The Burlingame Voice

San Mateo: Dodged a bullet by 43 votes

Let's just take a moment to thank the 23,038 voters in San Mateo that put Measure Y over the top.  The details are here if you haven't been watching, but in essence it keeps the rules in place that put limits on over-development in the 105,000 resident city that is our southern neighbor.  We are intimately tied to Millbrae, H'borough and San Mateo.  This was a squeaker which is scary since it should have been a no-brainer for people who care about the quality of life on the mid-Peninsula, but at least it passed--by 43 votes.

 City of San Mateo, Measure Y (Majority Approval Required)

(VOTE FOR 1)

 

 

	Candidate Name		Total Votes	Percentage
	YES		23,038	50.05%
	NO		22,995	49.95%

This is reminder number 4,246 that your vote matters.

TOT: Less Travel Means Less Taxes; 80% Less

I was struck by the anecdotes in this SF Chronicle piece about hotel occupancy in the city.  It got me thinking about B'game finances since we are a major hotel host city as well.

To see the sorry state of San Francisco’s once dynamic hospitality industry right now, just pay a visit to the lobby of the Hotel Nikko near Union Square — you’ll need to ring a bell to get in, and when you step into the lobby, it’s empty.

A year ago, the lobby would have been buzzing with tourists, business travelers and conventioneers. Today, the 530-room hotel is lucky to have 30 guests. A year ago, the hotel hallways bustled with 35 to 55 housekeepers cleaning rooms. Today, there are two.  Downstairs in the hotel’s kitchen, where 100 cooks and workers once served up meals for guests and banquets, a single cook waits for room service orders.

Back in 2014, I noted

The Transient Occupany Tax (known as the 'TOT') is a major source of revenue for B'game given our proximity to SFO and the number of hotels we have on the Bayfront.  Our rate is 12%.  Think $18 million in 2013 per page 37 of the CAFR found here -- higher than either property or sales taxes.  So I checked with the city on how it's going in Covid 2020:

TOT returns are due the last day of the month following the month being reported on, so this information is more timely.  We have received all the returns through September.  TOT revenues were $423,310 for July, $571,218 for August, and $445,744 for September – about 20% of 2019 receipts.  Average occupancy is about a third, meaning that the less expensive hotels are faring better in terms of occupancy.

For the 2018/19 fiscal year, TOT was about $29M out of a total budget of about $87M - one third of the total.  80% of a third is about a quarter of our total budget that will disappear this year if things continue as they are now.

Post Office Progress

With new ownership that has more experience and seemingly more sensitivity to local needs, the Old Post Office project is moving forward.  We noted the historic nature of the original building and the restrictions that brings way back in 2013 here.  Disappointment with the prior owners' designs in 2016 can be found here.  A sympathetic design is a definite improvement as the Daily Journal is noting.  Although the "Future of Work" is raising concerns about more office space.

The Burlingame Planning Commission unanimously endorsed variances sought by developer Sares Regis, which is proposing to rebuild the vacant, central site at 220 Park Road into a commercial tower planned to be the city’s tallest building.   “I’m not opposed to the project, but it just raises a little bit of concern for me because there is empty office space in town,” said Commissioner Michael Gaul, nodding to similar perspectives shared by a resident critical of the project.

With an anticipation that like-minded critics will continue coming forward as the project moves through the public planning process, Gaul said he supports the plans while harboring some uncertainty that there is sufficient demand to fill the space.  Sares Regis executive Andrew Turco agreed, reinforcing his firm’s proposal to construct the 98-foot building. Noting the site’s central, downtown location and proximity to the Caltrain stop, Turco shared confidence there would be sufficient interest to occupy the building.

I think Mr. Turco is mostly correct.  Prospective tenants will like the location for the reasons we all like the location and people will eventually filter back into offices.  The real question is will the numbers pencil out after the changes to square footage per employee (larger), much better air handling and whatever else comes along with a return to offices.  In the meantime, the discussions about the public square adjacent to the project continue.  The desolate, forlorn, fenced-in look in the center of town isn't to anyone's liking.

