During this time of good cheer there is a
distressing story about Burlingame Avenue changes. Some wonderful businesses have gone or are going poof in the night on Burlingame Avenue/California Drive:
Clyde's Barber Shop (after 107 years)
Sam's Sandwich (after 32 years and relocating to the Greyhound Depot)
Slice on the Avenue (used to be Cheese Please)
Studio Shop (relocated to Primrose)
Sweet Treats (after 18 years)
Iona
Summit Bicycles
California Candy Company
The property owner, Karim Salma has been given planning permission to "build a 2,508 sq.ft. restaurant and retail shops". The owner "wouldn't disclose his plans on Friday citing confidentiality issues". The charm of Burlingame is the smaller shops (listed above) who generously give to schools, community events and save Burlingame Avenue from being an openair corporate mall. Go to the community events and see how community spirited the chainstores are!
I wonder if "build" really means to pull the present building down - a very important corner of Burlingame history. Surely that can't be so.
A city planner tells us that "we can't regulate retail stores. For the mom and pop stores, they can go to Broadway". You are right, Broadway has more village charm but our fair city regulates how many restaurants we have in town and whether businesses can be on the ground floor on Broadway.
We have many landlords who are greedily throwing out the small businesses who are being "squeezed out by higher rent and we have no negotiating power". It will be a disgrace if those businesses mentioned above are driven out for a Crate and Barrel.
Please, esteemed Burlingame city planners, be cautious about destroying Burlingame's charm. Progress is good but sometimes it comes at a huge cost.
- Written by Fiona
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