1 From: Remi Tan
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 1:12 PM
To: City Council (San Mateo)
Cc: Zoning Update
Subject: Public Comment: Promote Homes with Zoning Reform Hello city council members, my name is Remi Tan and I live in nearby Pacifica, but come to San Mateo oŌen for shopping and meeƟngs and events.
During next week's zoning study session, please support staff's work to modernize the zoning code. I hope the code update will simplify the code as much as possible and allow the most new homes permissible under the General Plan.
As a local architect, who has done some projects in San Mateo, we hope that streamline zoning will make things easier for our clients who are trying to build housing in San Mateo.
I also hope you carefully consider SB79 as a template for the zoning update. Using the SB79 parameters will simplify things as the city would be coordinated with the state regulaƟons, making life a lot easier and simpler for us in the design and building in industry. This would help speed up construcƟon of housing and lower cost.
SB79 was carefully considered to place higher density within walking distance of high-quality transit like Caltrain and the future bus rapid transit line on El Camino Real. By placing housing in density near these transit lines, it would increase the writer ship, which will then encourage the agencies to increase frequency and speed of service. This would encourage people to use transit versus driving and reduce traffic on our roads and reduce polluƟon and greenhouse gas emissions.
This is a win-win situaƟon.
Sincerely,
Thank you and Best Regards,
Remi Tan, AIA LEED AP BD+C
Architecture, Green Building
Real estate investment and brokerage
Sent from my iPhone
1 From: Sung H. Kwon
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2026 10:16 AM
To: Chantal Eaton
Subject: FW: Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Comments on Comprehensive Zoning Code Update (CZCU)
Attachments: SCLP letter to San Mateo re Zoning Code comments Feb 19 2026.pdf Hi Chantal,
Can you add this to the comments?
Sincerely,
Sung H. Kwon MCRP MBA AICP
Deputy Director | Community Development
From: Dashiell Leeds >
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2026 4:59 PM
To: City Council (San Mateo) <[email protected]>; Planning Commission <[email protected]>; Zoning Update <[email protected]> Cc: Gita Dev ; James Eggers ; Sue Chow
Subject: Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Comments on Comprehensive Zoning Code Update (CZCU)
Dear Mayor Loraine and Members of the San Mateo City Council, Planning Commission and City Staff, The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter's Sustainable Land Use Committee (SLU) advocates on land use issues in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
SLU offers these comments as an overview of key issues that we believe need to be addressed in the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update (CZCU). Please read the attached letter for our full comments.
Sincerely,
Gita Dev, FAIA, Chair
Sustainable Land Use Committee
Chair, Conservation Committee
Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter
SAN MATEO, SANTA CLARA & SAN BENITO COUNTIES
February 19, 2026 Via Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Subject: Key Issues for Comprehensive Zoning Code Update Dear Mayor Loraine and Members of the San Mateo City Council, Planning Commission and City Staff,
The Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter's Sustainable Land Use Committee (SLU) advocates on land use
issues
in
San
Mateo
and
Santa
Clara
Counties.
SLU offers the comments below as an overview of key issues that we believe need to be addressed in the
Comprehensive
Zoning
Code
Update
(CZCU).
These
comments
are
consistent
with
the
comments
that
SLU
made
for
the
General
Plan
2040
(GP)
process
(see
letters
of
March
1,
2024,
November
16,
2023,
September
7,
2023,
August
9,
2023,
and
March
28,
2023).
We have reviewed the White Papers on Open Space, Building Heights, and Setbacks & Buffers. They provide
a
good
start
to
the
CZCU
process.
1. Increase emphasis on the need for increased housing, particularly affordable housing. a. Streamline and reduce costs for development of housing. While the White Papers mention
this
in
several
areas,
a
more
specific
discussion
should
be
incorporated
into
this
policy
statement.
Simplifying
the
code,
clarifying
and
standardizing
requirements
and
not
being
overly
prescriptive
will
reduce
development
costs
and
increase
the
likelihood
of
developing
vitally
needed
housing.
An
enumeration
of
key
requirements
should
be
included
at
the
outset.
b. Increase focus on affordable housing. The affordable housing category is the most difficult
type
of
housing
to
develop,
as
evidenced
by
past
failures
to
meet
affordable
housing
goals,
while
the
goals
for
market
rate
housing
are
being
met.
This
points
to
the
need
to
simplify
and
streamline
even
more
for
fully
affordable
projects.
