San Mateo residents can weigh in on how the city protects its shoreline from rising bay waters at a public workshop Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The city announced the meeting Thursday, Sept. 24 on X, calling on residents to help shape its Climate Adaptation Plan for Sea Level Rise. The workshop runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Main Library's Oak Room Patio, 55 W. 3rd Ave. Refreshments will be provided.

The Oct. 6 session is the first of three planned public meetings in a multi-year effort to build a Subregional Shoreline Adaptation Plan. The city is developing the plan to meet requirements under Senate Bill 272 and guidelines from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). San Mateo is among the first agencies in the region to begin such a plan, and BCDC has issued an initiation notice recognizing the effort, according to the city's project page.

Bay Area sea levels have risen 8 inches over the past century, and the pace is accelerating to about 0.9 inches every decade, according to the San Mateo County Sustainability Department. By 2100, tides could sit 3 to 6 feet above current levels. King tides in January 2026 topped 7 feet in parts of San Mateo County, flooding low-lying shoreline areas.

The city is seeking resident feedback to shape a coordinated plan that protects infrastructure and natural resources along the shoreline, according to the library's event listing.

A project team has already completed an existing-conditions report documenting San Mateo's shoreline. The Oct. 6 workshop will focus on that assessment and a vulnerability analysis. A second public meeting on adaptation strategies is scheduled for July 2027, with a third on the draft plan in February 2028. City Council review and final approval are targeted for June 2028.

The plan is funded by a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant the city secured in 2024. Andrea Chow, the city's sustainability analyst, is the project contact and can be reached at [email protected] or 650-522-7007.

The city has already taken steps along its bayfront. The completed North Shoreview Flood Improvement Project elevated the Bayfront Levee between Coyote Point and San Mateo Creek and increased pump capacity at two stations.

Residents who cannot attend the Oct. 6 workshop can sign up for project updates by subscribing to the "Sustainability News and Events" email list through the city's website.