San Mateo zoning code update enters outreach phase; residents and groups urge sea‑level‑rise protections and clearer surveys

Deputy Director Sung Kwon and PlaceWorks consultant Joanna Jansen presented the scope and outreach plan for San Mateo’s comprehensive zoning code update on Feb. 20, one element of translating the Strive San Mateo general plan 2040 and Measure T into enforceable regulations.

Jansen said the outreach strategy includes virtual and in‑person workshops, up to four online surveys, and targeted stakeholder meetings; she noted a currently open online survey and white papers on topics such as building heights, single‑family standards and open‑space requirements. "We launched an online survey on January 15… As of February 20 that number of responses had increased to 219 responses," Jansen told the council.

Public commenters pressed staff on several items. Representatives from State of the Bay and the Sierra Club urged zoning rules to include sea‑level‑rise and groundwater overlay zones that permit the city to apply special building standards in areas projected to be affected by sea‑level rise by 2100. Housing advocates asked the city to streamline approvals for affordable housing and to use incentives to improve open space and affordability outcomes. The San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce urged flexibility and optionality rather than highly prescriptive standards.

Council discussion focused on making survey questions clearer and more accessible, bringing the planning commission into the drafting earlier, and ensuring that the zoning update reflects state law changes (including SB 79 and TOC/MTC coordination) while retaining neighborhood character. Staff said the zoning code adoption is anticipated in mid‑2027 and that some technical follow‑ups, including how to integrate climate adaptation analysis, could be produced as white papers or returned to council for direction.

Next steps: staff will continue targeted outreach, refine surveys and materials in plain English and multiple languages, and return with study sessions and a public‑review draft. Council asked staff to coordinate the sea‑level‑rise climate adaptation work with the zoning update so maps and technical data can be integrated when available.