Purple Tears

As we teeter on the brink of going to the dreaded "purple tier" I was struck by how the Vinyl Room - which has been closed for 9+ months -- keeps the lights on in a rotating color scheme.  It was just getting into the groove of having regular live music when the virus struck.  This is the closest bar to my house and thus holds a special position in my thinking.  When I was a grad student in Center City Philly, the closest bar was an ancient Irish bar that was just on the other side of the back wall of my apartment.  I think "pony" Rolling Rocks were a quarter.

So the owner of the Vinyl Room, Juan, is to be thanked for keeping the lights on.  I hope his landlord and he are figuring it out.  BPD is not enamored with the idea of music venues holding events--even outdoors, but as the Chron noted recently

“You need to do a little extra when winter comes,” said Blaine Merker of the San Francisco office of Gehl, an urban design firm with Scandinavian roots. “It’s about extending an invitation, going from functional to celebratory.”  Add music — members of the San Francisco Ballet’s orchestra played on Hayes Street several evenings last month — and makeshift starts to become a scene.

Bay Area cities responded smartly to the onslaught of the pandemic by making it easier for residents and businesses to make use of our streets via regulatory initiatives that took into account the need for social distancing. Another welcome step? Many are now extending the right for parklets to be in place well into 2021, which will help give beleaguered businesses the confidence to invest in their outdoor spaces.

At the same time, cities are tweaking their parklet standards to take winter conditions into account, such as the need for sidewalk gutters to be able to flow freely during rainstorms. Some, including San Francisco, have small grants available for businesses that need a financial boost to build a safe space outdoors.

What’s still needed — and time is running out — is taking the initiative to energize our shared landscape. A plaza or publicly owned parking lot could hold a communal market — perhaps shielded by an eye-catching waterproof tarp above the space. Public art commissions could line up (and pay) performers who would be available for gigs in neighborhood retail areas on days when blocks are closed.

Elsewhere downtown, I have been in contact with the city about the parklets that are shall-we-say "underutilized".  One in particular is getting a look since it takes up a couple spaces and I never see anyone using it.  It was also gratifying to see the support for a performance space in the new "Town Square".  More to follow, but here is my own Purple Tear.

As promised in the comment, Jennifer has provided this really cool photo from our past.  You can see the Senator Coctail Lounge on the left where the Vinyl Room is now.  It was the "Cosiest Spot in Town" and its phone number was DI 4-1466.

Fall Treehugger Post: Maples Shine

It's time for our annual Fall treehugger post.  As a native New Englander, the Fall foliage brings back many memories for me right at this time each year.  It's about a month later in California than in New England so I get antsy when the colors are "late" here.  Last Fall I used my pear tree leaves after a fantastic harvest.  For 2018, I used one of my Japanese maples and it's even better this year so I'll include it again.  For good measure here is a regular maple looking good in the orange and yellow hues.  Enjoy!

Let's keep a good thought for our Blue Gum eucalytus grove on El Camino--powerful forces are arrayed against them.........

El Camino Real Project: Comment Period is Open

The CA Department of Transportation has opened it website soliciting comments on the proposed major changes to El Camino Real in B'game.  The site is found here:  https://ecralternatives.com/      We last touched on the project back in January here.  The project has the potential to completely change ECR, so please click through to the old post and the official site and refresh your memory on what Caltrans has up its sleeve.  The DOT notes that

There has been much progress since the scoping meeting in May 2020. We’ve completed a visual survey of the trees, studied many environmental resource areas, and worked with our design group to develop alternatives for the project. The next step in our environmental scoping process is to announce publication of the Caltrans Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS).

Since we got a very modest amount of rain today, it was disappointing to see flooding reappear on ECR.  The questions for B'gamers are do we really need to cut down all of the Blue Gum eucalyptus trees, bury all of the utilities (great idea but $$$$$) and approve the whole enchilada instead of trying one section to see what people who live here think?  Or could we just fix the drainage and repave the surface?  You have until December 17th to weigh in. Here is the April puddle on ECR hours after the rain stopped.

