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4 March 18, 2025
State Historic Preservation Officer Julianne Polanco Julianne Polanco Office of Historic Preservation
1725 23rd Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95816
Re: Request to Defer Further Review of Baywood Nomination Dear State Historic Preservation Officer Julianne Polanco:
The City of San Mateo (City) understands that the Baywood District nomination submitted by the San Mateo Heritage Alliance (SMHA) was recently reactivated. Considering the significant community concerns this nomination has raised, we, the San Mateo City Council respectfully request the following:
•Notification: Please promptly inform the City when (date) the nomination was reactivated. •Correspondence: Kindly copy the City on all correspondence between SMHA and the OHP regarding this nomination.
•Deferral: We ask that further OHP review be deferred for at least 18 months, as we work through a local process.
By way of context, the City recently allocated funds to develop a local process for evaluating and designating historic resources, including updates to related ordinances. This initiative is intended to foster broader community engagement and build consensus around our historic preservation efforts. Should the nomination advance at the state level before our local process is fully developed, it could inadvertently undermine these efforts—not only in Baywood but across the entire City of San Mateo.
Although we understand that the City Council will have a 60-day period to comment once the nomination is agendized by the OHP, we may not be in a position to offer comprehensive feedback until our local process is complete, which we anticipate will take approximately 18 months. Moreover, we are concerned that additional investments of resources by both the OHP and SMHA might limit receptiveness to alternative perspectives.
In light of the fact that several Baywood residents have expressed their concerns through letters of objection, as outlined in California State Public Resources Code 5024.1(f).4, it seems unlikely that the district will be listed on the National Register. Pursuing the nomination amidst noticeable local opposition may draw unfavorable attention at both the local and state levels, which could affect broader historic preservation efforts in San Mateo. The Council believes that taking additional time for local discussions and community engagement could lead to a more positive and constructive outcome for everyone involved.
Since Baywood is not in imminent danger of losing its historic character, we trust that you will agree there is no urgent need to proceed at this time. We appreciate your thoughtful consideration of our request to maintain the current pause on the nomination until the City is in a better position to participate.
CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY COUNCIL
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94403-1338
www.cityofsanmateo.org
(650) 522-7040
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4 We welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further at your convenience. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Rob Newsom, Jr., Mayor
City of San Mateo