HAPPY EARLY MOTHER'S DAY AND ARAGON GRADUATION 2021!
It's just one week until Mother's Day, Sunday, May 9th! Celebrate the special mom(s) in your life by shopping at a San Mateo small business! Send her flowers from Blossoms and Botanicals or Dana's Flower Basket, buy her special bath soaps or baking tools at IVY Boutique or Baking Arts, treat her to brunch at Kaffeehaus or Fiero Caffe. These are just a few of the wonderful stores, restaurants and service establishments in San Mateo. Buy local and make Mom happy!
Then, make your plans to help our Aragon seniors celebrate their graduation on Wednesday, May 26th! Seniors will be able to choose from two in-person graduation ceremonies on the stadium field and have two spectators with them. For the latest details, please check out https://www.smuhsd.org/Page/1810.
LATEST ON THE SAN MATEO GENERAL PLAN AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU
Your Baywood Owners Improvement Association (BOIA) urges you to find time NOW to get involved in the General Plan process to help design the City we want for the next 20 years. We know that is asking a lot, but our City is depending on you. So what can you do today? 1) Fill out the San Mateo Draft Alternatives Survey by tonight, May 2nd, to share your input on how the City should be thinking about growth. Whether you give a lot of input or just a few ideas important to you, your thoughts count; 2) Sign up for Introduction to the Housing Element Virtual Workshop #3 this Tuesday, May 4th, 6pm-7:30pm, to understand the important decisions that will be made as part of the General Plan about the types of housing we want in San Mateo and where they will be located; 3) Watch an Introduction to the San Mateo General Plan 2040 video and review the slides at https://strivesanmateo.org/workshops-pop-up-events/ to understand the overall objectives and process of the General Plan. 4) Sign up on the San Mateo General Plan website, www.strivesanmateo.org, to learn all about the various components of the General Plan and receive emails about upcoming opportunities to give your input; and 5) Let BOIA know if you'd like us to hold 30 minute educational Zoom sessions to give you a concise understanding of the scope of the General Plan, what it means for you and how you can get involved...all in plain English! What will the outcome of the General Plan mean for you?
The vibrancy and diversity of our City and our ability to attract and support people who want to work and live here;
How easy it is to get around (driving, walking, biking);
The attractiveness of our neighborhoods;
The level of basic infrastructure (water, sanitation, energy, etc.) needed to support our growth;
How we provide open space for recreation and relief;
The strength of our schools and having teachers and school staff who work where they live;
Our ability to attract and retain the businesses we need to support our needs, build our community and keep our City on a strong financial foundation.
In short, the way we develop our General Plan today will determine what San Mateo is for the next 20 years and beyond. So get involved today, and tell everyone you know in San Mateo to get involved as well. We know this is a big ask, given everything already on your plate, and we are very grateful! If you have additional questions or thought, please contact Michael Nash, President, BOIA, at baywoodhomeowners@gmail.com or 650.400.6274.
UPDATE ON FRANKLIN AND FAIRFAX STREET RECONSTRUCTION
Franklin & Fairfax Street Reconstruction Update
Residents on Franklin & Fairfax have received updates on the plan to reconstruct their streets over the coming month. We want to ensure everyone in Baywood has the detailed information on this important project. Project work has restarted since the San Mateo City Council approved additional funds to accommodate the unexpected work. The work will continue for another month. If you would like to understand the construction details, please read the letter from Azalea Mitch, Director of Public Works, in the SAN MATEO CITY UPDATE below. We thank City staff for their commitment to do what is necessary to complete this project and to communicate broadly to our neighbors about it!
SAN MATEO PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES OPENING TOMORROW, MAY 3RD!
Great news! Beginning May 3, all three San Mateo Public Library locations will be open to the public for browsing, holds pickup, and limited computer use. Library hours will remain the same. In-person reference will be available on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors. Other services will include magazine checkout and wi-fi. The Friends of the Library bookstore will be open. Face coverings are required at all times, and social distancing guidelines still apply. The library encourages you to limit your stay to 60 minutes to ensure that everyone can enjoy the library.
Overdue fees will not be incurred for items due. Checked out library items can be returned at the Main, Hillsdale, and Marina Libraries during book drop open hours. For more information please see the library COVID-19 FAQs or www.cityofsanmateo.org/coronavirus.
SANITARY SEWER ROOT FOAMING PROJECT COMING TO A SEWER NEAR YOU!
While not the most elegant of topics, this project will treat our sanitary sewer system with a foam herbicide to control root intrusion that can cause root blockage and sewer overflow. This project will take placeweekdays 8am to 5pm from now through August.
Many of Baywood's sewers are in easements behind our homes. If you have a sewer behind your home that needs to be accessed, you will get a notice hung on your front door with the estimated time the contract work will take place and a number to contact with questions or if you need to reschedule the appointment. Thanks for your cooperation!
Project Contacts:
City of San Mateo
Project Manager Laura Webb
lwebb@cityofsanmateo.org
650.522.7322
Contractor
Duke's Root Control, Inc.
Project Manager: Tom Edwards
Tom@dukes.com
800.769.8690
PLEASE GIVE BACK, BAYWOOD!
