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: 22 Section Name: PUBLIC HEARING Account Number: 26-4662 File ID: 25-10647 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: August 17, 2026
SUBJECT:
Municipal Code Amendments – Ordinance Introduction
RECOMMENDATION:
Introduce an Ordinance to amend San Mateo Municipal Code Titles 17, 23, and 26 to address General Plan Policies and development review procedures, adopt California Department of Transportation Standards by reference, authorize the Director of Public Works to administratively update minor revisions to the Public Works Engineering Standards, and repeal Section 23.16.020.
BACKGROUND:
The Public Works Department is in the process of a multi-phase update of San Mateo Municipal Code (SMMC) sections.
This first phase includes amendments to the SMMC per policies within the adopted General Plan 2040. Later phases will incorporate a comprehensive review and rewrite of the Subdivision Code (Title 26) and a collation of public works codes into a new Public Improvements Code (Title 21).
SMMC Amendments
SMMC amendments are proposed to implement General Plan policies, address California Senate Bill 330 (SB-330) changes to development reviews and streamline updates to Public Works Standards. SB-330 projects in particular have stress- tested the objectivity of the minimum improvement requirements identified in the City’s Subdivision Code and shown the need to clarify and amplify the language requiring minimum improvements.
Multiple sections of the SMMC have been reviewed by City engineering staff and are proposed for amendment. The Proposed Ordinance and amendments are provided in Attachment 1. Redlines of the amendments are provided in Attachment 2.
Substantial Code revisions are summarized as follows:
1. SMMC 17.16.010 – Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) conversions of garages will be exempt from the requirement to replace driveways with standard curb and gutter to align with State Laws and San Mateo Zoning Code related to ADUs.
2. SMMC 23.16.020 – Repeal this section to align with current City practices since a cleanout is not required by Public Works at the property line and private cleanout requirements are already addressed in the adopted Plumbing Code.
3. SMMC 23.48 – The Public Works Director will be authorized to approve minor revisions to the Public Works engineering standards, which includes standard drawings, specifications, and design criteria related to public infrastructure. This will streamline the process for future updates and align the City with most other agencies within San Mateo County on this process. Clarifying the California Department of Transportation Standards will be
CITY OF SAN MATEO
adopted as an additional reference.
4. SMMC 26.32.020 – Development projects will be required to underground overhead lines along the project frontage as directed by General Plan Policy PSF 4.14.
5. SMMC 26.60.020 – Additional language added to clarify and improve objectivity of the minimum improvements required on subdivision development projects. Pedestrian and bike improvements, green infrastructure, and undergrounding requirements are included to conform to General Plan Policies C3.2, C3.3, C4.5, CD3.6, PSF 3.9, PSF 3.18, and PSF 4.14.
Outreach
On June 16, 2026, staff informed the developer community of the proposed revisions at the standing Developer Roundtable meeting hosted by the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce. Then, staff began an email notice campaign to the developer community informing them of the proposed Ordinance and inviting them to a second outreach meeting. On August 11, 2026, staff hosted the second outreach meeting for the development community. At both meetings, the developers asked clarifying questions about how the new subdivision minimum improvements would be applied, such as how undergrounding limits would be determined and how projects with portions of a block incorporate these improvements; however, they did not raise any significant concerns with the proposed changes.
Next Steps
Following introduction, the Ordinance will be brought back for a second reading and adoption at the next available City Council meeting, and the Ordinance will go into effect 30 days afterwards. .
BUDGET IMPACT:
Adoption of these amendments will not have an impact on the City’s budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This project 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).) STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This plan supports the Infrastructure initiative.
NOTICE PROVIDED
In accordance with California Government Code section 6066, a public notice was published in a newspaper of general circulation on July 7 and July 14.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Proposed Ordinance
Att 2 – Redlines of Proposed SMMC Amendments
STAFF CONTACT
Jason Hallare, Engineering Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7316