Midcoast LCP Policy 1.23 Amendment Public Meeting - June 30, 2026

The County of San Mateo held a public meeting on June 30, 2026, to discuss amendments to the Midcoast Local Coastal Program (LCP) Policy 1.23, which imposes a development cap of 40 housing units per year. The meeting focused on addressing challenges related to exceeding this cap, particularly after a 71-unit affordable housing project was approved in 2025, pushing the total permits above the cap and triggering regulatory consequences. County officials presented several amendment options to manage permit issuance, including averaging permits over multiple years, exempting affordable housing from the cap, and implementing tiered permit issuance approaches. The discussion also covered the establishment of a waitlist system to prioritize building permits, concerns about infrastructure capacity (traffic, wastewater, emergency evacuation), and the impact of state housing mandates requiring increased housing element targets. Public input was solicited on the proposed alternatives, with a voting process conducted to gauge community preferences. The meeting emphasized the need to balance housing development with regulatory compliance and community infrastructure limitations, while avoiding automatic increases to the permit cap without Coastal Commission approval.