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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: 10 Section Name: {{section.name}} Account Number: 14-1311 File ID: {{item.tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: City Manager's Office
MEETING DATE: April 1, 2024
SUBJECT:
Pedestrian Mall – Project Update/Street Barrier Selection, Business Feedback and Potential Pilot Program RECOMMENDATION:
Receive a status update on the Pedestrian Mall project, provide direction on whether to proceed with a pilot program for the Pedestrian Mall between 1st and 2nd Avenue and on the type of traffic barriers that will be commissioned to control vehicular access on both blocks.
BACKGROUND
In June 2020, the City initiated a temporary outdoor dining program as a response to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, allowing food service establishments to utilize parking spots in front of their businesses for outdoor dining.
Furthermore, to facilitate more outdoor dining areas, B Street between 1st and 3rd Avenues was closed to vehicular traffic, and the stretch from Baldwin Avenue to 1st Avenue was converted from a two-way street to a one-way street.
These facilities were well utilized by the community, and at the May 17, 2021 City Council meeting, Council directed staff to establish a year-round Pedestrian Mall on the segment of B Street from 1st to 3rd Avenues, with through east-west traffic permitted on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Avenues. A Resolution of Intent to this effect was adopted on June 21, 2021, setting a public hearing date for September 20, 2021. Prior to the hearing, property owners and tenants could submit objections and claims for damages. The City received one objection. Public feedback varied, with concerns about parking and accessibility balanced by enthusiasm for the increased opportunities for social interactions and outdoor activities the Pedestrian Mall offered. On October 4, 2021, Council adopted the Pedestrian Malls Ordinance (SMMC Ch. 11.29).
Thereafter, staff began work on the design phase of the Pedestrian Mall, which includes enhancements such as street furnishings, safety barriers (bollards) at the street ends, ADA access improvements, and bike racks (Attachment 1).
Originally, these improvements were scheduled for implementation in early spring 2024, but the design has taken longer than expected and implementation is now slated for fall 2024. During the time since the Pedestrian Mall was established and the City’s outdoor dining program became permanent, staff also continued to work with merchants throughout the City to process and issue outdoor dining and parklet permits. On July 17, 2023, refinements to the permit guidelines were presented to Council and following public comment a conversation about the status of the Pedestrian Mall ensued. The emphasis was on the success of the north block (B Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues), which was not doing as well as the south block (B Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues), and how economic activity in the north block could be enhanced.
The Council ultimately approved the permit process refinements and directed staff to waive permit and permit renewal fees for parklets and outdoor dining within the Pedestrian Mall for one-year and to conduct interviews with the merchants to learn more about impediments to the greater success of the program, particularly on the north block. Shortly thereafter, in October 2023, the recently approved cultural diversity street mural was installed. Staff also implemented short-term aesthetic improvements such as water barrier camouflage/decorations and sphere lights in the tree canopies
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to enhance the look and feel of the Pedestrian Mall. Meanwhile, the long-term design improvements, which are underway will be installed. In addition to staff’s efforts, community volunteers placed wine barrels, public seating, and games on the north block to attract users and provide gathering spaces. Staff has also completed interviews with merchants along B Street, sponsored/cosponsored events in the Pedestrian Mall, and worked with several merchants in the Pedestrian Mall on outdoor dining and parklet permits.
Below are further details about the long-term design, immediate term enhancements, merchant interviews, and potential options for next steps within the Pedestrian Mall.
Pedestrian Mall Project Update
Long-Term Design
The City entered into an agreement with Community Design + Architecture in January 2022 to design the above-described improvements to the Pedestrian Mall. These design improvements included installing permanent bollards, midblock ADA ramps, planters, public seating areas, bike racks, vehicle loading areas with improved signage and other site furnishings. All improvements are intended to make the pedestrian mall safer and improve the public experience for its users. The original construction budget was $1.2 million for both blocks, and the estimated cost based on the completed February 2024 design drawings is $1.62 million, $420K over budget. The design work was advertised for construction bids between March 7, 2024 and March 28, 2024. The closing date is prior to the April 1st Council meeting and staff’s oral presentation will include an update on the bid results. The bid amount will provide more realistic project completion numbers which will be presented at the Council meeting.
During the design phase, the consultant presented several barrier options to staff. Following a thorough analysis, staff chose automatic hydraulic bollards for the emergency vehicle access (EVA) lane portion of the block, given their excellent crash safety rating and user-friendly design for both entry and exit. For the remaining entry and exit points, static fixed bollards were selected. These bollards, while visually identical to the hydraulic ones, remain stationary. While the automatic hydraulic bollards met both the safety and ease of use criteria, they did come at the expense of cost. The automatic hydraulic bollards alone cost about 40% of the total construction expenses, which equals around $590,000.
