The Burlingame Voice

Russ for Us, Part 2

Thanks to Mr. John Horgan of the San Mateo Times for a heads up on "our tony burg":

OVER THE LAST few weeks, those who pay attention to such matters have been observing what amounts to a continuous political buffet in bountiful Burlingame. With nine candidates seeking to fill four seats on the town's governing council, there has been ample opportunity to break bread with the eager pols these days. Typically, a candidate will announce a kickoff event at a restaurant or cafe in the tony burg. Several of those venues have been rather upscale. These have been or will be pricey affairs to be sure.

One challenger, however, seems to have gone out of his way to make sure he is seen as a true man of the people. And that's in a good way. Russ Cohen has decided to avoid any hint of being part of the upper crust. No charges of elitism for him. He will conduct his campaign gala at a venerable sandwich emporium, Sam's, next month.

Sam's, which has been in operation in Burlingame since the Nixon Administration, has moved south from its longtime former address on California Drive to the intersection of Howard Avenue and California Drive. The joint's new digs are in what was once a small Greyhound bus depot. It's been re-modeled to accommodate diners who favor Sam's Italian specialties. Cohen's upcoming soiree will take advantage of Sam's blue-collar ambiance. He said the 2 p.m. Sept. 18 gathering is open to the public. "There will be special treatment for registered voters," he added. Does that include extra condiments if requested? "Certainly," he responded. Hey, more mustard for everyone, especially undecideds! As for amenities, you can forget about silverware or cloth napkins. It's disposable plastic eating implements and utilitarian paper all the way.

The last time Cohen ran for a council seat back in 2003, he barely lost. But he didn't avail himself of the electoral possibilities at Sam's. Whether Cohen's 2005 culinary ploy will secure him a spot on Burlingame's policy-making body on Nov. 8 remains to be seen. But it's an experiment that will be closely watched even by those of us who are registered Whigs.

- Written by Fiona

Hotels vs. Housing

Seems from the San Mateo Times article that "Burlingame has the same problem":

Developers to favor housing over hotels
Revenue loss a worry for city finance officials

SAN MATEO Many argue that the city needs more housing, not hotels. Finance officials, however, say it's not that black-and-white.
In San Mateo Times today, could this too be a sign of the times for Burlingame? Property owners of three hotels, plus the owner of one site originally meant for a hotel, are pushing for housing on their parcels instead, partly because the hospitality market remains in the dumps after 9/11. A continued loss of hotels worries some in the city's Finance Department. Fewer hotels means fewer hotel tax dollars, a key source of income that boosts the General Fund and helps pay for public safety projects, said Finance Director Hossein Golestan.

The Planning Commission last week approved the conversion of 280-plus rooms at the Radisson Villa Hotel into 135 senior apartments. In May, the commission approved Park Bayshore Townhomes, which proposes to turn the former San Mateo Motel at 801 S. Bayshore Blvd. into 21 townhomes. The owner ran the site as a motel for years, said city planner Lisa Ring, but always intended to turn it into housing.

Bay Meadows Land Company, which currently has its hands full with an upcoming vote on Bay Meadows Phase II, proposes condominiums, not a hotel, on its property at Saratoga Drive and Franklin Parkway. Originally meant for a Hotel W, the building permits expired after the downturn in the hotel market. Owners are now pushing for Bay Meadows Gateway Residential, a 200-plus complex that came before the planning commission late last year.

And AF Evans, owners of downtown's Ben Franklin Hotel, see no other practical alternative for the building otherthan housing. The Oakland-based company submitted an application in June to remodel nearly 100 rooms into 40 one- and two-bedroom condos with a refurbished lobby. The Residences at Ben Franklin is different from the other projects because it didn't contribute to the city's hotel tax. It hasn't housed tourists in a long while, instead playing host to crews from United Airlines until the airline went bankrupt over two years ago. David Bower, AF Evans vice president of development and acquisitions, said the company talked to a number of hotel management companies asking if they were interested in running the hotel, but none was. "It's too bad," Bower said. "It's a wonderful old historic building in a great location, and it's still not worth the investment.

