CITY MANAGER UPDATE ON NOVEMBER LAND USE BALLOT MEASURE
San Mateo’s City Manager, Alex Khojikian, recently gave a packed Baywood zoom audience an overview of a land use ballot measure that San Mateans will have a chance to vote on this November 5th. The measure was placed on the ballot by a 5-0 City Council vote at its July 15th meeting.
The measure will ask voters to approve a change to existing height and density limits for residential and mixed-use buildings along specific “transit-oriented corridors” in San Mateo (i.e. El Camino Real, around train stations, and in shopping areas like Hillsdale and Bridgepointe). The measure is designed to help more people of all ages be able to afford to live in San Mateo and support San Mateo’s small businesses and downtown, while preserving open spaces and minimizing the impact on the environment.
The measure would maintain existing heights and densities in all other parts of the city, including single family neighborhoods. Approval also would enable San Mateo to comply with State-mandated housing zoning goals. If the ballot measure is not approved, the City would be required within 6 months to zone for 1,700 additional new housing units throughout all San Mateo neighborhoods, especially “high resource neighborhoods” like Baywood.
There was support on the Zoom for creating more opportunities for affordable housing, especially when it is near public transit, to minimize the impact on traffic. There was concern as to what it would mean for Baywood and other “high resource” neighborhoods if the measure didn’t pass.
Some participants questioned the City’s current residential and commercial vacancy rates. Update: Since our meeting, City Manager Khojikian has confirmed San Mateo’s current housing vacancy rate at 4%, based on Cushman and Wakefield, a major real estate brokerage firm. The firm also reported the City’s office vacancy rate at 22.9%, with an average asking price of $5.38 per square foot. Additionally, Cushman and Wakefield reported the Downtown San Mateo vacancy rate as 20.6%, which is lower than Redwood City’s 31.7% or Mountain View’s 31.7%. This reflects the continued softness of the commercial/retail market but also the tightness of the housing market.
Some attendees questioned what the mix would be between purely residential and “mixed-use” (i.e. building with residential, office and retail) projects in the development areas. The City has zoned most of the areas under question as “mixed use” and it is expected that this is how they will be developed given current market economics and demand. The minimum residential/commercial ratio in mixed-use buildings will be determined at a City Council meeting later this fall (follow the City’s cityofsanmateo.org website for the finalized date).
There also were questions on the impact of more people on traffic and the city’s infrastructure, as well as public school capacity and the critical need to ensure additional services in and around downtown (especially a grocery store) so that people can get out their cars and not have to drive to meet their daily needs. Participants agreed there was an urgent need to repair El Camino Real and plan for it to be integrated with San Mateo’s plans even if it is controlled by the State. These important issues have been addressed in San Mateo’s General Plan 2040 and will continue to be high priorities for the City.
You will hear much more about this ballot measure over the summer. You can read about the measure and stay up to date on it at https://cityofsanmateo.org/4804/November-2024-Ballot-Measure. It is important for you to educate yourself on the issue so you can make a responsible choice this Election Day, November 5th. This ballot measure will have a big impact on how and where San Mateo grows over the next 20 years. Let’s plan for a vibrant future for San Mateo and then be part of building it!
JOIN A NATIONAL NIGHT OUT PARTY THIS TUESDAY, AUGUST 6TH, 5:30PM-8PM
National Night Out is this Tuesday, August 6th. It is an annual celebration of neighbors being the “eyes and ears” of our community to help keep everyone safe. As the San Mateo Police always say, they depend on every person in San Mateo to keep watch on their neighborhood and to notify the police when they something not normal going on. Whether it’s going to an annual block party potluck, enjoying the evening with a few neighbors or going to the big celebration at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center 5:30pm-8pm for music, McGruff the Crime Dog, resources, raffles, goodies, and more, recommit this Tuesday, Aug. 6th, on National Night Out, to be a neighbor who helps keep all of your neighbors safe!
IMPORTANT ZOOM MEETING THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, ON ALAMEDA-PARROTT INTERSECTION NEXT STEPS.
SAVE THE DATE, Thursday, August 22nd, 6pm for an Alameda-Parrott intersection update by San Mateo Public Works staff. Find out what’s next for this important intersection! RSVP to baywoodneighborhood@gmail.com and tell your neighbors as well.
The Alameda-Parrott intersection was the #1 traffic priority cited by Baywood neighbors during a 2018 City survey due to the pedestrian (especially student) safety dangers of the dog leg turns off of Alameda. The City presented a long-term plan to Baywood neighbors over two public meetings that called for the dog legs to be eliminated and a full 4-way traffic light intersection to be created. A Baywood-wide survey found support for this option vs. the alternative of doing nothing to the intersection.
