LIMITED SAN MATEO LIBRARY REOPENING AS OF TOMORROW, MARCH 29TH!
We couldn't be happier to report all the great things going on at the San Mateo Public Library!
As of tomorrow, March 29th, you can pick up your holds and reserve 1-hour computer use slots at any of the San Mateo Public Library branches (Main, Hillsdale and Marina). Baywood residents are major Library fans and have sent us questions throughout the pandemic as to when they can get back into the Library.
Full facilities will be open at limited capacity (est. 25%) as of Monday, May 3rd and future plans will be developed based on County health directives.
Library staff will be following all County COVID-19 health protocols to keep patrons safe. They are as excited for us to return to the Library as we are to return!
Whoop It Up For National Library Week
Timing couldn't be better for National Library Week and the Library is running a social media contest to spread the word. Post a photo of your pet with your library card or a special book on Facebook from March 29th to April 8th with the hashtag #SMPLNationalLibraryWeek2021. Vote for your favorite photo on the Library's Facebook page on April 9th. The winner will receive a Kindle Fire!
Sign Up For The Author's Gala!
The annual Library celebration is Tuesday, April 20th, at 7pm. Tickets are free - just like your Library - and any donations made will go to ensuring the Library can provide its services to communities especially hard-hit during the pandemic. The Gala has a "Western" theme with two best-selling authors, C Pam Zhang (How Much of These Hills Is Gold) and Anna North (Outlawed), in conversation with local author, Wendy Voorsanger (Prospects of a Woman); a local dance company, str8jacket, and the winners of the "Eureka!" young writers poetry contest. Perhaps you'll hear tomorrow's Amanda Gorman?
So Register Today!
SIGN UP FOR IMPORTANT GENERAL PLAN MEETINGS TO HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON THE FUTURE OF SAN MATEO HOUSING & INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES
San Mateo 2020 Presentation on General Plan
The San Mateo General Plan 2040 process has begun again and is moving quickly. Critical decisions will be made over the next few months that will set the long-term direction on the various aspects of the General Plan for the next 20 years. City staff have just completed a General Plan recap meetings (see www.strivesanmateo.org to read about these meetings and all the General Plan details). Housing is the focus for the next month. To share your opinion on how and where San Mateo should zone for new housing, please sign up below for one meeting on each of the next two topics of the Housing series, "Introduction to the Housing Element" and "Imaging Scenarios for San Mateo's Future."
1) Housing Element Virtual Workshops
The Housing Element is a state-mandated plan that requires the City to show how we can accommodate thousands of new housing units, including affordable homes, over the coming years.
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 3, 2021
9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
2) Imagining Scenarios For San Mateo's Future Virtual Workshops
City staff has created three Draft Alternatives for San Mateo's future based on initial public feedback. Learn about the Draft Alternatives and help improve them to reflect the perspectives of our neighborhoods.
Thursday, April 15, 2021
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm.
Saturday, April 17, 2021
9:30 a.m.- 12 noon
Please attend each of the meetings prepared to speak up and play an active role in all the discussions so that your perspective is heard. Your BOIA Board will be advocating on behalf of Baywood at these meetings, so we very much want to hear your opinions, issues and recommendations, whether you can attend these meetings. Please email me at baywoodhomeowners@gmail.com or call me at 650.224.4498.
We may not agree on every detail of every question, but we want the City to understand that they MUST take the neighborhoods' positions into serious account at all stages of the General Plan development. The General Plan 2040 Vision puts the importance of our neighborhoods right up front, and that is where it should stay:
"San Mateo is a vibrant, livable, diverse, and healthy community that respects the quality of its neighborhoods, fosters a flourishing economy, is committed to equity, and is a leader in environmental sustainability."
Active participation in every aspect of the General Plan over the next 18 months needs to be a priority for all of us. Count on your BOIA Board as a resource to help you stay up to date and advocate on your behalf. Please let us know if you want to get more involved with us on the General Plan. We welcome your participation. Together, we can help create a General Plan we all can be proud of that will live up to our vision statement!