Thanks for all of your hard work over the past few years. We hope that you will stay engaged as March will be the busiest and most important month in our struggle for ice on the Peninsula. Here is a brief summary of where we are: On Monday, March 20, the San Mateo City Council will be considering an $8 million offer from SPI to change the property zoning to retail. The San Mateo Planning Commission voted against this proposal, but ultimately the City Council will have the final say. We will need a HUGE turnout at this meeting, especially from San Mateo residents. We are asking the Council to approve the $8 million payment on condition that the entire $8m be used for a new ice rink in San Mateo County. Thanks to your hard work, we have gotten the developer up to $8m. Now we need to ensure that all of this money goes toward a new rink, instead of toward other uses. In addition, we need to ensure that this money can be used for a regional rink, even if the location is in a neighboring town. On Tuesday, March 21, the Burlingame City Council will hold a study session to hear updated proposals for the Anza Blvd recreational site. This includes the Mid-Peninsula Ice Rink Foundation's (MIRF) plan for a state-of-the-art, dual-sheet rink. This is the best opportunity that we have for a new ice rink on the Peninsula. As this is public land with a long-term lease, it should be immune from the economic pressures of rising land costs. The Foundation, led by experienced real estate and development professionals from the community, has arranged solid financial support to build the rink at no taxpayer expense. As a two-sheet facility managed by the San Jose Sharks, the rink should be extremely successful for the long-term. It will serve a wide spectrum of Peninsula users. Finally, it will be a boon to the local economy, especially hotels and restaurants that cater to out-of-town visitors. Burlingame and Peninsula residents, please take a second to like the MIRF Facebook page for more info on the proposal: https://www.facebook.com/PeninsulaSkates/ Stay tuned and please clear your calendar for the VERY important meetings on March 20 and 21. Sincerely, Mike Swire & the Committee to Save the San Mateo Ice Rink