The City has completed several projects to improve protection against coastal and interior flooding. These include elevating the Bayfront Levee between Coyote Point and San Mateo Creek, constructing downstream floodwalls, raising levees around Coyote Point Pump Station, and increasing capacity at both Coyote Point and Poplar Pump Stations. Please check the North Shoreview Flood Improvement Project page on the City’s website to learn more: https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/1796/North-Shoreview-Flood-Improvement-Projec
The City is preparing an updated Stormwater Master Plan focused on reducing interior flooding risks. As part of this effort, the City is evaluating the potential impacts of sea level rise and climate change on the storm drain system and overall drainage performance. The Master Plan will identify capacity constraints and areas at risk under future scenarios and provide high-level recommendations to guide capital improvement planning, system upgrades, and long-term flood protection strategies. These recommendations will help the City to prioritize investments and coordinate with broader shoreline adaptation efforts. Please visit the Storm Drain Master Plan page on the City’s website to review the draft plan and see the schedule of upcoming public outreach meetings: https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/4953/Storm-Drain-Master-Plan
The City received a grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to prepare a sea level rise adaptation plan, which will fulfill the new requirements of Senate Bill 272. It will also meet the requirements of the San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission’s (BCDC) Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan, with San Mateo being one the first agencies in the region to formally initiate a plan aligned with these requirements. The plan will include conceptual projects to address sea level rise, and if approved by regulatory agencies, the City would be better positioned to pursue funding for those projects. Please check the Climate Adaptation Plan for Sea Level Rise page on the City’s website for project updates and future outreach events: https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/4920/Climate-Adaptation-Plan-for-Sea-Level-Ri
In November 2024, San Mateo voters approved Measure T which allows height and housing density increases primarily in the Downtown and near transit which represents about 10 percent of the city’s area. Please check the What’s Happening in Development page on the City’s website to see how Measure T is being implemented.
The Historic Preservation Ordinance sets requirements and procedures for protecting and allowing careful adaptation of the City’s historic resources. The City is working to update its Historic Preservation Ordinance and prepare a Citywide Historic Context Statement as part of the implementation of San Mateo’s General Plan 2040. Please check the Historic Policy Update Effort page on the City’s website to learn more.