing and service needs through the year 2040 and beyond.
Policy PS-P4.4 Library Resources and Services. Continue to maintain a comprehensive collection of resources and services to help the community discover, enjoy, connect, and learn in an ever-changing world while offering quality library services and programs to a diverse community promoting literacy and lifelong learning.
Library Resources and Services. Continue to maintain a comprehensive collection of resources and services to help the community discover, enjoy, connect, and learn in an ever-changing world while offering quality library services and programs to a diverse community promoting literacy and lifelong learning. Maintain a materials budget, staffing, and service hours for the City's library system that are adequate to meet the community needs and meet the continuing changes in information technology.
Policy PS-P4.5 Library Service. Maintain a materials budget, staffing, and service hours for the City's library system that are adequate to meet the community needs, provide current and adequate materials, and meet the continuing changes in information technology.
Library ServiceFacilities. Maintain capital investment for essential repairs and space-enhancements to meet current and future usage needs of library patrons and community organizations. Maintain a materials budget, staffing, and service hours for the City's library system that are adequate to meet the community needs, provide current and adequate materials, and meet the continuing changes in information technology.
Policy PS-P4.6 Cultural and Entertainment Facilities. Encourage the establishment of cultural and entertainment facilities in the downtown core and allow these types of uses to fulfill retail frontage requirements.
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Policy PS-P4.7 Incentives for Public Facilities. Provide incentives such as density bonuses to residential and non-residential developers to encourage space for public facilities in new development.
Incentives for Public Facilities. Provide incentives such as density bonuses to residential and non-residential developers to encourage space for public facilities in new development.
Policy PS-P4.8 Corporation Yard. Maintain corporation yard facilities with functions such as vehicle repair facilities, equipment and material storage, and administrative office space to support City operational needs.
Policy PS-P4.9 San Mateo County Events Center. Promote the physical and aesthetic improvement of the San Mateo County Events Center.
Policy PS-P4.10 Inclusive Outreach. Notify the community of potential public services and facilities improvements in their neighborhood. Use outreach and engagement methods that encourage broad representation and are culturally sensitive, particularly for historically underserved communities.
CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND SCHOOLS
GOAL PS-5Foster the healthy development and education of children of all abilities, incomes, and backgrounds.
POLICIES
Policy PS-P5.1 School Assistance. Support quality public education.
School Assistance. Support quality public education. efforts by the school district to maintain facilities, equipment, and personnel to provide quality public education to students in San Mateo.
Policy PS-P5.2 School Site Reuse or Redevelopment. Ensure that reuse or redevelopment of surplus public school sites is compatible with surrounding land uses. At the time any school sites are declared surplus, establish appropriate residential densities to support community housing needs. Give first priority and consideration to affordable housing and community recreation needs for reuse of school sites in accordance with the priorities in the Housing Element and Conservation and Open Space Element. Where it is in the community's interests to retain public recreation facilities, consider allowing density transfers from the portion of the site retained in public recreation use, as a means of reducing the cost of retaining the recreation facilities and achieving the maximum amount of housing.
School Site Reuse or Redevelopment. Ensure that reuse or redevelopment of surplus public school sites is compatible with surrounding land uses. At the time any school sites are declared surplus, establish appropriate residential densities to support community housing needs. Give first priority and consideration to
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affordable housing and community recreation needs for reuse of school sites in accordance with the priorities in the Housing Element and Conservation and Open Space Element. Where it is in the community's interests to retain public recreation facilities, consider allowing density transfers from the portion of the site retained in public recreation use, as a means of reducing the cost of retaining the recreation facilities and achieving the maximum amount of housing. <This policy is redundant with LU-P3.14, and is more appropriately placed in the Land Use Element> Policy PS-P5.3 Child Care Needs. Support the provision of child care programs and facilities to meet the needs through 2040.
Child Care Needs. Support the provision of child care programs and facilities to meet the needs of children of all abilities, incomes, and backgrounds through 2040.
Policy PS-P5.4 Provision of Child Care. Encourage public and private agencies and employers to provide child care services and facilities.
Policy PS-P5.5 Child Care Centers at Public and Quasi Public Facilities. Retain existing centers and support programs at school sites and other quasi-institutional facilities, because of their suitability for such uses and convenient locations in residential neighborhoods.
Child Care Centers at Public and Quasi Public Facilities. Encourage retention of Retain existing centers and support programs at school sites and other quasi- institutional facilities, because of their suitability for such uses and convenient locations in proximity to adjacent residential neighborhoods.