The City implemented the pilot phase of the plan in 2019, i.e. tall white poles at the intersection that closed off the dog legs and required drivers to obey the 4-way traffic light at Alameda. The next phase called for flower boxes to replace the white poles to maintain safety while beautifying the intersection. A long-term goal was to redesign the intersection entirely based on pedestrian, bicycle, car and truck traffic patterns should grant funding be identified.
As we all know, COVID changed everything, this project included. Projects across the City were frozen or shut down, including the Alameda-Parrot intersection improvements. The “short-term” pilot with the while poles has been in place since 2019, although the poles were cut down and access to Columbia Drive improved.
San Mateo Public Works is now planning to move on to the next phase of the intersection and will update our community on the project details at the August 22nd Zoom meeting. The final stage of full intersection redesign is on hold pending funding.
We will send out the Zoom meeting details closer to the date but want to give all our Baywood neighbors plenty of advance notice so everyone could attend the Zoom. Please RSVP at baywoodneighborhood@gmail.com to let us know you are coming. If you can’t attend but have questions, please send them to us and we will try to get answers for you.
This is an important opportunity to get the facts and ask your questions. We hope to see all our Baywood neighbors on this August 22nd Zoom at 6pm!
HELP US CHOOSE THE 2024 BAYWOOD HOME MAINTENANCE WINNER!
San Mateo’s diverse neighborhoods, and the care residents take in the upkeep of their homes, is one of our best features. San Mateo United (SMU), the umbrella organization of the many neighborhood associations in San Mateo, sponsors an annual contest for people to select the home in their neighborhood that should be recognized with an Outstanding Home Maintenance Award. The winners from each participating neighborhood association will be recognized at the City Council meeting on Monday, September 16th.
We have had many outstanding Baywood Home Maintenance Award winners in the past. Last year’s winners, Ann and David Ridgeway, turned their front yard into a beautiful Japanese garden and their backyard into a flower and vegetable garden and fruit tree orchard. You don’t have to be that ambitious; just have pride in your home and want to share.
If you want to recognize a neighbor for taking good care of their home, or if you wish to nominate yourself, please contact email BNA at baywoodneighborhood@gmail.com by Friday, August 23rd. The winner will be contacted shortly thereafter and be honored, along with other neighborhood winners, at the San Mateo City Council meeting on Monday, September 16th, at 7pm.
Good luck, and we can’t wait to congratulate the winners!
SAVE THE DATE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2PM-5PM, ANNUAL BAYWOOD SOCIAL!
The annual Baywood Social is set for Sunday, September 8h, 2pm-5pm, at Baywood Elementary. Face painting, games, live music by Aragon High School students, information booths staffed by the San Mateo Public Library, Police Activities League and more will share important community information while having fun. And who can resist Amici’s Pizza and ice cream???
More later, but mark your calendars, tell your neighbors & be there!
FINAL MUSIC IN THE PARK AND START OF MOVIES IN THE PARK
We bid farewell to our wonderful Music In The Park series this Thursday, August 8th, 5:30pm-8pm. Bud E. Luv will have us swinging with their Big Band sound. Bring a picnic and help us close out the season on a high note!
Movies In The Park makes September fun, starting on September 6 and running every Friday night through September 27. Each week is at a different San Mateo park:
Movie Schedule
Date | Park |
Friday, September 6 | |
Friday, September 13 | Please note that parking is highly impacted in this area. Consider carpooling, biking, or walking. |
Friday, September 20 | Please note that parking is highly impacted in this area. Consider carpooling, biking, or walking. |
Friday, September 27 |
You Pick the Movies!
Help pick which movies to show by taking a short survey. Responses will be accepted until midnight on August 8, so be sure to fill out the survey today! www.surveymonkey.com/r/NFGX9PR
Movies begin at dusk around 7:30pm. These are great family events and another reason why we love San Mateo!
MORE FUN COMING TO DOWNTOWN SAN MATEO!
Because San Mateans just want to have fun, there will be at least 4 great social events Downtown San Mateo in September! September 12 and 19, 6pm-8pm, is the annual September Nights on B festival on the B Street Pedestrian Mall.
Sunday, September 15, Noon-3pm, in Central Park is “Bark In The Park,” the City’s inaugural celebration of all things canine. Enjoy a paw-some pup parade, contests, games and more! Your dog will love it also!
Proceeds will benefit San Mateo Police Activities League. For more information, please visit https://sanmateopal.org/events/fundraising-events/bark-in-the-park/
Finally, September Arts & Culture Fest, put on by the San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce with the San Mateo Commission on the Arts, will be the place to be on Saturday, September 28th , 10am-6pm, on the B Streeet Pedestrian Mall. Musicians, artists, food and drink…a great way to celebrate the amazing talents we have in San Mateo, as well as our beautiful places.
Get your rest now so you can celebrate summer the San Mateo way!
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