Seventeen hotels and motels in the city contribute to the hotel tax, also known as the transient-occupancy tax (TOT), Golestan said. The hotels charge a 10 percent tax, 8 percent of which goes into the General Fund.
That amounts to $3.1 million in the 2004-05 fiscal year, up from $2.8 percent in 2003-04. After Measure C was approved in 1998, the remaining 2 percent goes toward public safety projects like fire station upgrades and the new police station. Golestan noted that the dip in hotel taxes forced the city to find alternative funding for the new cop shop, slated to open late 2007.

More condos and apartments do mean more property taxes. But it's hard to say whether that additional revenue would completely make up for lost hotel taxes, Golestan said. "We would be concerned if the city continues to lose hotels," said Golestan, acknowledging that Burlingame has the same problem. But Golestan said it's a good sign that hotel revenue continues to increase yearly the department predicts it to jump another 8% in 2005-06.

- Written by Fiona

Deja Vu with Leadership

Text from an Examiner article today about Another Town:

MENLO PARK A seven-year discussion about exactly what type, size and configuration of 24-hour supermarket the community needs nears its end tonight as the Menlo Park Planning Commission considers zoning law changes that will allow Safeway to tear down and rebuild its El Camino Real store. Plans for renovating or rebuilding the Safeway have been kicking around Menlo Park's Planning Department since 1998. Since then, the city has held a series of public meetings to vet the project, hired an outside mediator to help ease the concerns of nearby residents and finally prepared the plans for approval by its appointed and elected officials. The final result is a plan that is substantially smaller than the existing store, includes 11,500 square feet of additional retail space and redirects store-bound traffic and delivery trucks from residential roads to El Camino Real. Supporters of the project point to the long planning process as a successful example of business, government and community members working together.

"If you compare this to the same process that happened in Burlingame, the key difference is they got someone involved to mediate," said Melody Pagee, chairwoman of the Planning Commission. In Burlingame, the issue of renovating or rebuilding that city's Safeway has been lingering for about as many years and remains unresolved. Council hopefuls are already campaigning on the topic for November's election.

In Menlo Park, the city ushers the project from the planning phase to construction phase, and public sentiment about the project is largely positive, even among the neighbors who live closest to the store. But as neighbors Bert and Mary Yost say, that was not always the case. "The first meeting they had, it was chaos, but ever since then the city has been real careful and very good," Bert Yost said. "I think forming the committee [of neighbors] was a big help because people felt they had a say in what was going on."

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From the Menlo Park City website (www.menlopark.org/projects/comdev_sdp.htm) -

Safeway is proposing a new 65,748-square-foot store with an attached 11,500-square-foot structure containing retail tenant lease spaces for a project total of 77,248 square feet. The new store will provide outdoor seating and outdoor sales in front of the store. Inside the store, banking, pharmacy, cafe and a deli are proposed. The store would continue to operate 24 hours a day and would continue to sell alcoholic beverages. The project site at 525 El Camino Real. The site is currently developed with a single commercial building of approximately 83,292 square feet. Landscaped area would increase from eight percent to ten percent. The proposed demolition and construction would occur in phases as the Safeway store remains in operation. In addition to the reconstruction of the site, the applicant is proposing to install a left turn pocket for traffic traveling north on El Camino Real to enter the Safeway site directly

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The comparisons between Any Town but Burlingame and our leafy suburb are all there!

- Written by Fiona

Cafe Verdi, Howard Avenue

For those of you who have inquired about the hours and phone number of Cafe Verdi, 1012 Howard Ave. (officially part of San Mateo), I have the following info:
The Cafe is open Mon-Fri. from 6am-3pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 8am-3pm. The phone, (which is not yet working 100%) is 685-8820. They hope it will be hooked up soon. They cater parties and get-togethers in their spacious back room and the menu looks positively delicious. Again good luck!

