The Belmont HIA team will be attending two neighborhood National Night Out Events, join in the conversation to learn about the Belmont Harbor Area Industrial Plan at National Night Out. 

HOMEVIEW NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
Please join us from 5 - 7:30 p.m. at 350-398 Ralston Avenue (O'Donnell Park). The project team will be available to answer questions and have casual conversation about the overall specific plan process and goals. We invite your feedback. 

DOWNTOWN NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
Please join us from 6 - 8 p.m. at 1300 Fifth Avenue (Good Shepherd Church). The project team will be available to answer questions and have casual conversation about the overall specific plan process and goals. We invite your feedback. 

Get more information about the project by clicking the button below: 

Do you want to start composting at home? Join us for a no-cost two-hour workshop through the County of San Mateo's 'Sustainability Academy' to learn the basics of starting your own backyard and worm composting systems.

Learn how to turn your food scraps, leaves, and plant cuttings into nutrient-rich compost that helps your garden retain moisture, suppress weeds, and prevent soil erosion, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

It is rewarding to know you are turning what some consider organic waste into a nutrient rich organic material for your garden.

This workshop is for people who live or work in San Mateo County. San Mateo County residents will receive a free compost or worm bin and discounts on accessories.

The in-person event will be held on Saturday, July 29 from 10 a.m. - Noon at the Civic Garden Club of San Carlos in San Carlos.

July 29
10 a.m. to Noon
Civic Garden Club of San Carlos
737 Walnut Street
San Carlos, CA

We all remember the chaos of the winter storms and how each of us were challenged to dust off those unused disaster bags or remember where we stored our flashlights. 

With the very real memory of being unprepared, we hope this reminder to get ready for major disasters is helpful. 

Preparing your family for the worst that can happen sounds like a depressing way to spend a day.

No, we can’t stop an earthquake or a tsunami. But we can anticipate and prepare for any number of calamities that may strike while we are at home, at the office, on the road or in school.

The County of San Mateo’s annual Disaster Preparedness Day will provide attendees the opportunity to learn from experts in a family-friendly setting with free hotdogs, while supplies last, and the opportunity for kids (and adults) to get up close with emergency-response vehicles.

The free event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, at the San Mateo County Event Center. free parking will be available at the entrance at 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo. For more details, click the button below. 

Aug. 5
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
San Mateo Events Center
1346 Saratoga Drive
San Mateo, CA

Smartphones are an important tool in our daily lives, but it’s essential for us to be more conscious of how we use them, especially around family and friends.

Join Digital Detox Week from July 17-23 and keep track of your device-free activities.

Visit your local library to pick up an activity log or print one out at home and return it when you’re done for the chance to win awesome prizes.

Registration for all of our fall classes and special events opens on Monday, Aug. 7. 

We are happy to be offering a wide range of opportunities for all age levels and interests. There is something for everyone this fall. 

We are offering all our usual favorites such as yoga and tennis and some new experiences such as a Safari Trip for adults and seniors, baby ballet, and a trunk or treat event that you can be a part of.  

The Fall 2023 activity guide will be out the first week of August, but you can browse all of our offerings early by clicking the button below: 

Belmont Talks: Creating a Culture of Belonging 

Join us for an open discussion
about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

City Councilmembers and Belmont’s DEI Officer Brigitte Shearer welcome all to the Belmont Library on Thursday Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m. for an interactive discussion on the fundamentals of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, otherwise known as DEI. 

Learn what the terms mean and what you can do to get involved and incorporate it in your life. Take a deep dive into how our community can be a place that is welcoming to all.

Come prepared with questions for an open discussion after the presentation. 

Thursday, Aug. 10
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Belmont Public Library 
1110 Alameda de las Pulgas
Belmont, CA

San Mateo County Vector Control is re-opening its annual Open House. This year's Open House will be held Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023 from 12-4 p.m. at the District headquarters at 1351 Rollins Road in Burlingame. 

This year's Open House will include:

• Kid-friendly activities including bubbles, face painting, and more. 
• Equipment displays and information (including airboat and drone)
• Insect displays, including mosquito colony and live stick insects
• Behind-the-scenes look at our mosquitofish breeding and holding tanks
• Tick-bite prevention tips and tick-removal tools
• Information about rats and mice - how to keep them out of your home
• Informational displays about a variety of other vectors, including yellowjackets
• Light refreshments (popsicles and other options)

Saturday, Aug. 12
12 - 4 p.m.
1351 Rollins Road
Burlingame, CA

San Mateo County Health recently posted announcements reminding parents and guardians to make sure their children’s vaccinations and health screenings required for school and childcare are up to date for the upcoming school year.

Children in California are required to receive certain immunizations and health screenings to attend school.

County Health provides information on the well-child health screenings, required immunizations needed to attend school, tuberculosis risk assessments, oral health screenings, and options for children without health insurance.

Click the button below for the details every parent needs. 

Looking for some engaging, enlightening and most importantly, fun summer activities for middle school youth?  Middle Scholars is back. 

Exciting STEAM learning opportunities are lined up, just for you. In partnership with three County of San Mateo agencies, San Mateo County Libraries is highlighting the diversity of STEAM experiences available, in hopes of sparking a lifelong curiosity and interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Discover more about sustainability and resource conservation, insects, biomimicry and engineering.

Local libraries will host at least one STEAM-themed escape room-style challenge for middle schoolers. Check the event listings for exciting programs near you.

Did you know we have a seed library at Belmont Library?

They are free for community members to browse, take seeds from and donate to.

