The County of San Mateo is building or repairing fire stations and other emergency response facilities, improving access to technology and enhancing parks and trails. The list below includes active and planned projects funded with local sales taxes from Measure K.
At a Glance:
Do you want to know where Measure K tax dollars are being invested?
Check out this chart to view each initiative and to see how local funds are supporting local needs in San Mateo County.
An artist's rendering of the planned Regional Operations Center, a seismically safe building that will house 9-1-1 dispatchers, an Emergency Operations Center and other key emergency response functions.
New Emergency Operations, Dispatch Center
The County is trading in its decades-old Emergency Operations and Public Safety Communications (9-1-1) centers. A new two-story emergency Regional Operations Center, which will be located on the County Center campus in downtown Redwood City, will be the central information hub for countywide emergency and disaster response and communications. It will house Public Safety Dispatchers, a secure Data Center and the offices of the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services and Division of Homeland Security. Learn more.
Bridging the Digital Divide
Here in the heart of Silicon Valley many residents have no access to high-speed Internet connections due to the cost, location or other hurdles. Applying for employment or doing homework can be a challenge. San Mateo County Public WiFi places free high-speed Internet hot spots at various locations across the county. The goal is to support educational opportunities, spur economic development and provide greater access to County services. Learn more.
North Fair Oaks Forward
In June 2013 the Board of Supervisors approved $12.5 million in local sales tax funding from Measure K to redesign Middlefield Road from Pacific to 5th Avenue in the North Fair Oaks neighborhood and to help revitalize the area. Learn more about the project and other efforts to enhance the quality of life on the North Fair Oaks Forward website.
Local officials break ground on the new fire station for Skylonda.
Skylonda Fire Station
San Mateo County officials on June 14, 2016, broke ground on a new $8 million fire station in Skylonda (County Fire Station #58) that will give firefighters modernized quarters and speed up public safety response to the remote surrounding community. The new two-story station encompasses a 12,037-square-foot main building and a 1,638-square-foot vehicle building. Approximately half of the cost is from local sales tax funds (Measure K). Learn more.
Pescadero Fire Station
The Board of Supervisors in August 2013 approved replacing County Fire Station #59 in Pescadero. The current station's barracks are in a flood plain while seasonal flooding along Butano Creek denies fire personnel direct access to the Pescadero community. The estimated cost of demolishing the existing station and building a new one is $8 million, with funding from local sales taxes (Measure K) and other sources. No site has yet been selected. Learn more.
An artist's rendering of a new library for Half Moon Bay.
Library Projects
The Board of Supervisors has allocated local sales tax funding (Measure K) for library renovation projects in South San Francisco ($900,000), Daly City ($100,000), East Palo Alto ($500,000) and North Fair Oaks ($500,000) and for new libraries in Pacifica ($500,000) and Brisbane ($300,000). Local sales tax funds have also supported planning efforts for a new library in Half Moon Bay ($500,000). Learn more about library projects on the County's Performance Dashboard.
County Park Improvements
Creating a stand-alone Parks Department (Parks was folded into Public Works in a cost-cutting move during the Great Recession) and repairing or replacing aging infrastructure were among the first investments following the passage of the local half-cent sales tax in November 2012. Parks has since received $7.69 million in these Measure K funds as of June 2016. Projects range from replacing the fresh-water treatment system at Memorial Park to building culverts to improve stream flow in San Pedro Valley Park and improving roads, clearing trails and protecting plants and wildlife from San Bruno Mountain to Pescadero. Playground improvements at Huddart Park and work needed to open the new Devil's Slide Trail have also been funded. Learn more.
A new playground in San Mateo's Beresford Park includes climbing towers and nets.
City Parks
The Board of Supervisors in September 2015 voted to provide equal grants of $66,666 to the cities of San Mateo, Foster City and Belmont so that all residents can enjoy their parks. The funds helped to build an adventure-themed playground at Beresford Park in San Mateo that opened in summer 2016. Grants are also going to improve the Leo J. Ryan Park in Foster City (which is undergoing a master planning process) and create Davey Glen Park in Belmont.
In addition, the Board in October 2016 awarded $50,000 in local sales tax funds to build a new playground that will delight children and adults of all ages and abilities in Red Morton Park in Redwood City. The Magical Bridge Playground will include smooth surfaces for wheelchairs, walkers and crutches as well as swings, a sway boat and a spin zone to get everyone in motion.
Trail Planning and Construction
The County is working with numerous partners to link trails, expand and protect open space and improve outdoor recreational opportunities with the help of Measure K funds. These include the Ravenswood Bay Trail connection project, the California Coastal Trail, planning for the Pedro Point Headlands and coastal land acquisition.
Maple Street Shelter Renovation
This project, approved by the Board in June 2016, will expand and modernize an existing homeless shelter, increasing the number of beds from 75 to approximately 216. The plan calls for expanding into an existing building formerly used by the Sheriff's Office. The shelter located east of Highway 101 in Redwood City is operated by LifeMoves, a nonprofit based in Menlo Park. Learn more.