As more and more San Mateans get vaccinated, we need to remember that so many of us still are suffering economically or health-wise. Please continue to support the organizations that offer support to our neighbors in need. Here are a couple of opportunities to give back in San Mateo. Please share other events with us so that we can share them with all of Baywood! 1) Blood is Essential. The San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce and Vitalant Blood Centers are holding a blood drive at the San Mateo Marriott on May 6th. Over 20 time slots are still open between 10am to 2:45pm. It's easy and painless to donate blood and you can help save lives. Please schedule your appointment at: https://bloodheroes.com/index.cfm?group=op&expand=966280&zc=94402&oti=1 2) HIP Housing is a nonprofit organization that creates a place to call home for thousands of people in San Mateo County. They are holding their annual fundraiser on Wednesday, May 26th, 5pm-6pm, on Zoom. Kathryn Edin, on of the nation's leading poverty researchers, will share insights from her NY Times best-seller, $2 a Day: The Art of Living On Virtually Nothing In America. Register at https://hiphousing.org/virtualevent/.
SAN MATEO CITY GOVERNMENT UPDATES
DETAILS ON FRANKLIN AND FAIRFAX STREET RECONSTRUCTION
Letter from Azalea Mitch, Director of Public Works: Dear Residents, We write to update you on the latest project news for Franklin Street and Fairfax Avenue. As we’ve previously shared to our project webpage, NextDoor and by email, the project’s change order approval is scheduled for Monday’s (April 19, 2021) City Council meeting. Once approved, we plan to immediately return to work on your street. The reconstruction of the undisturbed portions of both Franklin Street and Fairfax Avenue will be completed using a modified construction method referred to as Full Depth Reclamation (FDR). Portions of roadway that have already been stabilized will be paved along with those segments that have been stabilized using FDR. The FDR process involves cement treating the existing soils within the roadway section prior to overlaying asphalt, which will stabilize the soft soils and allow paving to continue. The FDR operation can be more disruptive and is typically reserved for use in areas with very soft sub-grades. The current soil conditions warrant the switch to the FDR construction method. In order to mix the soil and cement, all existing underground utilities must first be lowered to a safe depth below the mixing apparatus. California Water Service Company (CalWater) and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) both responded promptly to the City’s request to lower their utilities and have recently completed their work allowing the City to proceed. The next sequence of work and approximate duration for the remaining portions of the project are as follows:
Excavating and placing base rock subgrade stabilization (4-5 days);
Installing subsurface drains for the previously completed subgrade stabilization (4-5 days);
Pulverizing of base material, mixing with cement and water, and spreading along the roadway to form the cement treated soil base (4-5 days);
Curing of the cement treated base (3 days) (During this period of time vehicles will not be allowed on the roadway, including accessing driveways);
Finish grading and asphalt paving work of the total roadway width (2-3 days);
Asphalt pavement cure time (7 days);
Utility covers adjustment to grade and pavement striping (2-3 days). If you have any special access needs during road reconstruction work, please contact us at 650-522-7300 or email publicworks@cityofsanmateo.org for accommodations. As the entire roadway will be reconstructed, temporary lane and/or complete street closures will be required. In addition, no street parking will be allowed during work hours, and the duration of the cement treated base cure period. Through traffic and driveway access will be maintained when possible, but there will be times when no access is allowed. Typical Work hours will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., no work will occur on weekends unless warranted by special circumstances. Please note the time, date, and location of the Temporary No Parking on the street and plan to park accordingly. The Temporary No Parking signs will contain the most current parking restriction information. We are grateful for your patience and recognize the inconvenience of this important infrastructure improvement in your neighborhood. To complete the work and ensure its quality it is extremely important that the street is not used until it has had time to cure/dry properly. To avoid damage to your personal property and the street, DO NOT DRIVE ON A STREET UNTIL ALL TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND THE STREET IS OPEN FOR USE. We will issue doorhangers to affected residents, update our webpage, and post to NextDoor in advance of the days when no driveway access will be allowed.
HOW WILL THIS STAGE OF CONSTRUCTION AFFECT YOU?
There may be periods of time when lane and driveway access could be restricted. If you need to leave during the day or if you return home and the lane is closed, you will need to find parking for your vehicle away from the construction area.
"No Parking" signs will be posted at least 48 hours in advance of the work. If unexpected delays occur, the new date will be re-posted at least 48 hours in advance.
The City will coordinate with refuse companies, the post office, and other agencies to minimize any disruption of service during the construction. Your garbage and recycling will be picked up as usual.
Please do not put other debris on the street when the construction is scheduled to take place.
Reduced speed through the construction zone will be enforced for the safety of the public and the City's employees. The reduced speed will also prevent possible windshield damage due to flying rock fragments. Please keep in mind that traffic fines are doubled in construction zones.
Please keep children away from the street during construction.
Please do not run water onto the street the night before or during the construction, and for 24 hours after construction.
Please remove all items that extend beyond the lip of the gutter to prevent impeding the construction work. These may include steel plate ramps that extend into the street from driveways as well as basketball courts in the street. PLEASE NOTE: Any vehicle parked within the temporary "No Parking" areas during the times posted will be towed at the owner's expense. Follow all traffic control signs and DO NOT move any barricades, cones, or delineators in order to go around them. It is ILLEGAL to move traffic control devices and traffic fines will be issued. If you are unsure whether or not you should drive on a street, or do not understand the detour signs, please call us to ask for assistance.
We thank you again for your continued patience and support of this project. We remind you that Council meeting agendas are posted the Thursday before the Monday meeting, and can be found at this link: https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/3971/Agendas-Minutes-Public-Meeting-Portal. Council meetings typically begin at 7 p.m. For the latest information on this rapidly changing situation, turn to the San Mateo County and City of San Mateo websites and the City eNewsletter. Stay safe, wear your masks and let's keep getting better every day!