San Mateo council approves letter to state saying city will pursue local historic‑preservation process

SAN MATEO, Calif. — The San Mateo City Council voted Monday to send a letter to the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) notifying the agency that the city has started a local process to update its historic‑preservation ordinances and context study and saying the city expects that local work to take about 14 months.

The vote came after roughly 14 speakers during a special meeting on the Baywood neighborhood nomination, a contentious item that drew residents who both support and oppose state consideration of Baywood as a historic district. The motion to send the letter carried 4-0, with one council member recorded as recused for the Baywood discussion.

The letter approved by the council — a version described in the meeting as the deputy mayor’s draft — states that the city “understands that the Baywood District nomination … was recently reactivated,” notes the council’s recent allocation of funds for local historic preservation planning, and says the city anticipates its local process will take approximately 14 months. The text reads in part: “The city council believes that taking additional time for local discussions and community…