CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 2 Section Name: {{section.name}} Account Number: 25-3112 File ID: {{item.tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Community Development Department
MEETING DATE: June 17, 2024
SUBJECT:
Historic Policy Workplan and Timelines – Overview and Council Direction RECOMMENDATION:
Receive a presentation from staff on historic policy workplan options and provide staff with direction on how this work should be prioritized.
BACKGROUND:
The City of San Mateo’s General Plan 2040, adopted by the City Council on March 18, 2024, sets the policy framework for how issues such as historic resources and preservation should be addressed. The Community Design and Historic Resources Element addresses the topic of historic and cultural resources, and includes goals, policies, and actions that outline the framework for how the City should approach historic preservation. Specifically, Goal CD-5 speaks to preserving the historic and culturally important resources to maintain San Mateo’s special identity and continuity with the past and includes seven policies and six actions to support achievement of this goal (Attachment 1).
During the adoption process for General Plan 2040, the topic of historic resource preservation generated significant community interest and comments; with the historic related policies and actions based around this community input and the final versions based on Council direction. In addition, this past fall, a historic district designation application for the Baywood Neighborhood was submitted to the State Office of Historic Preservation by the San Mateo Heritage Alliance.
This application resulted in significant community discussions surrounding establishing historic districts, how the designations are approved at the State and local levels, and questions about the potential impacts of an application and a subsequent designation on properties within the district. To address questions about the State and local historic review processes and how historic districts are established, Planning Division staff, with support from historic consultant Architectural Resources Group (ARG), conducted a community informational meeting in February 2024, and also updated its website to provide FAQs related to the historic district designation process, the City’s permitting process for potential historic resources, and how the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) addresses historic resources. The City’s Historic Resources webpage can be viewed here.
Once the General Plan was formally adopted in March 2024, the City Council directed the City Manager under Reports and Announcements at their meeting on April 1, 2024 to agendize a future Study Session on what it would take to update the City’s local Historic Resources Program pursuant to the actions in the General Plan’s Historic Resources Element.
DISCUSSION:
As outlined in the General Plan, the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance (San Mateo Municipal Code Chapter 27.66) needs to be updated to create a complete framework for the designation of historic resources and districts; establish review and permitting procedures for historic alterations, demolitions or relocations; be consistent with federal and State standards and guidelines; and align with the other goals and policies outlined in the Community Design and Historic
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Resources Element (Action CD 5.8). In addition, to support a consistent and equitable approach to how historic resources are assessed and evaluated, preparation of a citywide historic context statement is needed to guide future historic policy decisions and survey efforts to identify individually eligible resources and districts (Action CD 5.9). Both of these actions were developed based on historic consultant guidance, community input, and City Council direction, and are included in Attachment 1. Based on these identified actions, staff is seeking input from Council on how the implementation of these actions should be prioritized and what level of staff and monetary resources should be invested to complete the work.
Below are three potential options for how to proceed with this historic policy work at this time.
Option 1: Prioritize Implementation of Actions CD 5.8 and CD 5.9 General Plan 2040 Action CD 5.8 outlines the parameters for updating the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance to be more comprehensive, including creating a framework for the designation of historic resources and districts; establishing review and permitting procedures for historic alterations, demolitions or relocations; ensuring consistency with federal and State standards and guidelines, and alignment with the other goals and policies outlined in this Community Design and Historic Resources Element. Action CD 5.9 outlines the parameters for preparation of a citywide historic context statement to guide future historic resource survey efforts to identify individually eligible resources and historic districts. Both of these actions have been identified as the appropriate next steps to updating the City’s historic preservation policies, creating clear and comprehensive processes for historic designations and to establish a consistent approach for surveying and identifying eligible historic resources.
Implementation of these actions would constitute a significant policy initiative and require meaningful staff resources from the Community Development Department, City Attorney’s Office, and City Manager’s Office. The initiative would include public outreach and engagement, including community meetings and public hearings, retention of a qualified historic consultant (including an RFP), code amendments to update the Historic Preservation Ordinance, updated historic policy to adopt the context statement, and preparation of associated internal processes and documentation to implement this new code and policy. Staff anticipates that completing this work could require 12+ months, and could cost around $500,000 (consultant, staff and other associated costs).
Option 2: Update Internal Historic Review Processes without Code Amendments An alternative to full implementation of both Actions would be to work within the currently adopted ordinance and policies to strengthen and fully develop the City’s historic review processes. This would include developing historical resource screening criteria, developing a process for historic resource designation based on the current Historic Preservation Ordinance as well as State/Federal practices, establishing best practices for preservation and maintenance, building out the website with more historic information and resources to facilitate public awareness, and developing other tools to support clear understanding of requirements for projects associated with designated and eligible historic resources.
This effort would include the retention of a qualified historic consultant to support staff in preparation and development of this work and would be considered moderately resource intensive from a staffing perspective, with primary staff support coming from the Community Development Department. This work could be completed within 6-9 months and is estimated to cost around $100,000. Once the work was completed, an informational community meeting would be scheduled to present the updated information and historic review processes to the community, and answer questions.
Under this option, Actions CD 5.8 and CD 5.9 would remain with a short-term priority in the General Plan Implementation Plan, and would be completed when directed by City Council.
Option 3: Maintain Current Prioritization for Actions CD 5.8 and CD 5.9 Work to implement Actions CD 5.8 and CD 5.9 is identified as a short-term priority in the General Plan Implementation Plan, which means that it is anticipated to be completed within the next five years, with the exact timing in this range dependent on City Council prioritization. Under this option, staff would continue to do routine work to maintain and update City handouts, website resources, and other processes to support historic project reviews and public understanding of the subject, but would not dedicate additional staff resources to updating the Historic Preservation Ordinance, developing a historic context statement, or augmenting historic policies and processes until the work was
CITY OF SAN MATEO
prioritized and funded.
City Council Input and Direction
Given the information provided in this report and presentation, staff seeks direction on which option the Council would like to proceed with?
BUDGET IMPACT:
There are no budget impacts associated with receiving this report. Depending on the direction provided by City Council, there will be additional budgetary costs associated with implementation of the historic policy work plan. Based on the nature of this historic policy work, it is anticipated that funding would come from the City’s Advanced Planning Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This item 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 meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – General Plan 2040 – Historic Resource Policies and Actions
STAFF CONTACT
Zachary Dahl, Director
[email protected]
650-522-7207
Manira Sandhir, Planning Manager
[email protected]
650-522-7203