- Written by Jen

School Property Up for Grabs

That is the front page headline for an article in the Daily News that the Burlingame Elementary School district land at Franklin may be swapped or sold for city services. The issue of this land came up recently re crossing guard funding.

"The School district officials are looking to leverage an otherwise useless 1,400 sq.ft lot that is being eyed by the city for a water project plan to either sell it for much-needed cash or negotiate discounted rates on city services. District officials were keen to cash in on the land's benefit but divided on how to do so, whether it be through selling, renting or even bartering the city-covered lot"

The city manager says "the land could be swapped for lower water bills" but school budget advisory committee member, Diane Condon-Wirgler says "Once you lose the land, you lose it forever. Leasing it promotes an income stream for the district"

Sonny Da Marto, school superintendent has been given the power to negotiate a deal.

- Written by Fiona

Richards Memorial Fund

As BHS Info stated** in an earlier blog, many of our students have been saddened by the murder of Alexa Richards, a Notre Dame High School senior. In the Daily Journal today, it states that friends of her mother Nicole have created a memorial fund in honor of Nicole, Alexa and her sister Tessa.

If you would like to donate to The Nicole, Alexa and Tessa Richards Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund, please send a check to Notre Dame High School, 1540 Ralston Ave., Belmont, Calif., 94002

**The start of school has also been clouded by the death of a BHS student on campus in front of his peers and the murder of a local teen who was close to BHS students.

- Written by Fiona

Peninsula Health Care District Meeting

This Thursday, August 25, at 5:45 PM, the Peninsula Health Care District will hold its regular monthly meeting at 5:45 PM in the Sierra Meeting Rooms, in the basement at Peninsula Hospital, 1783 El Camino Real, near Trousdale Ave., in Burlingame. This is the last opportunity for the public to make comments and submit questions to the Board regarding the restructured long term lease relationship between the Peninsula Health Care District and Mills-Peninsula Health Services (a Sutter Health Corporation affiliate.) A 50 year lease between the District and Sutter is being proposed and while we all know that the community needs a new hospital, there are still many unanswered questions about the terms of the lease and how District taxpayers will be affected.

Concerns have been raised about pricing, access to quality health care and future financial obligations that will be passed on to local residents. The Board is elected by Health Care District voters. It has said that it will answer all questions before making a decision on this proposal, so now is the time to get involved.

- Written by nancyyar

The Primes of Burlingame

It seems Burlingame will be the home of two Primes, according to the Inside Scoop in the Chronicle today:

(1) Burlingame Prime will open soon at the Gua Poang Restaurant site at 1425 Burlingame Avenue
(2) Broadway Prime is already there but Broadway Grill ed) will open soon on Broadway.

Sorry to hear that Gua Poang will be closing after 28 years. It looks like there might be a Battle of the Primes!

- Written by Fiona

Sprucing up Walgreens

It is really nice to see three or four painters applying a fresh coat of paint to our favorite Walgreens on Howard Ave. The painters are doing the white walls and the brown trim that were both in desperate need of a fresh face. And no, I don't think this means Walgreens is planning to be in there for another decade. It's just good corporate citizenship.

- Written by anson

Politicians ready to sink or swim!

Another town but some ideas from a San Mateo Times article today:

Politicians ready to sink or swim
Dunk tank is highlight of museum's 'Victorian Days' REDWOOD CITY

People who think that politicians are all wet will get a chance to prove it on Saturday. For $3 per ball, citizens can try their hand at a dunk tank manned by various local elected officials at the San Mateo County History Museum's annual Victorian Days celebration. Redwood City Mayor Jeff Ira is scheduled to be the first to take the plunge at 11 a.m. Four of the six council members, along with Redwood City Police Chief Carlos Bolanos, also have volunteered for a possible soaking. There are no county supervisors on the schedule, but former supervisor Mike Nevin has agreed to sit from 1p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event culminates with state Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, D-Redwood City, who is on at 3 p.m.

"It was amazing how gracious they were," said Mitch Postel, museum president.

Could this be an idea for an upcoming event in Burlingame?!

- Written by Fiona