Welcome to Plan Princeton!
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Plan Princeton is a study by the County of San Mateo to update the development plan for Princeton. The project focuses on the area west of and including Highway 1, between Pillar Point Harbor and Moss Beach. The purpose of this project is to make a comprehensive update to the policies, plans, and standards regulating the Princeton study area to:

  • Enhance coastal access, recreation, research, and education opportunities.
  • Support and expand coastal-dependent and coastal-related uses.
  • Provide facilities needed by the commercial fishing industry and recreational boaters.
  • Create local jobs and services.
  • Abate neighborhood blight and zoning violations.
  • Address parking, circulation, and infrastructure needs.
  • Identify effective strategies for protecting the community from sea level rise.
  • Protect and restore water quality and sensitive habitats.
  • Maintain compliance with the State Coastal Act and State airport compatibility requirements.

The project was initiated in 2013 and had developed a draft plan in March 2015. However, with the realization of the risks to Princeton due to climate change-induced sea level rise, the planning process was halted to research the impacts and the state guidance on the sea level rise projections. This was further delayed by the pandemic. In June 2024, the State’s Ocean Protection Council released its latest assessment of the estimated sea level rise through 2100. The data provides the County an opportunity to revisit the draft development plan and determine any updates that may be needed to address the impact that rising waters may have in Princeton.

Community Workshop for Draft Sea Level Rise Policies –
September 30, 2025

The County held a community workshop on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, to review the proposed approach to sea level rise in Plan Princeton with the establishment of a Sea Level Rise Overlay District. The presentation and a recording of the workshop are available below. 

Please send comments on the presented information by October 31, 2025 to:

Summer Burlison, sburlison@smcgov.org
Long Range Planning, planning_lrp@smcgov.org 

During the workshop, we presented the concept of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) as a subsequent action item to Plan Princeton. To learn more about TDR, please see the supplemental information and resources below.

What is Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)

Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) is a land use tool that allows for the permanent preservation of open space, farmland, or environmentally sensitive areas without requiring public funds for land acquisition. The process involves identifying "sending areas" where development is restricted and "receiving areas" where denser development is encouraged. A landowner in a sending area can voluntarily sell their right to develop their property to a developer who wants to build in a receiving area. The developer purchases these rights—often in the form of TDR "credits"—and uses them to exceed the existing development intensity limits in the receiving area. In exchange, the selling landowner places a permanent conservation easement on their property, legally protecting it from future development. This system compensates landowners for the value of their development rights while channeling growth to areas with existing infrastructure, and it ultimately uses private capital to fund conservation efforts.

In Princeton, a TDR program can help property owners whose properties are at risk from sea level rise to get compensated for their potential development capacity, and dedicate their properties towards building infrastructure to protect the remaining parts of the community from sea-level rise. For more information on TDR please see:

TDR - General 
Managed Retreat Toolkit » Transfer of Development Rights - Georgetown Climate Center (website)
TransferofDevelopmentRights.pdf – Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions (pdf)

TDR - Program Examples
LUAU Definitions - Transfer of Development Rights - TDR (video)
OurTCB: Transfer of Development Rights (video)
https://www.trpa.gov/development-rights/ - Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (website)
PVPC-Transfer-of-Development-Rights-for-GHG-Reduction.pdf - Pioneer Valley, MD (pdf)
 

Sea Level Rise Community Workshop – November 1, 2024

The County held a half-day community engagement workshop on Friday, November 1, 2024, to provide new information on the impacts of sea level rise and seek community input through an interactive workshop game to update the draft plan. A summary of the workshop, a copy of the workshop materials, and a recording of the presentations are available below.

Project Schedule
  • Summary of Sea Level Rise Community Workshop Feedback - December 2024
  • Draft Sea Level Rise Policy Updates  - Sept 2025
  • Draft Plan - Early 2026
  • Airport Land Use Commission, Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors – TBD
  • California Coastal Commission - TBD