Policy PS-P5.6 Child Care Centers in Residential Neighborhoods. Continue to allow child care centers in residential neighborhoods where they meet City standards and encourage them at employment centers.
Child Care Centers in Residential Neighborhoods. Continue to allowEncourage child care centers in residential neighborhoods where they meet City standards and encourage them at employment centers.
ACTIONS
Action PS-A5.1 School District Coordination. Maintain effective, collaborative relationships with all local school districts.
Action PS-A5.2 Child Care and New Construction. Encourage new residential and non-residential development to include space for child care by taking the following actions:
a. Provide incentives for inclusion of space for a child care center in a new development.
b. Promote child care to developers as an amenity favored by the City. c. Continue to implement the developer impact fee for funding child care facilities.
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HEALTHCARE AND SOCIAL SERVICES
GOAL PS-6Support access for all residents to health care facilities, social services, and other important community health amenities.
POLICIES
Policy PS-P6.1 San Mateo County Hospital. Encourage the County to maintain County Hospital services in the City to provide access to medical care for all residents.
Policy PS-P6.2 Mills Health Center. Support the Mills Health Center remaining in San Mateo, and encourage the continued provision and expansion of high-quality medical care services.
Policy PS-P6.3 Social Services. Support the provision of the City's fair share of social services.
Avoid the concentration of social services in any one neighborhood, and seek dispersal throughout the City. Encourage other cities to provide their fair share of social service facilities.
Social Services. Support the provision of the City's fair share of social services.
Balance the need for social services in each neighborhood while ensuring that services are dispersed throughout the city and not concentrated in Avoid the concentration of social services in any one neighborhood., and seek dispersal throughout the City. Encourage other cities to provide their fair share of social service facilities.
Policy PS-P6.4 Vulnerable Populations. Support local religious institutions in providing services and facilities for vulnerable populations.
Vulnerable Populations. Support local religious institutions, nonprofit organizations, and community-based organizations in providing services and facilities for vulnerable populations.
Recommended New Policy:
Health Centers. Support the development of health care centers and the County’s efforts to provide mobile clinics that are convenient. Avoid the concentration of health centers in any one neighborhood.
ACTION
Action PS-A6.1 Community Health Care Facilities. Evaluate options to support existing and potential community health care facilities in equity priority communities through a variety of mechanisms such as reduced permit fees, reduced impact fees, and tax incentives. (Environmental Justice)
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SOLID WASTE
GOAL PS-7Reduce the generation of solid waste and increase the diversion of waste from landfills.
POLICIES
Policy PS-P7.1 Solid Waste Disposal. Continue to support waste reduction and diversion programs to reduce solid waste materials in landfill areas in accordance with State requirements.
Policy PS-P7.2 Recycling. Support programs to recycle solid waste in compliance with State requirements and require provisions for onsite recycling in new development.
Policy PS-P7.3 Composting. Maintain the curbside composting program and expand composting of organics in accordance with state requirements and as directed by the City’s Climate Action Plan.
ACTIONS
Action PS-A7.1 Waste Reduction. Reduce waste sent to landfills by San Mateo’s residents, businesses, and visitors as required by state law and San Mateo Municipal Code Chapters 7.32-7.35 by mandating recycling and compost programs, setting aggressive waste reduction goals for all development, and implementing appropriate solid waste rates to recover cost of services provided. Supportive actions for waste reduction are detailed in the Climate Action Plan.
Action PS-A7.2 Waste Collection Safety. Encourage waste, recycling, and other collection trucks to avoid blocking intersections and causing traffic delays.
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9. NOISE ELEMENT
These suggested revisions to the draft goals, policies and actions are based on input provided by staff, community members, the General Plan Subcommittee and the Planning Commission, and are shown in track changes. For policies and actions with suggested revisions, they are listed below the original draft language that was published in July for comparison purposes.
GOALS AND POLICIES
GOAL N-1Protect “noise sensitive” land uses from excessive noise levels.
POLICIES
Policy N-P1.1 Interior Noise Level Standard. Require submittal of an acoustical analysis and interior noise insulation for all “noise sensitive” land uses listed in Table N-1 that have an exterior noise level of 60 dBA (Ldn) or above, as shown on Figure N-1 [NOTE: Figure N-1 will be updated at a later phase of the project.]. The maximum interior noise level shall not exceed 45 dBA (Ldn) in any habitable rooms, as established by the California Building Code.