When you count all the bollards used in the project, they make up about 50% of the total construction costs, which amounts to approximately $742,000.
Immediate-Term Enhancements
While working with Community Design + Architecture on long-term design improvements, other steps were taken to beautify the Pedestrian Mall. In June 2023, the Council commissioned artist Rafael Blanco to create a street mural in the emergency vehicle access lane to celebrate San Mateo's diversity, commitment to equality, and inclusivity; the street art mural has a planned project lifespan of 3 to 5 years. Titled “Cultural Patterns”, the mural was unveiled to the public in fall 2023. Also, in fall 2023, the existing water barriers were covered with faux foliage to improve their appearance, and the coverings were recently updated with new greenery and flowers. More recently, 25 illuminated orbs were incorporated into the tree canopies along the Pedestrian Mall to complement the twinkle lights on the tree trunks and further enhance the nighttime atmosphere. Furthermore, City departments have collaborated with the Downtown Association and Chamber of Commerce to host numerous activities on the Pedestrian Mall, such as festivals, popups, holiday celebrations, and live music events to activate and enliven the space. These community events have been warmly embraced by both residents and businesses.
Since late summer 2023, staff has analyzed ways to better enhance the look of the water barriers until the permanent bollards are ready for installation. Staff has also explored ways to introduce more planters or landscaping in a way that would not conflict with the longer-term investment, which includes planters. Staff visited THJE city of San Carlos’s pedestrian mall and engaged with their staff. Instead of costly bollards, San Carlos has attractive custom self-watering planter boxes that cover existing water-filled barricades like San Mateo’s (Attachment 2).
Using the ones in San Carlos as a model, staff solicited quotes to custom fabricate approximately 18-26 of these custom self-watering planter boxes. The estimated cost for each block is approximately $43,000 with a total of $86,000 for both blocks. It's worth noting that these self-watering planter boxes would provide at least as much protection as the current
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water barriers, though not as much as the automatic bollards. All of them could have wheels and locks, for easy Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) and concurrently provide a secure fixed location. These features have been discussed with Fire and Police and no concerns were expressed. It should be noted that to date, the City has not experienced safety conflicts where the current 26 water barriers have been located since 2021.
Merchant Interviews
Interviews with Businesses inside the Pedestrian Mall
As directed by Council, staff interviewed 30 food businesses within the Pedestrian Mall blocks who do not currently have outdoor dining or parklets to understand any impediments to their use of outdoor dining areas and their future plans, if any, to expand outdoors. Most businesses opting out of parklet platforms or outdoor dining indicated they do so because they have adequate indoor seating. Some established dining businesses see no need for reinvestment due to lack of profit, while others face obstacles like landscaping medians and storm drains space and staffing shortages. The variation in outdoor dining use between blocks may also be due to differing business compositions. The block from 2nd to 3rd has more full-service restaurants, whereas the block between 1st and 2nd has historically had a mix of personal service users and retailers, and take-out food establishment who may not require outdoor expansion.
However, since last July, staff approved four parklet platform permits and two new outdoor furniture permits in the Pedestrian Mall. Of these, two outdoor furniture permits have been implemented on the block between 2nd & 3rd while construction for four parklet platforms (two on each block) is still pending. The businesses using outdoor dining strongly support the street closure, and this sentiment is stronger for businesses between 2nd and 3rd Avenues where several businesses have already expanded outdoors. However, the business landscape is evolving between 1st and 2nd Avenues, with two restaurants set to build parklet platforms in the spring and others showing interest for outdoor dining that has yet to open. Additionally, we are seeing businesses can change their stance over time. For instance, a quick-service food establishment, initially against the closure due to the perceived number of vacant storefronts between 1st and 2nd, is transitioning to a full-service establishment to take advantage of the closure. The business is currently closed and will reopen in a few weeks. During the interviews staff heard positive feedback about the mural and the events held in the Pedestrian Mall.
Interviews with Businesses from B Street between Tilton to 1st Ave and B Street between 3rd to 5th Avenue In response to a private survey sponsored by a landowner in Downtown regarding the Pedestrian Mall and its impact on surrounding businesses, staff also conducted interviews with businesses on four additional blocks of B Street: from 1st Avenue to Tilton and from 3rd to 5th Avenues. The privately sponsored survey concluded that the north block should be at least partially reopened and based on merchant sentiments. Though less formal, staff interviews revealed slightly different results. While there are businesses who want the street to be reopened to cars because they believe it would spur more vehicular and foot traffic and provide more parking, there are also businesses who want to see more beautification of the Pedestrian Mall and support the closure. Merchants said they like the special events held on the block that brought people to the Downtown and supported the idea of the Pedestrian Mall as a public area for community building.
