San Mateo · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Mateo public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Five-Year Housing Fund Strategy
The council holds a public hearing on adopting a five-year plan and applying for state PLHA housing funds — money that can flow into local affordable housing activities.
Bay Meadows visitor parking shortage
Villa Terrace-area residents say street parking is already nearly impossible, with working-class households shuffling multiple cars. The project provides 180 spaces but no dedicated visitor parking, and state law bars the city from requiring more.
Pro Housing Designation and state grant funding
State law now requires certain environmental and tribal cultural resource conditions on qualifying housing projects, including archaeological records searches and a Phase I environmental assessment before permits are issued.
1700 S. El Camino Real affordable senior housing
Commissioners asked whether senior housing is being prioritized. Staff pointed to a senior affordable complex planned at 1700 South El Camino Real and said senior housing policies will be examined in the inclusionary housing update coming back to the commission in December.
616 South B Street Housing Development
An eight-story building with 94 apartments — ten very-low-income — plus ground-floor commercial would replace the Kelly-Moore Paint and Tap Plastics buildings near downtown. It rides Measure T's higher density limits and heads to City Council for final approval.
222-unit housing development at 3000 Clearview Way
The old 380,000-square-foot office campus near Highway 92 will become 222 for-sale townhomes and single-family homes, including 33 below-market-rate units. Commissioners welcomed the for-sale housing but noted the density is well below what the zoning allows, and debated a density-bonus concession that puts all BMR units in three-bedroom townhomes.
Planning Commission Appointment Ethics Controversy
James Horsman resigned days after being appointed, reopening the question of who fills the seat. The council split 3-2 in favor of appointing first alternate Seema Patel rather than restarting interviews, amid resident concerns about transparency and commissioner conduct.
2026 BMR Housing Rates and Larger-Unit Priority
The council set 2026 maximum rents and sales prices for below-market-rate units and created a new priority letting developers provide fewer but larger (3+ bedroom) BMR units, addressing the shortage of family-sized affordable homes.
Concar Passage — 847 homes at former Concar Shopping Center
Brookfield's project replaces most of the aging Concar Shopping Center with 847 homes — 186 of them affordable — a relocated 7-Eleven, and keeps Trader Joe's. About $17 million in park in-lieu fees and other major fees come with it. The map approval was the project's last discretionary entitlement step.
232-Unit Housing Development at 220 W. 20th Avenue
A seven-story apartment project next to Asiya Shriners, Little Bloom Child Care, and Partners for Independence sparked intense debate over traffic, parking, and safety on Elkhorn Court. State housing law gave the council almost no room to deny it, so the focus shifted to safety conditions and ongoing collaboration between the developer and neighbors.
Bespoke downtown affordable housing and office project
A full block of downtown gets redeveloped with 71 all-affordable apartments (studios through three-bedrooms), a six-story office building, retail, a public plaza, and a permanent senior-services home for Self-Help for the Elderly. The city leases its former Talbot's parking lot into the deal with financial backstops to guarantee the housing gets built.
181-unit multifamily housing on North San Mateo Drive
A six-story building with 181 homes — including 19 very low-income units — replaces an aging auto dealership near the Burlingame border. Neighbors worry about street parking and neighborhood scale; commissioners say state law leaves them little room to require changes.
Housing Element Amendments and Housing Production
The city is at only about 8.6% of its 7,015-unit state housing allocation with permits issued so far, though the pipeline holds nearly 6,800 units. Affordable units trail at 28% of the allocation, and ADU production is leading the county.
128-unit apartment building at 668 E. 3rd Avenue (Gateway Project)
A shopping center near downtown and the Caltrain station would become 128 apartments, 20 of them affordable. Commissioners and most speakers liked the design, but neighbors raised cumulative downtown traffic and the loss of the existing retail.
Bayshore Commons: 256 homes replacing Amphlett office park
A 14.5-acre 1970s office park becomes a for-sale neighborhood of townhomes and single-family homes with 38 moderate-income units, a central park, dog parks, and new street improvements. Speakers split over Grant Street driveway access; commissioners praised the Amphlett redesign but noted lower-than-allowed density and highway-adjacent air quality concerns.
Carey School Early Childhood Education Center at 2033 La Salle Drive
The Carey School wants to build a preschool for up to 75 kids on a residential street, requiring a rezone and a new overlay district for educational facilities. The council approved it unanimously after seven neighbors spoke in support.
Rental Housing Regulations
San Mateo's City Council is considering new regulations for rental housing. This could impact how apartments are managed and what renters and landlords can expect.