We, the citizens of San Mateo, respectfully petition the San Mateo Planning Commission and City Council to protect the safety of the neighborhoods around St. Matthew’s Church by requiring that St. Matthew’s comply with all city building and parking codes as set forth by the City of San Mateo. We ask that the City require St. Matthew’s to abide by the laws of common sense and act reasonably, and comply with the San Mateo Zoning Laws, the Hexagon Parking Studies, and the wishes of their neighbors, and provide at least the minimum required number of permanent on-site parking spaces as dictated by city code. We also ask that the City require St. Matthew's to provide a long-term master plan that addresses the current overbuilding of the site, prior to approving any further expansion at the current site. Background St. Matthew's Catholic Church submitted a proposal to the City of San Mateo to build a new, $6,000,000, 13,000 square foot, 700+ person capacity "Community Parish Center" at their current location despite the fact that they are already over their allowable building area and without building any additional on-site parking. According to the traffic and parking consultants hired by San Mateo: Parking capacity at St. Matthew’s is currently under the amount required by the San Mateo Zoning Codes by 207 spaces, which causes unsafe driving, illegal parking, and severe congestion in the neighborhoods around the site; This proposed project will intensify the parking crisis by extending the parking deficit to 430 total spaces; Today, the total area of the buildings on St. Matthew’s campus is over the amount allowed by the zoning codes by 25% due to “grandfathering”; the addition of this new structure would push the facility to 46% over the area allowed by the San Mateo Zoning Codes; and Despite being asked by the San Mateo Planning Commission, St. Matthew’s declined to submit a long-term master plan, which would describe all proposed expansion plans.

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