The Burlingame Voice

Flowers a Bloomin'

Congrats to the 20+ members and friends of the Citizens for a Better Burlingame who beautified two planters on Burlingame Avenue early on a Sunday morning. This is a feasibility study for an "Adopt a Planter Program" that they are developing in close partnership with the Beautification Commission and the Parks Department. There are at least six requests for planters in the near future. The problem is that the irrigation systems are broken so watering will be a challenge.

Thank you to the Burlingame Garden Center for their invaluable advice. Thank you also to the passers-by who thanked us for our hard work and civic involvement. It is times like these that remind us of why we live in Burlingame - despite the petty small-minded politicking that swirls around us and which tries to thwart citizen participation.

This morning was great fun, the flowers look beautiful and it just shows that citizens can make a difference - a planter at a time!

- Written by Calendar

Proper recognition

Regarding the most recent editorial (April 13) in the Independent concerning the vote to cancel the option of housing on the Bayfront. For reasons unknown the author omitted to include the many other individuals, who set the foundation and assisted Mayor O'Mahony in putting voting down housing on the Bayfront. Below is a letter to the editor addressing this issue. Hopefully this letter will get printed and credit given to all of the individuals, who worked so hard on this project.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Editor

Re: Setting the record straight

Regarding the April 13th editorial O'Mahony?s Bayfront stance serves city well.? First I would like to thank you for bringing to light all of the hard work and dedication Mayor O'Mahony has put into the Bayfront project.

The Bayfront issue was, yet, another major issue that has undergone much scrutiny by all involved personnel and departments. The Planning Commission spent countless hours reviewing data, hearing testimony, and discussing the finer points. Although the Planning Commission's decision was not unanimous, they did vote to reject the idea of placing housing in the Bayfront areas. Thank you for showing your concern for the welfare of Burlingame.

Mayor O'Mahony, Councilwoman Baylock, and Councilwoman Nagel showed their support for the Planning Commission's wisdom, again, and upheld their decision and voted down the idea of housing in the Bayfront project.

As residents of Burlingame we owe the members of the Planning Commission, Mayor O'Mahony, Councilwoman Baylock, and Councilwoman Nagel a deep debt of gratitude for making such a sound decision, based upon the information available, regarding the Bayfront Project.

Thank you, one and all!

- Written by rich grogan

A Literary Gadfly

John Horgan writes in the San Mateo Times today that the Burlingame Voice is a literary gadfly and that the latest edition hasn't lost its edge. Allelulia!

- Written by Fiona

San Mateo Traffic Proposal - Potential Impact On Burlingame Residents

Since last year the City of San Mateo has been investigating modifications to the US101/Poplar/Amphlett Interchange. In November, 2003 Hexagon Transportation Consultants, Inc. delivered a draft Transportation Study of 101/Poplar Interchange? to San Mateo which outlined three improvement options, identified as Scenario 1, Scenario 2, and Scenario 3. The study recommended implementation of Scenario 3 which calls for a barricade down the middle of Poplar Ave. from 101 to Humboldt and closure of southbound Amphlett Blvd. under the Peninsula Ave. overpass.

It is the closure of southbound Amphlett at Peninsula Ave. that will have an adverse impact on citizens of Burlingame. This closure would divert all southbound Amphlette traffic onto southbound Humboldt Ave. further north, near Rollins Road in Burlingame. This diversion of traffic onto a residential street would result in unacceptable increases in traffic volume with resulting decreases in existing safety levels and real estate property values.

If you have any questions about or concerns with this project's potential negative impact on Burlingame citizens please contact:

San Mateo Senior Engineer Gary Heap (650) 522-7307
Email: [email protected]

- Written by Lloyd Mahaffy

The Voice is Loud and Clear

Hey guys and gals, great job with the latest Burlingame Voice edition. You are right on with your article on sidewalks versus trees and, sadly, it looks like the sidewalks won out!

Lunardi's is a great supermarket - but we knew that before your research proved it to be good value too. Another reason not to shop at Safeway - as if we needed another reason!

The best of course was about the election finances ... the numbers in the candidates' financial statements do not reflect the full story. Where can we get the missing chapters?

- Written by Jack

Field Trip

CalTrans and the Burlingame Parks department will be offering a field study of the felled trees on El Camino this Saturday, April 10, at 10am. Meet with the CalTrans arborist and examine first hand the stumps of a number of the eleven eucalyptus trees that were chopped down. You will be able to ask questions and hear about the disease and sidewalk problems of these trees. Find out about CalTrans longer term plans for the trees on El Camino.

Meet at the corner of Sanchez and El Camino.

- Written by admin

Your Voice is Out!

The latest hard copy of the Burlingame Voice began to appear around town today.  You can read articles about the cheapest grocery store in town (you'll be surprised!), the real issue with the trees on El Camino, who spent what on the last City council election and more.  Pick up a copy at Il Piccolo, Chicken Chicken, Weimax Wines, the Burlingame Public Library and many other places, or look out for it on your doorstep as our volunteers burn off some of that Easter candy and walk your neighborhood. If you can't wait you will find the articles posted on the Burlingame Voice.

If you would like to help us get your Voice out you can volunteer to deliver the Burlingame Voice in your neighborhood.  Email the editors and we will drop a quantity off for you to deliver.  Great excercise and a great read too!

- Written by admin

Those Pesky Time Shares!

There have been numerous study/review sessions to discuss what do with the Bayfront. At every one of them, housing was discussed and vetoed NO. But the powers that wannabe keep bringing up the h-word. At Monday's council meeting there was a new twist ... the h-word has now magically changed to "time share". Come on boys and girls, it is pretty transparent.

Of course Galligan had the idea of having "below-market" apartments out there for teachers, firemen, etc. ... and something about sewer workers. What happens if in one year/two years the time share market tanks, ooops - can we change "time share" to apartments please?

Thank God, Rosalie, Terry and Cathy know what they are doing. The "time share" proposal will now go to the Planning Commission - I hope they laugh with a certain amount of derision!

- Written by Rosaline

El Camino

CalTrans gave a presentation. Maybe I didn't get it right but it seemed that they tested the 11 trees because of problems with the sidewalk. This seems an odd way to go about it but I am not an arborist or a sidewalk afficianado!

The fancy cameras must have had nothing to do with living trees because they were not discussed. Caltrans did point out that replacing the trees was going to be difficult because of money, money, money!

Councilwoman Nagel, as usual, asked some great questions but it is still confusing as to when the next deforestation program is proposed and how many trees will meet their maker.

- Written by Calendar

The Fresh Market

I am looking for information about "The Fresh Market". I am interested
in learning about how to get a booth at one. Does anyone know the answer,
or whom should I call? My email is [email protected].

Thanks,
Ana

- Written by Ana