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Local News

Planning Commission

Planning Commission Opening

Are you interested in how decisions are made about housing, planning and development here in San Mateo? Do you want to help influence your community? Then consider applying for an opening on the City of San Mateo Planning Commission! The City Council is seeking diversely skilled residents to apply for a partial term that ends June 10, 2024. The deadline to apply is March 18, so learn more and apply soon on our Commission Vacancy web page.

The Planning Commission typically meets every other Tuesday evening and holds hearings on development requests. It also reviews important long-range policies like the General Plan and Housing Element, and serves as an advisory body to the City Council. More on the commission on our Planning Commission web page.


Community Survey Report cover

What Residents Think About Our Services - 2022 Community Survey Report

In our ongoing efforts to respond to community interests, we're pleased to release the results of our 2022 Community Opinion Survey! This statistically-significant poll shows how residents feel about our services, priorities for planning for the future and more.

You can also watch a recap of the presentation of the results to City Council during a March 7 Study Session. Check out our Community Surveys web page to learn more about the 2022 and 2020 surveys.


Strive San Mateo General Plan Update

The Future of Housing & Land Use in San Mateo

We’re making progress on updating our Strive San Mateo General Plan 2040! Join the Planning Commission on Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m. for a public hearing to review the input we’ve been collecting from the community on how we should plan for future housing growth and transportation improvements.

The Commission will be asked to make a recommendation to the City Council on the preferred land use and circulation scenario. Zoom links and meeting materials will be posted to our Public Meeting Portal at least 72 hours before the meeting. Review the alternatives and learn more about the General Plan Update at StriveSanMateo.org.


Library Impact Report cover

Libraries Have an Impact

Our San Mateo Public Library's 2021 Impact Report is now available! This colorful report provides a summary of our impact from the past year. Read about the Library's commitment to serve, uplift, and strengthen our community during unprecedented times.

We hope you find it interesting, insightful, and encouraging. Visit our Library’s web page for access to great services today.

Spring Activities & Events

Summer camps

Spring & Summer Activities

Registration for summer activities begins soon! We’re back this year with field trips, swim lessons, and plenty of enrichment camps. Sign your child up for one of our traditional full-day camps or refreshing swim lesson at one of our pools. View our 2022 Camps & Aquatics Booklet online.

Summer Camp Registration Opens:

  • Monday, April 4 at 9 a.m. for San Mateo Residents
  • Wednesday, April 6 at 9 a.m. for Non-Residents

Registration will be available online at www.sanmateorec.org.


2022 Spring Activity Guide

Our Parks & Recreation spring session starts next week. View our 2022 Spring Activity Guide for classes that go from March to June.


San Jose Sharks PAL Fundraiser

SJ Sharks First Responders Appreciation Night

Come out for an SJ Sharks game and support San Mateo Police Activities League during "First Responders Appreciation Night" on Sunday, March 20 as Sharks face off against the Arizona Coyotes.

A portion of each ticket sold will directly benefit San Mateo PAL. We will have a group of 40 PAL kids & parents, staff, and officers attending the game in section 218. Everyone will receive a First Responders Appreciation Night giveaway. We hope you can join our PAL group for this fun event! The puck drop is at 4 pm. Purchase tickets: https://fevo.me/sanmateopal



Student Film Festival

Student film makers

Join the Fifth Annual Citizens Environmental Council’s Student Film Festival on Tuesday, March 22 from 6:30-8 p.m. Students in grades 4-12 have submitted their short films on environmental topics and you can watch a free screening of the final entries while the winners will be announced at the Student Film Fest. The festival is open to the public and admission is free.  San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine will be on hand to acknowledge involvement of all participants.
Please visit https://burlingamefilmfest.com for more information.


