Safeguard Community Character and Affordable Housing

This ordinance seeks to implement new zoning protections that prioritize affordable housing while maintaining the historical and aesthetic character of local neighborhoods against aggressive high-density development on the San Francisco Peninsula. Proponent Richard Kurylo has circulated the proposal among residents of unincorporated San Mateo County communities where recent state housing mandates have accelerated approvals for multi-story apartment and condominium projects. The ordinance would establish a Community Character Overlay Zone that limits new residential buildings to three stories and 35 feet in height within a half-mile radius of designated historic districts and neighborhood commercial corridors. Within this overlay, developers seeking to build above the height limit would be required to set aside 25 percent of units as affordable to households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income, which is currently approximately $149,600 for a family of four in San Mateo County. The proposal also includes design review standards requiring new buildings to use materials, setbacks, and rooflines compatible with adjacent structures built before 1970. Supporters, including several neighborhood associations and the local historical society, argue that the overlay would give communities a meaningful voice in how growth occurs rather than allowing state-mandated density bonuses to override local preferences. Housing advocacy organizations such as YIMBY Action and the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California oppose the measure, contending that it would effectively block the construction of housing units needed to meet the county’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation of over 12,000 units by 2031. Legal analysts have raised questions about whether the ordinance could withstand challenge under the Housing Accountability Act, which restricts local governments from denying compliant housing projects. Kurylo’s campaign argues that the ordinance does not ban development but rather channels it into forms that residents can support, which would ultimately speed approvals by reducing community opposition. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors would need to adopt the ordinance or place it on the ballot for voter approval.