Learn more about this offering and discover titles about seed saving, California native plants and how we can help the climate through gardening.

An additional strength test was added in Ralston Station and project execution is being driven into August/September due a number of factors identified in our June 30 Enews.

The project team identified an opportunity to bundle a number of projects in order to eliminate having to revisit the area multiple times.

For any questions about this gas safety project, please email Daniel.LoForti@pge.com.

To learn more about County trail closures, click on the button below.

First Time Homebuyer Loans
ON-DEMAND WEBINAR, INFO & RESOURCES

The goal of Heart of San Mateo County is simple: to help you purchase a home with a 5 percent downpayment and no Private Mortgage Insurance. 

HEART has created a unique loan package in partnership with Meriwest Mortgage, a subsidiary of Meriwest Credit Union, that is not offered by any other lender.

You can watch HEART’s free one-hour workshop with local mortgage and real estate experts to learn how the HEART program can work for you and about the homebuying process.

The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority has launched the Doorway Housing Portal, a hub to easily find affordable housing in the Bay Area.

The first-of-its-kind regional online portal was developed with pro bono support from Google.org Fellows, a team that includes Google researchers, designers, product managers and software engineers.

The need for affordable housing is ever growing, and it’s estimated that the Bay Area would need 180,000 more affordable homes by 2031 to meet demand. 

Find all of the details of what the portal has to offer by clicking on the button below. 

Chamber San Mateo County is excited to announce the all new Chamber San Mateo County Community Guide and Membership Directory. This is first-ever four-city publication will represent the communities of Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, and Menlo Park.

The guide will include economic demographics, area highlights, and community and civic information, as well as a membership directory.

To secure a marketing space in the inaugural publication or for more information, please email Felicia Basques at felicia@chambersmc.org or Maggie Fahey at maggie@chambersmc.org. Pricing for ad space starts at $600.

Caltrain Station Closures

Weekends of July 22-23:
No Train Service between Hillsdale and Palo Alto Stations. 

Local weekend Caltrain service will be replaced with a lifeline bus bridge between Hillsdale and Palo Alto stations for Caltrain dependent riders. Use alternative transportation options during these weekends.

Buses will have limited capacity for luggage and bikes. Use bike parking options, which are available at most stations. Buses will be ADA accessible or will have ADA accessible vans available for each route. We encourage all passengers to plan ahead and use alternative transportation options when available.

If you are using a Clipper Card while traveling on both the bus bridge and rail service, please remember to tap your card or smart device at the Clipper® reader upon boarding the train and again upon exiting the train at your final destination.

Caltrain customers using the bus bridge do not need to make an additional payment.

Click the button below for bus pick-up locations where shutdowns apply.

Our Parks Maintenance Team has delivered again. This week, they installed a patch of brand-new turf in a previously bare area of College View Park in the Central neighborhood.

The team identified an opportunity to refresh an area of the park and improve the experience for park visitors while also reducing maintenance and water needs. 

Our Parks Maintenance Team is responsible for maintaining all city parks, athletic fields (including four Belmont Redwood Shores School District school fields), and open space.

The team also maintains all city facilities, including the Belmont Library and fire stations. They’re a lean but mighty team and their passion for enhancing the quality of life for the Belmont community is evident in everything they do. 

Learn more about all of our parks and open spaces by clicking the button below:

Turnout was great and your input and ideas helped us as we worked with the BKF Engineering design team to complete the preliminary 65 percent project design by this fall. The project design will include construction level details for roadway layout, intersection improvements, traffic signal, drainage, utilities, stormwater treatment, grading design, and striping plans.

After 65 percent design review and comments, we will move toward 100 percent design and preparing construction and bid documents by 2024.

Phase 1 of construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 or 2026, depending on the success of future grant applications.

Learn more about the project by clicking the button below. 

This week, Public Works Operations staff applied new thermo-plastic striping to the crosswalk on Buena Vista Avenue at Monserat Avenue. 

This crosswalk has been updated to the new standard ladder style, and in yellow due to its proximity to Cipriani School. 

Buena Vista is now ready for the school year. We will be adding flashing LED lighting and push button actuation to the crosswalk nearby on Cipriani at Carmelita in September.

You might have also seen Public Works Operations staff working on Ralston Avenue at Lassen Drive this week. The team was replacing 60 linear feet of curb and gutter totaling three yards of concrete on Ralston Avenue at Lassen Drive.

This followed the necessary tree removal at the same site.

The tree roots had caused the sidewalk, curb, and gutter to lift and form trip hazards for foot traffic.

That sidewalk will reopen today, Friday, July 21, at 5 p.m. 

In the coming weeks, the asphalt fronting the newly formed gutter will be replaced as well.

Work to remedy a eroding section of Laurel Creek is near completion.

In February 2019, a small section of the east bank of Laurel Creek eroded and slid into the creek. To repair the damages, this project installed steel beams and a retaining wall to stabilize the slope.

The project is on track to be completed by the end of this week with erosion control plantings.

This work which is nearby the East Laurel Creek Road and San Juan Boulevard intersection has no impact to traffic. The pump station has remained fully operational during the length of the project.

Sewer Rehabilitation Project Status Update

Our work to improve the sewer system in Belmont is almost compete. Since May, we have been performing work on our existing pipes, rehabilitating manholes, conducting pipe replacement, and reconnecting serve laterals. 

The project has only one pipeline on South Road at Debbie Lane which is tentatively scheduled for Monday, July 24 to be completed. 

We thank our residents for their patience and cooperation. Learn more about the project by clicking on the button below.