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- 🔥 How New State Fire Rules Might Affect Your Home
🔥 How New State Fire Rules Might Affect Your Home
Plus Outdoor Movies, a new Pilates Studio, and County Budget Updates
Greg Kemper
September 17, 2026
Good morning neighbors!
Welcome to this week’s San Mateo Scoop! We’ve got details on the funding for safety projects on 101, plus an update on San Mateo County’s budget gap and new fire safety rules for your home. We also have a ton of fun going on this week: HEAD WEST Marketplace returns as well as outdoor movies and coastal cleanups, plus a chance for local businesses to work with San Mateo county
Let’s dive in!
In this week’s edition:
City Updates: Funding for Highway 101 safety projects and new updates on fire safety rules for your home
Business Updates: Centuries of art on display in San Carlos
Events: HEAD WEST Marketplace returns, outdoor movies, plus a chance for local businesses to work with San Mateo county
Your Saturday Plans: HEAD WEST Marketplace returns to downtown San Mateo!
South B Street in San Mateo
HEAD WEST Marketplace is back this weekend in Downtown San Mateo, once again transforming South B Street into a lively open-air marketplace filled with Local Makers, Crafters, Artists, Designers and Vintage Merchants. With the street closed to cars, it creates a fun, family-friendly atmosphere to shop small, support local creatives and enjoy live music!
HEAD WEST Marketplace takes place on the 3rd Saturday of each month through December, making it a great weekend outing downtown while supporting local merchants and vendors! Learn more here!
New State Fire Rules Mean Big Changes for Yards Near the Foothills
California has approved first-in-the-nation "Zone 0" rules requiring homeowners in high fire-risk areas to clear or manage flammable vegetation and materials within 5 feet of their homes. New construction must comply immediately, while existing homes get three- to five-year phase-in periods. Local landscape designers say residents don't have to choose between fire safety and a nice-looking yard, swapping mulch for gravel, adding metal privacy screens instead of dense shrubs, and using potted plants that meet size and container rules can keep the first five feet both attractive and ember-resistant. If you live in or near the foothills, now's a good time to start planning changes, since insurers are increasingly using drones to inspect properties for overhanging branches and vegetation touching homes. Read more here.
State Acknowledges San Mateo County's $226 Million Funding Gap
California lawmakers have formally recognized, in the 2026 state budget trailer bill AB 184, that San Mateo County has a long-running shortfall in Vehicle License Fee funding tied to a 2004 state budget deal, but the new language doesn't send the county a single extra dollar yet. County officials say the gap has nearly doubled in a year, from about $119 million to roughly $226 million, and could grow past $1 billion by 2030 if it stays unresolved.
That matters locally because officials have warned potential cuts could include closing a fire station, cutting more than a dozen firefighter and police positions, ending subsidized childcare for hundreds of children, reducing library and pool hours, and delaying affordable housing projects, with more than 1,000 essential jobs countywide potentially at risk. The bill commits the state to working toward a permanent fix starting in the 2027–28 fiscal year, and county leaders are now pushing to get a real solution into Gov. Newsom's January 2027 budget before he leaves office. Read more here.
$8.1 Million Headed to Highway 101 Safety Projects
The San Mateo County Transportation Authority board approved $8.1 million for 11 local transportation projects aimed at improving safety and connections along the busy U.S. Highway 101 corridor. Of that, $4.1 million comes from new Measure A sales-tax interest income earmarked for the "101 Corridor Connect" Kickstart Mini-Grant Program, adding to $4 million already approved for the effort.
The program looks beyond highway infrastructure alone, aiming to improve the mobility network as a whole, including walking, biking, and transit connections, for communities along the corridor from Brisbane to Menlo Park. For commuters and residents near the freeway, this funding should translate into smaller-scale but tangible fixes, like safer crossings and better bike and pedestrian access, rather than one single mega-project. Read more here.
San Mateo Narrowly Approves Update to 1989 Historic Building Survey
San Mateo narrowly approved a $140,584 effort to survey more than 90 older properties around the city, a move preservation advocates call necessary to protect the city's history but that critics say is fiscally irresponsible given the city's budget deficit. The vote is the latest chapter in a years-long debate over how San Mateo should identify and protect historic homes. The survey will take a fresh look at properties originally identified in a 1989 historic building survey to determine which ones may still qualify for local historic designation today. Read more here.
Centuries of Indian Art Land in Downtown San Carlos Boutique
A new boutique called Muditā celebrated its grand opening Sept. 12–13 in downtown San Carlos, bringing together historic and contemporary Indian art, furniture, textiles, jewelry, and home goods under one roof. It was founded by San Carlos resident Nidhi Patel, who wanted to give her children and the wider community a deeper connection to Indian art and its long history. The shop sources work from artists and artisans across India who blend traditional materials and techniques with contemporary design, and plans to share context about the history behind each piece rather than presenting old and new separately. Muditā will also host family-friendly programming, including storytelling and hands-on art activities for kids, so it's shaping up to be both a shopping destination and a cultural gathering spot for Peninsula families. Learn more here.