Additionally, many businesses perceived the street closure as having a neutral or no effect on their business revenue.
When staff asked North B Street businesses about the impact of the street closure on their sense of connection with the Downtown, businesses noted they had a feeling of disconnection that existed before the street closure and mentioned that recent efforts by the DSMA, Downtown Coordinator, Police Department, and Economic Development to host regular meetings in North B and increase awareness of safety, cleanliness, special events, signage, and beautification projects on North B have helped alleviate this feeling. Some also expressed confusion about the context and administration of the recent survey they had taken. Staff’s notes on the merchant conversations are included as Attachment 3.
Discussion
Staff has worked on the long-term design phase of the Pedestrian Mall since January 2022. While the design work was underway, staff and volunteers implemented enhancements to enrich the street ambiance, the City facilitated and improved outdoor dining and parklet permits, staff and other organizations organized special events, and live music, and the City installed an iconic art mural on the emergency vehicle lane within the closed street. As of this report, the long- term design project is currently in the bidding process, but implementation has still taken longer than expected. While all
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of these efforts directly related to the Pedestrian Mall were happening, General Plan 2040 was adopted, which will change the Downtown area. One of the initial steps toward implementation will be to update the Downtown Area Plan, which includes subject areas such as land use, building design, street and sidewalk design, and circulation—all of which will need to consider how the Pedestrian Mall fits in within the larger context of Downtown San Mateo. This will be a huge effort with an enormous amount of community input needed.
Staff recommends Council consider implementing a pilot period for the north block of the Pedestrian Mall. This period could last from 3-5 years to align with the life span of the mural that was just installed, and would allow businesses time to further adapt to the closure while enabling the City and its partners to continue to activate and promote the area. It also provides an opportunity to assess whether businesses' perspectives on the Pedestrian Mall continue to evolve. This would also allow enough time for the updated Downtown Area Plan to unfold with flexibility in how the Pedestrian Mall north block is planned for moving forward long term. For instance, one area for consideration might be how to account for substantial crowning on B-street which could impact the street and sidewalk design within the Pedestrian Mall.
Should Council decide to pilot the north block, staff recommends considering use of the San Carlos style planter water barriers on that block. These would provide improved safety due to the ability to lock them into the street and would also look better and be less expensive than the hydraulic and fixed bollards in the long-term design drawings. Another option is to use the San Carlos style water barrier planters on both blocks throughout the pilot period, though it is acknowledged staff is not suggesting the south block as a pilot program, for the sake of aesthetic continuity. Then, when the north block pilot period is over, all permanent improvements could be made at one time. Alternately, if Council does not wish to pilot the north block or desires to have the utmost safety options now, even if it is not for the longest term, staff could proceed with the hydraulic and fixed bollards now.
If Council decides against utilizing hydraulic bollards on either Pedestrian Mall blocks, staff will be required to reject all the received bids, which will likely delay the project by several months. However, in such a scenario, we could convert all of the water barrier to planters for $86K within about two months from the start of the project. Because the planters have wheels in addition to locks, they would be portable and could be repurposed.
The following is a project cost summary with bollard and planter barrier options:
Bollard Selection Estimated Cost Additional Funds Needed Automatic Bollards $1,620,000 + $420,000
Automatic Bollards and Self-Watering Planter Boxes $1,200,000 $0 Self-Watering Planter Boxes $875,000 -$325,000
Staff is seeking Council direction on the following items
1. Does the City Council support a pilot program for the pedestrian mall between 1st and 2nd Avenue with the termination coinciding with the art mural's lifespan and/or the completion of the new Downtown Area Plan?
2. Does City Council support installing planter water barriers on both blocks?
3. Does City Council support installing automatic hydraulic and fixed bollards on B street between 2 nd and 3rd and planter water barriers on B Street between 1st and 2nd?
4. Does the City Council support installing automatic hydraulic and fixed bollards on both blocks? BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no budgetary impact associated with the requested recommendations, as no action will be taken at the Council meeting. If the recommendations result in funding in addition to what is already accounted for in the Pedestrian mall project, staff will return to Council as needed to request to additional funding.
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ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This status update is not a project 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).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All noticing requirements were met.Click or tap here to enter text.
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 – Pedestrian Mall Design Plan
ATT 2 – Photo of Bollard Types
ATT 3 – Business Feedback
STAFF CONTACT
Jennifer Chen, Economic Development Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7009
Stephanie Pinon, Senior Engineer
[email protected]
650-522-7315