Policy N-P1.2 Exterior Noise Level Standard. Require an acoustical analysis for new parks, play areas, and multi-family common open space (intended for the use and the enjoyment of residents) that have an exterior noise level of 60 dBA (Ldn) or above, as shown on Figure N-1 [NOTE: Figure N-1 will be updated at a later phase of the project.]. Require an acoustical analysis that uses peak hour Leq for new parks and play areas. Require a feasibility analysis of noise reduction measures for public parks and play areas. Incorporate necessary mitigation measures into residential project design to minimize common open space noise levels. Maximum exterior noise should not exceed 65 dBA (Ldn) for residential uses and should not exceed 65 dBA (Leq) during the noisiest hour for public park uses.
Policy N-P1.3 Inclusive Outreach. Notify the community when new land uses that would result in excessive noise levels are being considered and inform community members about how they can engage in the process. Use outreach and engagement methods that encourage broad representation and are culturally sensitive, particularly for historically underserved communities.
GOAL N-2Minimize unnecessary, annoying, or unhealthful noise.
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POLICIES
Policy N-P2.1 Noise Regulation. Regulate noise in San Mateo to prohibit noise that is annoying or injurious to neighbors of normal sensitivity.
Policy N-P2.2 Minimize Noise Impacts. Protect all “noise-sensitive” land uses listed in Tables N-1 and N-2 from adverse impacts caused by the noise generated by new developments. Incorporate necessary mitigation measures into development design to minimize short-term noise impacts. Prohibit long-term operational noise increases at the sensitive receptor property line, or new uses which generate noise levels at the sensitive receptor property line, as follows:
Greater than 1.5 dBA Ldn increase for ambient noise environments of 65 dBA Ldn and higher;
Greater than 3 dBA Ldn increase for ambient noise environments of 60 - 64 Ldn; and
Greater than 5 dBA Ldn increase for ambient noise environments of less than 60 dBA Ldn.
Policy N-P2.3 Minimize Commercial Noise. Protect land uses other than those listed as “noise sensitive” in Table N-1 from adverse impacts caused by the on-site noise generated by new developments. Incorporate necessary mitigation measures into development design to minimize short-term and long-term noise impacts.
Prohibit new uses that generate noise levels of 65 dBA (Ldn) or above at the property line, excluding existing ambient noise levels.
Policy N-P2.4 Traffic Noise. Recognize projected increases in ambient noise levels resulting from traffic increases, as shown on Figure N-2 [NOTE: Figure N-2 will be updated at a later phase of the project]. Promote the installation of noise barriers or other methods to reduce traffic noise along highways and high volume roadways where “noise-sensitive” land uses listed in Table N-1 are adversely impacted by excessive noise levels [60 dBA (Ldn) or above]. Require adequate noise mitigation to be incorporated into the widening of SR 92 and US 101.
Traffic Noise. Recognize projected increases in ambient noise levels resulting from traffic increases, as shown on Figure N-2 [NOTE: Figure N-2 will be updated at a later phase of the project]. Promote the reduction of traffic speeds and the installation of noise barriers or other methods to reduce traffic noise along highways and high volume roadways where “noise-sensitive” land uses listed in Table N-1 are adversely impacted by excessive noise levels [60 dBA (Ldn) or above]. Require adequate noise mitigation to be incorporated into the widening of SR 92 and US 101.
Policy N-P2.5 Railroad Noise. Support the installation of noise barriers and other mitigations along the railroad corridor where “noise-sensitive” land uses are adversely impacted by excessive noise levels [60 dBA (Ldn) or greater].
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Policy N-P2.6 Railroad Vibration. Require that new residential projects (or other sensitive uses) located within 200 feet of existing railroad lines conduct a groundborne vibration and noise evaluation consistent with Federal Transit Administration- approved methodologies.
Policy N-P2.7 Construction Noise and Vibration. Continue to prioritize construction noise limits and vibration monitoring around sensitive receptors, including through limiting construction hours and individual and cumulative noise from construction equipment.
Construction Noise and Vibration. Continue to prioritize Require construction noise limits and vibration monitoring around sensitive receptors, including through limiting construction hours and individual and cumulative noise from construction equipment.
Policy N-P2.8 Construction Noise and Vibration Monitoring. For larger development projects that demand intensive construction periods and/or use equipment that could create vibration impacts, require a vibration impact analysis, as well as monitoring and reporting of noise levels throughout construction, consistent with industry standards. The monitoring plan should include information on the monitoring locations, durations and regularity, the instrumentation to be used and appropriate noise control measures to ensure compliance with the noise ordinance.
