Gita Dev loves the abundance of open spaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. and county parks in San Mateo County.
And no wonder. The county is a leader in open spaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. protection, both through direct purchase of land and through policy protection. The county is fortunate to have both the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open SpaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. District and the Peninsula Open SpaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. Trust; together, these organizations permanently protected an additional 2,500 acres since 2006. San Mateo is second only to Marin County in the percentage of its landscape that is permanently protected: 38% of total acres.
“There are a lot of trails that go through my neighborhood and connect up to the preserves,” says Gita. Windy Hill Open SpaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. Preserve is a favorite of her family’s because it’s also dog-friendly. She also appreciates the wildlife coming through the community. “Quite a bit of wildlife goes back and forth—deer, rabbits, foxes, possums, all kinds of birds.”
San Mateo County’s urban/rural boundary is a unique policy approach that limits the intensityThe degree to which land is used. 0ften used interchangeably with densityThe amount of development per acre permitted on a parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. under the applicable zoning., intensity has a broader — though less clear — meaning, referring to levels of concentration or activity in uses such as residentialLand designated in the city or county general plan and zoning ordinance for buildings consisting only of dwelling units. May be improved, vacant, or unimproved., commercialA land use classification that permits facilities for the buying and selling of commodities and services., industrialThe manufacture, production, and processing of consumer goods. Industrial is often divided into "heavy industrial" uses (such as construction yards, quarrying, and factories) and "light industrial" uses (such as research and development and less intensive warehousing and manufacturing)., agricultural, recreation or parking. of development based on a series of criteria, including how steep the hillside is and the quality of the soil. The complex formula can still allow some land outside the boundary to urbanize; this leaves much of the county under only medium protection. Nonetheless, San Mateo has a relatively low level of land at risk of suburban sprawlThe process in which the spread of development across the landscape far outpaces population growth. The landscape sprawl creates has four characteristics: a population that is widely dispersed in low-density development; rigid separation of uses, so that homes, commerce and workplaces are segregated from one another; a network of roads laid out to separate land into huge blocks and offering poor access; and a lack of well-defined, thriving activity centers, such as downtowns and town centers. Most of the other features usually associated with sprawl – a lack of transportation choices, relative uniformity of housing options, and difficulty walking from place to place – result from these conditions. (only 6%) because most land out- side the boundary has steep slopes and is difficult to develop. Much of the threat to open spaceAny parcelA lot, or contiguous group of lots, in single ownership or under single control, usually considered a unit for purposes of development. or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation, or (4) public health and safety. in the county is primarily from rural estate homes on large, undeveloped parcels of land.
The most controversial development site in San Mateo County in recent years is the 1400-acrea unit of area used in land measurement and equal to 43,560 square feet. This is approximately equivalent to 4,840 square yards, 160 square rods, 0.405 hectares, and 4,047 square meters. Cargill salt ponds site in Redwood City; a developer is proposing to restore a portion of the site to wetlands and develop a portion as homes, parks, and sports facilities.