Covid Updates: "Model Better Behavior"

Our four earlier Covid-19 tracking posts start here, then go here with the most recent ones here and here. Before I get to this week's Saturday update on the County numbers, let's examine current Covid events.  Today's SF Comicle is reporting

Gov. Gavin Newsom attended a birthday party for a political adviser last week that included people from several households, the type of gathering his administration has discouraged during the coronavirus pandemic.  The dinner the night of Nov. 6 at the famed French Laundry in Yountville in Napa County brought together at least 12 people...Representatives for Kinney and Newsom declined to specify how many households the diners represented, but did not dispute that it was more than three...On Monday, he pointed to private gatherings, such as extended families getting together, as a driving factor of the increase in new cases in the state...“While our family followed the restaurant’s health protocols and took safety precautions, we should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner,” the governor said.

I think we can all agree with his assertion that he should do better.  Perhaps as penance, Newsom should put up a webcam at his family's Thanksgiving dinner so we know he's learned his lesson?  Here are the main rules plus one that was shown on the next screen that demanded No Singing or Shouting at T-day dinner.  Got that?

Now back to our weekly update.  Several counties are locking down indoor dining again, but no word from San Mateo County yet.  Here are the week's numbers from the County site:

Total Cases: 12,465 (+655, climbing again by about another 200)

R-eff: 1.03 (the same as last week)

Positivity: 5.4% (the same as last week)

Burlingame Cases: 279 (+19 for the week, so climbing.  Don't let your guard down now.  And no shouting.)

All Gave Some, Some Gave All

I'm relieved that Veterans Day is still a valid holiday of remembrance in the U.S.   During my professional career I often happened to be in Europe on November 11th and always found the wearing of poppies on lapels to be a visible sign of remembrance that we don't see as often here.  Wikipedia offers some background

Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans, that is, persons who have served in the United States Armed Forces (and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable).^[1][2] It coincides with other holidays including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day which are celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. At the urging of major U.S. veteran organizations, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

The remembrance poppy is an artificial flower worn to commemorate those who died for their country. Veteran's associations exchange poppies for charitable donations used to give financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the armed forces.

Let's take some time to remember our vets.  All gave some, some gave all.

Hating...Well, Just Disliking Propaganda

You have to wonder who comes up with some of the stuff in city government and who especially approves it to go out in the city e-newsletter?  I hate dislike propaganda of all kinds.  Propagandizing about "hate" is just another form of propaganda.  So this week's e-newsletter brings us

As the dangers of hate, racism, and bigotry grow more apparent every day, the need for local action to counter hate is urgent. Our City Council and Burlingame's United Against Hate (UAH) Committee invite you to join us for a week of civic action to stop hate and build inclusion.

Do we have an urgent need to address hate in town?  I must have missed that somehow.  I can only recall a couple--and I mean two--instances of hate in town. Both at BHS in the form of hateful graffiti and both committed by misguided teenagers.  One was dealt with efficiently by the police and I'm not sure where the other one stands.  Is hate "growing more apparent every day in town"?  I doubt it.  It's not a category in the daily crimegraphics report, but maybe it should be.

This seems eerily reminiscent of the police use-of-force hubbub we had that led to a townhall in July.  We learned that we didn't have anything close to a use-of-force problem in town.  Let's be thankful for that.  We were told there was a public outcry about it and we need to DO SOMETHING.  Here's what I did.  I submitted a Public Records Act request for city communications related to several aspects of police use-of-force, training, etc.  So far I have gotten back hundreds, maybe more than a thousand, electronic communications with city officials mostly around the weeks of the townhall.

Here is what I found.  As I worked through the “real” emails from people in Burlingame, I found 65 -- after attempting to account for reply-all’s etc.  Of those, 43 made some attempt to write something original or at least customize something from the e-mail mills that are active around the country.  Even more insightful was that 24 of the 43 showed unequivocal support for our police or concerns about looting!  There were dozens of cut-and-paste emails from Fremont, Berkeley, Santa Rosa and as far away as the East Coast; many suggesting we do what we have already done.

