San Mateo County residents can still weigh in on how the county plans for earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters, but the comment window closes Friday, July 31.
The county's Planning and Building Department released an updated Safety Element of its General Plan for public review and is accepting written comments through that date. The document governs how the county identifies hazards, plans emergency response, and shapes land use decisions to reduce risk in unincorporated areas.
The County of San Mateo announced the comment period on Friday, July 24, via its official account on X, directing residents to email [email protected] with feedback.
What the Safety Element covers
Under California law, the Safety Element is one of nine required chapters of a General Plan. It aims to reduce the risk of death, injuries, property damage, and economic disruption from fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, and climate change.
San Mateo County's geography makes those risks acute: roughly 55 miles of Pacific coastline on the west and 34 miles of San Francisco Bay shoreline on the east, according to the county's Peninsula Resilience Planning community input report published in March 2026.
Why it matters to San Mateo city residents
The city of San Mateo is incorporated and maintains its own General Plan. But county-level hazard planning still affects city residents who rely on county roads, emergency services, and regional evacuation infrastructure.
During community workshops held between 2024 and 2025 as part of the Peninsula Resilience Planning project, participants identified flooding as their top concern. Wildfire risks followed, including rising insurance costs, evacuation route constraints, and smoke impacts on air quality. Residents also flagged the vulnerability of non-English speaking communities, older adults, and low-income households.
How the plan was developed
The Safety Element update grew out of the Peninsula Resilience Planning (PREP) project, a collaboration among nine jurisdictions including the county, the Town of Atherton, and the cities of Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica, and San Bruno. The county's Planning and Building Department led the effort.
Community engagement included three virtual countywide workshops in March and April 2024 and May 2025, plus in-person meetings in North Fair Oaks, Pescadero, Half Moon Bay, and East Palo Alto. Twenty-four representatives from service organizations also participated in provider discussions.
What happens next
After the comment period closes Friday, July 31, the updated Safety Element will go before the County Planning Commission and then the Board of Supervisors for adoption hearings. No specific hearing dates have been announced.
The full document is available at smcgov.org/planning/safety-element-update. Written comments can be sent to [email protected] before the Friday deadline.
