San Mateo previews $267 million five-year CIP; staff warns of more than $350 million in unfunded needs

Public Works Director Matt Fabry and Parks and Recreation Director Joanne Magrini presented a preview of San Mateo’s five-year capital improvement program (CIP) to the City Council at a special meeting on Monday, April 20, 2025, outlining roughly $267 million in proposed projects for 2025–2030 and an additional unfunded project list that staff estimated at more than $350 million.

Fabry said about 57% of the proposed five-year total is tied to sewer-related work, primarily to finish the city’s Clean Water Program and follow-on maintenance. He told the council that for budget adoption the council typically acts only on year one of the five-year plan.

“As we get further into the five years, obviously, things get less certain, as we get further out in terms of what the projects will be, what the costs will be, and what the revenues are going to be,” Public Works Director Matt Fabry said.

Why it matters: The CIP preview lists major near-term projects already tied to funding and a long list of unfunded priorities — from facility condition work to shoreline and stormwater needs — that will influence budget planning and potential ballot or grant strategies to close gaps.

Funded and highlighted projects

- Total five-year plan shown: about $267 million; 57% earmarked for sewer work. - Noted year-one projects and near-term priorities: Marina Library structural improvements (requires about a year-long closure for extensive work), citywide street rehabilitation and final steps on the Smooth Streets program, Joinville Pool upgrades, Los Prados synthetic turf replacement and ongoing playground repairs. - Typical annual general fund/CIP contribution: staff said the general-fund allocation to CIP has been about $4.25 million per year; Measure S and Measure CC were identified as additional general-purpose sources. - Special-revenue transportation funds available annually: staff summarized roughly $8.7 million per year from sources including historical gas tax, RMRA (SB 1), Measure A/W and Measure M for transportation projects.

Parks and recreation highlights

Parks Director Joanne Magrini told council staff expect $4.5 million in park-related fees for 2025-26 from development projects currently in the building permit pipeline and said staff use a seven-year average of $2.7 million for future-year projections. Magrini listed several planned park investments, including Central Park playground renovations, Laurelwood Park play-area work, Parkside Aquatic Park equipment replacement (about $1 million) and continued playground and skate-park repairs.

“For fiscal year 25 26, we’re expecting to collect $4,500,000 from projects that are currently in the building permit process,” Joanne Magrini said.

Unfunded needs and planning efforts

Fabry and staff presented an unfunded list that currently exceeds $350 million and said that estimate would grow as staff complete several assessments now underway:

- A facilities condition assessment with preliminary findings that needs exceed $100 million. - A citywide bridge assessment with an estimated need of about $20 million (staff noted grant opportunities may offset some costs). - A storm drain master plan update that staff said is expected to identify tens or potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in storm/drainage needs. - Other high-cost items on the unfunded list include a possible King resiliency center (~$20 million), Central Park parking garage structural work, a new Fire Station 27, and additional multimodal and bike-network projects (staff said an existing $9.5 million shortfall on a specific 101/92 multimodal project and tens of millions required for medium- and high-priority bike improvements).

Staff said the storm drain master plan, bridge assessment, facilities condition assessment and a post-Clean Water Program hydraulic model and flow study will refine the CIP’s long-term needs and costs.

Public comment and council response

Resident Mason Fong urged the council to prioritize deferred maintenance that can produce revenue and suggested exploring purple-pipe and sales-tax recapture strategies tied to upcoming development. Fabry and Magrini received multiple questions from council members about priorities, Measure CC funding and the timing of assessments.

Next steps

Fabry said that for budget adoption in June the council will focus on year one of the five-year CIP and staff will return with more refined, balanced year-one figures. Staff also reported ongoing planning work (storm drain master plan, facilities assessment, bridge study and post-clean-water modeling) intended to better quantify future unfunded needs and improve prioritization.

Ending note

Council members praised staff’s cross-department collaboration and asked for return materials showing prioritized options and trade-offs, particularly where funding gaps exceed projected revenues and grant opportunities might be available.