ACTIONS
Action N-A2.2 Railroad Noise Study. Implement projects necessary to achieve Quiet Zones in the City such as elimination of at-grade rail crossings or other mitigation measures to decrease horn and other operational noise levels prior to substantial expansion of the rail service.
Action N-A2.3 Railroad Noise Barriers. Work with the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board to promote and encourage adequate noise mitigations and barriers to be incorporated into any rail service expansion or track realignment.
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Table N-1: Noise Sensitive Land Use Compatibility Guidelines Day-Night Average Noise Level, Ldn (dBA)
Land Use Category 0-59 60-65 65-70 71-80 over 81
Residential – Low Density *
Residential – Medium and High Density
*
Hotels, Motels, and other Lodging
Schools, Libraries, Hospitals, Long-Term
Care Facilities
Multifamily Common Open Space for
the Use and Enjoyment of Residents
Normally Acceptable. Specified land use is satisfactory based on the assumption that any buildings involved are of normal, conventional construction, without any special noise insulation requirements.
Conditionally Acceptable. New construction or development should be undertaken only after a detailed analysis of the noise reduction requirements is made and needed insulation features have been included in the design.
Normally Unacceptable. New construction or development should not be undertaken.
* See residential land use designations in the Land Use Element of this General Plan.
Table N-2: Noise Guidelines for Outdoor Activities
Average Noise Level, Leq (dBA)
Land Use Category 0-59 60-65 65-70 71-80 over 81
Parks, Playgrounds, Privately Owned
Publicly Accessible Open Space
Normally Acceptable. Specified land use is satisfactory based on the assumption that any buildings involved are of normal, conventional construction, without any special noise insulation requirements.
Normally Unacceptable. New construction or development should not be undertaken.
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CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 14 Section Name: NEW BUSINESS Account Number: 10-3134 File ID: 22-6698 TO: City Council
FROM: Drew Corbett, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Community Development Department
MEETING DATE: October 3, 2022
SUBJECT:
Public Employee Pension Reform Act 180 Day Waiting Period Waiver Request – Community Development Department RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution finding the nature of employment for retired annuitant Kelli Casale is necessary to fill a critically needed position before 180 days have passed pursuant to California Government Code section 7522.56 BACKGROUND:
Assembly Bill 340, the Public Employee Pension Reform Act of 2013, also known as PEPRA, was signed into law on September 12, 2012 and went into effect on January 1, 2013. PEPRA created Government Code Section 7522.56, which requires public agency retirees to wait 180 days after retirement before returning to work for a public agency. This waiting period may be waived if the City Council determines the nature of employment is necessary to fill a critically needed position before 180 days have passed. Therefore, this request is before Council for approval now.
Ms. Casale retired as Senior Code Enforcement Officer with the City of Mountain View on July 20, 2022, capping off a 24- year career in municipal code enforcement. Ms. Casale is a Certified Code Enforcement Officer. Her experience includes many years of leading the Code Enforcement Division, and all other administrative tasks and responsibilities associated with operating a successful Code Enforcement program. Her work entailed the management and resolution of a variety of code cases, including uninhabitable buildings and other life-safety cases, and also included evaluating and assigning cases based on their level of priority.
In March 2020, the Code Enforcement Division began to channel its resources toward COVID-19 response efforts, critical life-safety cases, and tenant relocations. During the same period, the Division lost three experienced Code Enforcement Officers. The shift in priorities resulting from the COVID-19 response and operational adjustments associated with being understaffed resulted in a backlog of about 200 non-life-safety or COVID-related cases. Moreover, the Code Enforcement Manager retired at the end of September, creating an additional critical vacancy with only a few weeks of notice.
While the Department recently onboarded a new Code Enforcement Officer, are in the process of onboarding a second Officer, and have enlisted Planning and Building Inspection staff to assist the Division in keeping up with high-priority cases, there remains a backlog of unopened cases and slowed response time for new cases. The new Officers are the most qualified candidates in the applicant pool and meet all job specifications. However, neither of the new Officers has directly related Code Enforcement experience, which points to the dearth of experienced Code Enforcement professionals looking for work in the area.
To ensure the continued successful and timely response to the community’s critical life-safety and public nuisance complaints and to allow Planning and Inspection staff to return to their regular work, management level support is needed
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for the Division to operate effectively and respond to the high-volume of complaints it receives.
