Zoning Code Update

A 40-plus-year resident and business owner encouraged flexibility on parking, less restrictive standards, and lower costs and timelines to address the housing shortage.

Expressed optimism about the zoning update, urging the council to serve both current and future residents of San Mateo.

Representing Save the Bay, urged the city to add sea level rise and groundwater rise overlay zones to the zoning code, noting over half of projected growth areas are in the sea level rise zone.

A 40-year resident who asked the city to streamline development and cut costs for affordable housing, and to incentivize more and better open space, possibly via height bonuses.

Chamber of Commerce CEO backed the update, stressing flexibility over prescriptive standards and better alignment among existing plans.

From the Housing Leadership Council; criticized overly technical survey questions and asked that the Planning Commission be brought into code drafting earlier.

Recommended clear guiding principles — simplicity, flexibility, straightforward standards — cited Sacramento's code as a model, and worried outreach summaries don't reflect real community input.

Sierra Club Bay Alive campaign staffer echoing the sea level rise overlay request and urging coordination with the regional shoreline adaptation plan.