Do 19 residents expressing a general, but uninformed concern about police use-of-force justify all of the staff and police time and effort that went into that string of events?  Maybe, but in the end it was a non-event.  Will the movement against hate be the same or just more propaganda?

The BRAZ Lies Down on Broadway

It's hard to believe the BRoadway Autonomous Zone (the BRAZ) is still going on from 4pm on Saturdays to 10pm on Sunday.  The only thing more empty than the BRAZ are the EV charging stations in Lot Y on Chula VIsta.  We touched on the BRAZ and the BAAZ (Burlingame Ave Autonomous Zone) here.  The BAAZ was a victim of its success--too many people and too much scootering, skateboarding, biking at speed amongst the non-socially distancers so it closed and parklets arrived.  Like every other comparison between the Avenue and Broadway--things are different up north.  I've been near the BRAZ a dozen or more times and it's a ghost town.  There are fewer people walking in the street than the usual number of jaywalkers.  And from my conversations, it ain't good for business either and that's not good for sales taxes.  What's up with that?

SMUHSD: Kaufman and Land

For B'gamers the long ballot is short on local issues.  Unlike Millbrae, San Mateo and H'borough, we do not have a city council race, nor do we have any local measures like Y and R in San Mateo.  We do have a race for two seats on the San Mateo United High School District where incumbent Greg Land and two newcomers are running.  Land is well-known in town, has incumbency and has the school administrator credentials that make him a knowledgeable insider.  From where I sit, the race is between Ligia Andrade Zuniga and Neal Kaufman.

Having watched some video from their campaign websites and a good bit of the candidates' forum found here, I found this a pretty easy choice.  Kaufman has a broad perspective and broad experience.  His statement emphasizes his financial background including as Chair of the Citizens' Committee that advocated for the school bond measure that raised $385 million and as a finance professional (his day job).  This is a big district and financial controls can always use improvement.  He also hits right on the need for a school re-opening plan.  Today's Daily Post noted a poll showing distance-learning for kids has recently lost 22% of support among parents.  This is a hot button issue and needs attention--i.e. more pressure than the existing Board has exerted.

We have a number of Voice posts over the last several years about alleged misconduct by BHS school staff and District staff.  I won't get into it here, you can click on the Schools category to the right and read the history--if you have a couple of hours.  Bottom Line:  I think the next new Trustee has to have broad, more hands-on background like I see from Kaufman.  Just one man's opinion, but an informed one. 

Driving range drives bass rather than balls

For the record, I love music. I love live music the best. I’m a concert goer. I also consider myself an amateur musician. That said I have to question how the Burlingame Golf Center became a live concert venue. I question it for several reasons. The first being that here it is the first night of the concert series on the bay front and I can listen to the concert from my house, which is clearly NOT on the bay front. The second question is that I have been involved in organizing concerts in another Peninsula city and I had to jump through hoops to gain the proper permits. The questions on the permits include what is the plan for safety, traffic and lighting but most importantly sound/noise/decibel level, etc. The concerts I refer to had to end at 8pm at the latest so as not to disturb residents or hotel guests in the area. I have to wonder how the hotels are feeling about live and loud concerts next to their hotels. Granted during this time of Covid, the guest count is most likely down, but that doesn’t change the fact that no guest likes to hear construction noise or thumping bass lines all night. The third question is how did they get permission to hold concerts on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for several weeks in a row? OK, a concert once in a while, perhaps once a week, but practically every night? More questions: I Googled the concert info and could not find any info on what time they are supposed to conclude. Again, it’s after 10pm and I still hear the concerts. At the risk of sounding like an old fart, I think the process is flawed here. A quote from one of the artists as quoted in the SF Chron: “Phillippe is already planning to “make a song that allows the crowd to interact via honking their car horns.” Really?