I value living so close to downtown (my home has a walk score of 72) and the wonderful amenities of our library, our train stop, our businessess - and even being close to city hall (!) so this article has given me hope for Burlingame's downtown housing options.
Burlingame eyes Howard Avenue for new housing units (by Christine Morente, San Mateo County Times) BURLINGAME Howard Avenue is a "Walker's Paradise," according to Walk Score, a Web site that ranks the walkability of a neighborhood from 0 to 100. The street less than a mile from restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, a bookstore, a hardware store, a park, a fitness center and a Safeway was rated 91. That's why Howard is perfect for housing, according to the city's draft Housing Element 2009-14 Plan. "It's close to just about everything you need to survive," said Councilwoman Terry Nagel on Friday. "You can live very well there." Other areas designated for more housing include California Drive near Auto Row and El Camino Real near the Peninsula Medical Center. Cities and counties in California are required to plan for future housing needs and update their housing plans by the end of June. The plan is expected to fall on the City Council's lap in late March or early April for review and eventual adoption. Then it would be submitted to the state for certification. Because the Association of Bay Area Government projects that Burlingame's population will reach 29,500 by 2015, the plan is to make land available for 650 new housing units by 2014, said Julie Moloney, associate planner at Metropolitan Planning Group. The population in 2008 was 28,867. The city already has 205 new units in the works. Of those, 21 have been built, while the rest have either approved by the city or are under construction. Nagel said it might not be realistic for Burlingame to meet the association's requirements. "We would like to hit those numbers, but it is very difficult, and probably more so in this economy when development is slowing down," she said. "We're trying in Burlingame to make it easier for developers." Nagel said the city has enough "big box houses." "We need options for younger families, options for people who want to downsize, and young professionals," she said. "We need different choices for different income levels." Burlingame has an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance requiring developers to provide 10 percent of their new dwellings at below-market prices to serve moderate-income residents. On Monday, the Planning Commission reviewed the draft plan and asked Moloney to tweak the plan and put in policies that would provide incentives to build smaller units and preserve existing rentals before taking it to the City Council.Moloney said the trend in Burlingame had been to demolish rental apartments to build condos. In addition to the housing elements plan, the city's Downtown Specific Plan is expected to be adopted this year. The document lays out the area's future in terms of land use, parking, streetscapse, open space, infrastructure, and design and character. Nagel said she's excited that when the plan is complete, the council can then zero in on its 20 city-owned parking lots, deemed "valuable land" for housing or mixed-use. She said a new state law, Senate Bill 375, will provide incentives for cities and developers to build near transit hubs and get people out of their cars. "This is the teeth that will make it happen," Nagel said. "You won't get your share of transit funding if you don't play by (the state's) rules."
- Written by Fiona
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