Visit Downtown for a Walk Through History

May is National Historic Preservation Month and a wonderful time to celebrate San Mateo's rich history. This year is also our 125th anniversary and we’re looking forward to commemorating our quasquicentennial!
Historic preservation is not only about preserving buildings, but also the stories and traditions connected to those places. In honor of Historic Preservation Month, we’ve re-released a self-guided walking tour of historic architecture in downtown. The online guide highlights 57 stops where you can learn about the architectural heritage behind some of downtown's longest-standing buildings. The guide celebrates the character and history of San Mateo’s growth from a small town to a prominent city in the county. The concentration of historic designs forms a basis of San Mateo’s first historic district and provides an opportunity to experience the City’s history on foot. We hope you enjoy this walk through time! Find the guide at www.cityofsanmateo.org/historicwalkingtour. And stay tuned for more City of San Mateo anniversary celebrations planned later this year!

Let's Take Action on Climate 

We’re updating our Climate Action Plan and want to hear from you! Come to an upcoming workshop so you can hear about what San Mateo has been doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, learn about our efforts to update the Climate Action Plan, and share your ideas about how San Mateo can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become more sustainable. The Community Workshop will be held on Thursday, June 6 at 6 p.m. in the San Mateo Main Library Oak Room, 55 W. Third Ave. We hope to see you there!

Stewards of Your Infrastructure 

As National Public Works Week (May 19-26) winds down, our Public Works Department returns to the everyday tasks of infrastructure stewardship in the City. We’ve appreciated all the likes, hearts and shares on our social media posts this week. Here are a few recent examples of the work our staff does to keep San Mateo working.

Protecting the Lagoon
This spring, we completed regular maintenance on our Marina Lagoon Pump Station, then re-installed it to continue to efficiently regulate the lagoon water level. The pump station helps us keep the lagoon enjoyable for all. Visit our web page to check out this time-lapsed video of the re-installation and learn about the work of the Marina Lagoon Pump Station.

Improving Roads
Residents along Shasta and Glendora drives will be pleased to know that the Clean Water Program’s work in the area, in collaboration with our road improvement teams, has now completed. About 2,000 feet of existing sewer pipes in the neighborhood were upgraded, and the paving completed. On the other side of town, road repair work funded by Senate Bill 1 (also known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017) completed the repaving of Hillsdale Boulevard from Saratoga Drive to S. Norfolk Street. Final touches are left, including painting the lines, before work concludes in early June.

Seeing the Light
In our ongoing work to convert old street light bulbs with more sustainable LED lights throughout the city, we will be upgrading lights in the Baywood neighborhood starting this summer. For more information about the City’s street lights and the conversion program, click here. 

Congrats B Street Books! 

B Street Books has been a beloved fixture in downtown San Mateo for 10 years! Last year was the store’s best year yet and they are looking forward to many more. The store is grateful to their loyal bibliophiles, booklovers and bookworms for their ongoing support! To celebrate its anniversary and show their appreciation, B Street Books is offering 10 percent off everything in the store during the month of May. Stop by the store at 301 S. B St. and join the celebration!