Rise Woodfire in San Mateo
Rise Woodfire in downtown San Mateo brings wood-fired cooking, rotisserie dishes, and a lively restaurant atmosphere to the historic Caltrain station setting. Its menu includes wood-fired pizzas, roasted meats, and comfort-food favorites, with brunch offerings adding a daytime option. The restaurant’s pizza selection includes classics such as Margherita alongside heartier combinations like the Carne pizza. Other menu highlights include rotisserie chicken, beef ribs, and jalapeño cheddar cornbread served with whipped honey butter. With its spacious dining areas and indoor and outdoor seating, Rise Woodfire also accommodates group gatherings and special events.
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We do our best to verify dates/locations of events, but please independently verify before attending as details are subject to change
🛍️ HEAD WEST Marketplace | San Mateo | South B Street | 9/19 | more
Browse a lineup of local makers, crafters, artists, designers, and vintage sellers while live music plays at this trendy pop-up marketplace.
🧘 Hiptwist Fitness Grand Opening | San Mateo | Hiptwist | 9/17 | more
Celebrate the grand opening of this new women-owned Pilates and recovery studio with a ribbon cutting, studio tours, and bites and drinks with the community.
🎶 September Nights on B Street | San Mateo | B Street | 9/17 | more
Head downtown for a free night of live music, food, and family fun as B Street transforms into an open-air pavilion for the city's signature summer send-off event.
🎸 Rock the Block | San Mateo | Hillsdale Mall - North Block Plaza | 9/18 | more
Grab a bite from the Dining Terrace and settle in for a free live concert under the open sky at Hillsdale's popular North Block Plaza music series.
🎬 Lilo & Stitch Movie Night | San Mateo | Laurie Meadows Park | 9/18 | more
Bring a blanket and low-back chair for a free outdoor screening of Lilo & Stitch, with pre-movie activities kicking off before the film starts at dusk.
🎉 Kids Night Out | Burlingame | Burlingame Community Center | 9/18 | more
Drop the kids off for a supervised evening of games, crafts, and a movie while the grown-ups enjoy a night to themselves.
📚 Annual Fall Book Sale | San Mateo | Main Library | 9/18 - 9/20 | more
Stock up on bargain-priced books, movies, and more at the Friends of the San Mateo Public Library's beloved multi-day fall sale, with proceeds supporting the library's collections.
🦊 Zootopia 2 Movie Night | Belmont | Twin Pines Park Meadow | 9/18 | more
Pack a picnic blanket and settle in on the meadow for a free outdoor screening of Zootopia 2 as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde crack their trickiest case yet.
🕰️ Outdoor Vintage Market | Belmont | Carlmont Shopping Center | 9/19 | more
Browse racks of vintage clothing, antiques, and handmade finds from local vendors at this open-air market in the heart of Carlmont Shopping Center.
🤠 Boots, Blue Jeans, and Barbeque Fundraiser | San Carlos | Adult Community Center | 9/19 | more
Put on your cowboy boots for a hoedown benefiting the Adult Community Center, with live music, dancing, prizes, and a full BBQ dinner.
🧜♀️ Box Office at Burton: The Little Mermaid Sing Along | San Carlos | Burton Park | 9/19 | more
Grab a blanket and belt out "Part of Your World" and "Under the Sea" at this free outdoor sing-along screening under the stars at Burton Park's Cedar Stage.
🍺 Oktoberfest | San Mateo | Fieldwork Brewing Company | 9/19 - 10/4| more
Raise a stein of the annual Fest & Last Oktoberfest Lager and dig into German-inspired pretzels and bratwurst during Fieldwork's weeks-long fall celebration.
🌊 Belmont Creeks Coastal Cleanup | Belmont | Twin Pines Lane | 9/19 | more
Roll up your sleeves and help keep local creeks and waterways trash-free as part of California's statewide Coastal Cleanup Day effort.
🚴 Community Bike Ride | Foster City | Boothbay Park | 9/20 | more
Saddle up for a free 5- or 10-mile ride along the levee with neighbors and friends, capped off with refreshments and giveaways at the finish.
⚡ E-Bike Safety Meeting | Belmont | Nesbit Elementary School | 9/23 | more
Parents and riders are invited to learn the rules of the road for e-bikes and ask questions of Belmont police at this community safety meeting.
🐾 Pet Adoption Clinic and Craft | San Carlos | Courtyard by San Carlos Library | 9/24 | more
Meet adoptable pets looking for their forever homes and make a craft to support shelter animals at this feel-good library courtyard event.
🎨 Paint and Pastry | Belmont | The Local Spot | 9/24 | more
Unwind with a relaxed, no-experience-needed painting session paired with sweet treats at this cozy local hangout.