2. Open Space: Ensure that the increased building heights leads to more Open Space as well
as
quality
Open
Space.
sierraclub.org/loma-prieta ~ 3921 East Bayshore Road, Suite 204, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Page
1 of
3 a. Ensure Open Space for Nature and Urban Greening: The focus in the draft Open Space
White
Papers
is
on
recreation
and
gatherings,
which
are
important.
However,
open
space
that
is
specifically
for
the
value
of
nature
needs
to
be
a
significant
part
of
the
reason
and
use
for
urban
open
space
as
well.
Large
trees
and
vegetation
buffers
will
benefit
human
health,
both
physical
and
mental.
They
clean
urban
pollution,
provide
shading/cooling,
wind
breaks,
runoff
absorption,
noise
absorption,
and
wildlife
habitat.
Even
city
birds
and
bees
need
something
more
than
pruned
shrubs
and
courtyards.
The
urban
forest,
tall
trees
on
streets
and
alleys,
make
the
streets
far
more
livable,
increase
property
values
and
are
especially
desirable
for
walking
and
biking.
The
CZCU
needs
to
reflect
this
overarching
objective
for
greening
our
City,
and
the
Sierra
Club
SLU
Guidelines
on
Green
Streets
is
one
source
of
information
on
how
to
accomplish
this
1 .
b. Taller buildings can be linked to creating more open space: Mechanisms need to be included
in
the
CZCU
to
incentivize
developers
to
provide
for
more
and
better
Open
Space
for
parks/bike
lanes/green
streets/natural
areas/etc.
The
White
Paper
mentions
that
incentives
will
be
developed
as
part
of
the
CZCU.
SLU
suggests
that
one
possible
incentive
would
be
to
allow
higher
heights,
but
not
more
density
,
if
that
leads
to
more
common
open
space.
This
could
be
accomplished
by
setting
maximum
housing
density
and
open
space
requirements
in
a
given
zoning
district,
but
not
setting
a
maximum
building
height
and
possibly
adding
incentives
for
green
open
space
that
exceeds
the
minimum
such
as
expedited
plan
review
to
reduce
lag
time
development
costs.
3. Biological Safety Levels (BSL) adjacent to sensitive receptors a. Only Biological Safety Levels (BSL) 1 and 2 biolabs should be allowed in zoning for office,
commercial,
manufacturing,
Life
Safety,
or
similar
non-residential
uses.
Most
Industrial
Zoning
in
peninsula
cities
should
also
be
similarly
restricted
as
they
are
adjacent
to
residential
and
other
uses
with
sensitive
receptors.
b. Bio-lab uses should not be allowed within a specified distance of sensitive receptors including
housing,
schools,
hospitals
and
emergency
service
locations.
4. Focus on planning now for sea level rise and associated ground water rise. a. A Sea Level Rise (SLR) Overlay Zone should be considered for those areas with low ground
elevations
so
that
sea
level
rise
and
associated
ground
water
rise,
from
climate
change,
will
cause
inundation
of
public
infrastructure
such
as
roads
and
underground
utilities
as
well
as
private
homes
and
businesses.
The
overlay
zone
could
identify
specific
requirements
for
new
developments
including
a
requirement
to
raise
first
floor
elevations
above
established
flood
levels
to
better
prepare
for
future
SLR
and
also
a
time
line
for
capital
outlays
to
raise
roads
and
especially
utilities
out
of
corrosive
rising
brackish
ground
water.
b. The overlay zone could include areas directly impacted by SLR as well as related impacts
like
creeks
backing
up
with
higher
tides
and
causing
flooding.
1 See SLU White Paper on Green Corridor/Green Streets Guidelines which uses San Mateo as the example. sierraclub.org/loma-prieta ~ 3921 East Bayshore Road, Suite 204, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Page
2 of
3 c. The Health and Safety Element of the General Plan may also need modification to recognize
the
impacts
of
flooded
infrastructure
and
other
health
and
safety
impacts
of
flooding
from
rising
sea
levels
and
ground
water
levels.
SLU looks forward to further discussions with you on the CZCU. Respectfully, Gita Dev, FAIA, Chair Sustainable Land Use Committee Chair, Conservation Committee Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter Cc: James Eggers, Director, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter sierraclub.org/loma-prieta ~ 3921 East Bayshore Road, Suite 204, Palo Alto, CA 94303
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