The services needed from Ms. Casale could be accomplished in about 20 hours per week, as she would provide in-office services while our Officers are in the field or assisting phone-in and in-person customers. Based on the foregoing, staff recommends a finding that the nature of Ms. Casale’s appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position before 180 days have passed. This position would be terminated when the vacancy created by the retiring Code Enforcement Manager is filled, which is expected to occur in about 3-4 months.
BUDGET IMPACT:
Similar to the other staff backfill services, the funding source for the cost of Kelli Casale’s services will be from staff vacancy savings, so no additional budget appropriations are needed.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This City Council Action is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is a government fiscal activity which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Proposed Resolution
STAFF CONTACT
Christina Horrisberger, Director Community Development
[email protected]
(650) 522-7210
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RESOLUTION NO. ____ 2022
FINDING THE NATURE OF EMPLOYMENT FOR RETIRED ANNUITANT KELLI CASALE IS NECESSARY TO FILL A CRITICALLY NEEDED POSITION BEFORE 180 DAYS HAVE PASSED PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 7522.56
WHEREAS, the State Legislature adopted AB 340 in order to implement comprehensive pension reform through the enactment of the California Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA); and WHEREAS, PEPRA applies to all public employers that participate in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) on or after January 1, 2013; and WHEREAS, California Government Code section 7522.56, as enacted in PEPRA, requires newly retired persons to wait for at least 180 days before returning to work for an employer in the same retirement system in which they receive a retirement allowance; and
WHEREAS, an exception to the 180-day waiting period may be made if the City Council certifies that the nature of the employment and the appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position and the 180 days has not yet passed; and
WHEREAS, Kelli Casale (Ms. Casale) retired after 24-year career in Municipal Code Enforcement from the City of Mountain View, effective July 20, 2022; and WHEREAS, Government Code section 7522.56 provides that this exception to the 180-day wait period shall not apply if the retiree accepts any retirement-related incentive; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Mateo and Ms. Casale certify that Ms. Casale has not and will not receive a “golden handshake” or any other retirement-related incentive; and WHEREAS, Ms. Casale is a certified Code Enforcement Officer and has many years of experience in Code Enforcement case management for municipal governments; and WHEREAS, the Community Development Department has a substantial staffing deficiency and case backlog, and it is essential for the continued successful and timely response to critical life-safety complaints for Ms. Casale to provide her Code case expertise to support the operation of the Code Enforcement Division.
WHEREAS, the maximum hourly rate for the Code Enforcement Manager per diem position is $81.33 per hour, and the minimum hourly rate is $68.19; and
WHEREAS the hourly rate paid to Ms. Casale will be $81.33; and WHEREAS, Ms. Casale has not and will not receive any other benefit, incentive, compensation in lieu of benefit or other form of compensation in addition to this hourly pay rate.
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NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, HEREBY RESOLVES that:
1. This City Council action is not subject to CEQA because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
2. The City Council certifies that the nature of Ms. Casale’s employment is necessary to provide critically needed duties, and the 180-day waiting period, pursuant to Government Code section 7522.56 has not yet passed.
3. Ms. Casale shall be employed as a per diem Code Enforcement Manager at $81.33 per hour, the current hourly step 5 rate for that position, and no other compensation or benefits shall be provided.
4. Ms. Casale shall work on a temporary basis, supporting the Community Development Department as it fills vacancies and onboards new staff while maintaining response times, and shall not work more than 960 hours in total.
5. Ms. Casale is authorized to be hired as a retired annuitant pursuant to this Resolution from October 17, 2022 through April 17, 2023.
6. This Resolution was adopted at a properly noticed public meeting and was not placed on the consent calendar, in compliance with Government Code section 7522.56(f)(1).
7. This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its adoption.
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CITY OF SAN MATEO
RESOLUTION NO. __ (2022)
SETTING COMPENSATION FOR CITY ATTORNEY
WHEREAS, on July 7, 2022, the City Council considered the performance of the City Attorney; and WHEREAS, the performance of the City Attorney meets or exceeds all expectations; and WHEREAS, San Mateo City Charter section 4.02 provides that salaries shall be fixed by resolution;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, HEREBY RESOLVES that:
1. The monthly salary for the City Attorney is established to be $__________ which reflects a ___% increase.
2. The effective date for the monthly salary of the City Attorney, established in item 1 above, shall be upon the beginning of the next pay period following the adoption of this Resolution.
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