Eco-Friendly Weed Management webinar

Eco-Friendly Weed Management Webinar

Looking forward to a thriving garden this spring? Think you might find yourself dealing with pesky weeds? Join Flows to Bay’s free webinar to learn how to identify weeds and deal with them in a safe and eco-friendly way using herbicides only as a last resort! The webinar will take place online on Saturday, March 12, 2022 from 10 - 11:30 a.m. with a Q&A session at the end. Sign up online.

All San Mateo County residents 18 years or older who take a short 3-minute survey after the webinar will be entered into a raffle for a $100 gift card to your choice of either Hassett Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or Lyngso Garden Materials to assist with your spring weed management!

Sustainability & Public Works Updates

Downtown Caltrain rail crossing

Downtown Rail Crossings – Temporary Closures

As part of its electrification project, Caltrain will be checking crossing signals and temporarily closing several street crossings in downtown San Mateo starting March 19, 2022. Expect delays, watch for crews working near the roads and please use alternate routes. Closures will take place at the following:
Railroad crossings at 2nd Avenue, 5th Avenue, and Villa Terrance:

  • Saturday, March 19 to Sunday, March 20 at 8 a.m.

  • Saturday, March 26 to Sunday, March 27 at 8 a.m.

  • Additional closures are tentatively planned between March 27 to April 2, 2022.


Crossing gates will not be activated at all railroad crossings in San Mateo and Burlingame during this time, but flaggers will be present to direct traffic through all other intersections. Train service will also be reduced corridor-wide during this period to accommodate work. Trains will be single-tracking through Broadway, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hayward Park, and Hillsdale stations so riders using those stations should be sure to pay attention to signs and announcements to make sure they are waiting at the correct platform at the station. Find more info on Caltrain’s web page.


Solar storage rebate program

Solar Storage Rebate Program

Interested in making your home more sustainable and resilient during a power outage? Peninsula Clean Energy is offering rebates of up to $1,250 to install a solar and battery backup system through its Power On Peninsula program.

San Mateo County homeowners are eligible for this limited time offer, but hurry, you must have a signed contract by March 31, 2022! Learn more: https://pencleanenergy.co/3HRFIBK



Composting

New Composting Requirements

San Mateo residents and businesses should now be adjusting their habits for the new statewide composting law Senate Bill 1383. To help, we've created some resources for locals to make it easier to comply with the new rules on composting and food waste reduction. Find the resources here: www.cityofsanmateo.org/SB1383 and don’t forget about the food waste rules, too: www.cityofsanmateo.org/FoodWaste. Thank you to all of our residents and businesses helping us to reduce waste in our City.


Low-Income Parking Permits Available for Downtown

We have good news! Low-income parking permits are now available at all Downtown City parking garages. Monthly permit fee is $40 for qualifying individuals. Applicants who meet the low-income qualifications can apply for the parking permits online. Find details at www.cityofsanmateo.org/parking. 


Adopt a Drain

Be a Local Hero – Join Adopt-a-Drain 

Spring is around the corner and our storm drains need your help. Join in the fun to keep your neighborhood free of litter, debris, and any clogs that lead to street flooding.

Adopting a drain is easy:

  1. Pick a drain from our easy-to-use map: ,
  2. Sign up to Adopt the drain of your choice,
  3. Clean your drain as often as you can.

Visit www.cityofsanmateo.org/adoptadrain for full details.


Express Lanes

101 Express Lanes Open in San Mateo County

Express Lanes on U.S. Highway 101 from Whipple Avenue in Redwood City to the Santa Clara County line are now open.

The new toll-based express lanes run in both directions between Redwood City and Palo Alto in the former carpool lanes and operate on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Phase 2 of the project is planned to open later this year, and will stretch from Whipple Avenue north to Highway 380. Learn more about the San Mateo County Express Lanes.

Stay Connected

Do you wish you'd known about that event you missed last weekend? Do you ever wonder how you can get involved in decision making in your community? Do you wonder what upcoming construction projects might impact our roads? Make sure to subscribe to our email lists or follow us on social media to learn about what's happening in your community!

Click to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nextdoor. Visit our social media page for list of all our City accounts.

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