WHAT’S YOUR PLAN?
San Mateo is updating its General Plan, the plan that expresses the community’s vision for how our City will look, feel, and change over the next 20 years.
To achieve this vision, we’ve spoken with community members at over 35 events since September 2018 gathering input to better understand the needs, desires and goals for San Mateo’s future.
It’s your turn to help shape the decisions and the plans that will guide development for the next generation, and make our city a better place to live, work and play through 2040.
The General Plan will address many different topics that affect each of us in San Mateo every day:
► Housing
► Land Use
► Traffic and Transportation
► Natural Resources and Open Space
► Safety
► Noise
► Air Quality
The homes, streets, parks, schools, and playgrounds in San Mateo today were planned by the people who lived here a generation ago. Those decisions and those plans are still influencing who lives here, who works here, who shops here, who drives here, and what kind of community San Mateo is.
Range of Alternatives Workshop - 11/18/2019
Boys & Girls Club Comments - 11/6/2019
2040 VISION In 2018 and 2019, the community came together to define their vision for the future: “San Mateo is a vibrant, livable, diverse, and healthy community that respects the quality of its neighborhoods, fosters a flourishing economy, is committed to equity, and is a leader in environmental sustainability.” In addition, there are five core principles that support that vision.
WHERE ARE WE IN THE GENERAL PLAN PROCESS?
In fall 2019, the Council finalized the ten study areas to analyze first for future land use and transportation changes. Now, we are in the process of creating three land use and circulation alternatives for each study area, which will be shared at community events/ meetings beginning in March at Open Houses, and General Plan Subcommittee, Planning Commission and City Council meetings.
COMMUNITY INPUT is the basis for all decisions. There are multiple opportunities for community input including:
1. Community Outreach. Input is received from community events, community workshops, pop-up events, and through online and written comments.
2. General Plan Subcommittee (GPS).
Community comments are synthesized and presented to the General Plan Subcommittee members, who provide feedback for the Planning Commission and Council to consider.
3. Planning Commission. The Planning Commission offers their feedback on General Plan work products.
4. City Council. The City Council considers all input received and provides final direction. Everyone is encouraged to attend or participate online.
The City is still in the early stages of the multi-year effort to update the General Plan.
Existing Conditions and Visioning
Create Land Use Alternatives
Evaluate Land Use Alternatives
Develop Goals, Policies and Actions
Draft General Plan
HOW DO ALTERNATIVES WORK IN THIS PROCESS?
Alternatives show different scenarios for the future of San Mateo, which are then evaluated to understand pros, cons, and tradeoffs of each, to determine how best to use available resources, balance growth, and meet the goals of the community in the most sustainable way.
Once the land use and circulation alternatives are finalized, City staff and consultants will evaluate the alternatives. In this process, each of the following will be considered:
► Amount of development allowed
► Overall character
► Traffic
► Public health
► Potential displacement
► Utilities and public services
► Environmental sustainability
► City’s fiscal health
► Potential community benefits
► Development feasibility
► Applicable State laws and regulations
The results of that evaluation will be shared through future public workshops to inform community discussion about how and where growth should be focused in San Mateo between now and 2040.
GET INVOLVED:
Sign up for the mailing list, provide public comment, and track future meetings on StriveSanMateo.org
For questions and concerns, contact Julia Klein, Principal Planner, at the City of San Mateo Planning Division at generalplan@cityofsanmateo.org or at (650) 522-7216.
