The Burlingame Voice

Burlingame Downtown Specific Plan Workshop on March 15th

The Downtown Specific Plan meetings have been very informative and exciting with plenty of ideas which have included three Alternatives - A "Basic", B "intensified" and C "Variations". There will be a Third Community Workshop to discuss options and alternatives as follows: Saturday, March 15th 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lane Community Room This will be your chance to make choices for the future of downtown for the next two decades and will address issues like parking, streetscape, architecture and design, housing density, and infrastructure. You don't need to have attended previous meetings, just share your views and ideas! For more information click here.

- Written by Fiona

BHS - Arsenic Removal Delayed because of Rain

Rain delays high school arsenic removal (Staff report In Daily Journal) Rainy weekends put a damper on plans to remove toxic dirt from Burlingame High School when school is not in session and delayed the project now estimated to be finished by May 1. Efforts began late last year to remove arsenic, a naturally occurring carcinogen, discovered in soil directly in front of the school during a reconstruction and modernization project in 2005. Originally, the district planned to be finished March 1 while working on weekends. However, rain slowed the process, said Superintendent David Miller. Now the district hopes to have the work complete on May 1. An update was presented to the San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees Wednesday night. The $4.2 million project to remove and renovate the space around campus is being done with three different contracts. The district originally planned to clear out the dirt and clean the area over the 2005 winter break. Since then, the price of cleanup has continually risen from $250,000 two years ago to $500,000 at the end of 2005 to the current cost of $4.2 million. The rising price delayed the project. In June, the district received a $2.5 million state emergency grant to help cover the cost. A new removal plan was approved by the Department of Toxic Substance Control in November. The 60/40 grant will help the district finish efforts which began in 2006. The 8,000-square-foot lawn in front of the school was fenced off two years ago, eliminating a popular student lunch area. The dirt was determined to contain abnormally high levels of lead-based paint residue and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs. The lead came from paint used prior to the 1980s and the PCBs likely came from the fluid once used in electrical transformers, according to previously published reports from the DTSC. However, the lawn will remained fenced off until the cleanup is finished.

- Written by Fiona

Budget Study Session and Being "Extra Conservative"

Money might be flowing, but Burlingame bills growing (by Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal) As more money rolls into Burlingame's budget than expected, so do the bills. The city now anticipates ending the year with $47.14 million instead of the $45.76 in the adopted budget. Likewise, the bills went up from $42.62 million to $43.12. Revenue growth is good but our expenditure growth is even better,? said Finance Director Jesus Nava. At a budget study session last night, the City Council directed staff to be extra conservative in the upcoming year. Overall, the city seems to be telling a familiar story: It still does not have the $4 million minimum needed annually to fund capital improvements. That will remain at $2.5 million. Sales tax is falling a bit short of the 5 percent goal this year causing a drop in next years anticipated growth to 2 percent. And employee costs are rising steadily. As a result, the year ahead will come with little frills. Things are not all negative for the city, which could be getting a year-round playing field with upgrades proposed at Bayside Park. Building upgrades are planned in the library and police station and a new employee to bring in businesses is proposed. Buying new land is not an option for the city, so Parks and Recreation Director Randy Schwartz suggested improving what the city already owns an idea not all councilmembers supported. By putting in artificial turf on the two lower fields, the city could run multiple games simultaneously as well as increase playing time from eight months to year round, said Schwartz. The $1 million plan includes $500,000 from the city, $275,000 from unused funds earmarked for the Burlingame High School field and an in-kind donation of materials. Not all councilmembers were impressed with the proposal. Councilwoman Cathy Baylock was uncomfortable with the $500,000 investment. Councilman Jerry Deal was not opposed to the idea but was more in favor of addressing a project such as sidewalks. Vice Mayor Ann Keighran agreed with Deal calling sidewalks a safety issue while the park is a luxury. Mayor Rosalie O'Mahony, on the other hand, felt recreation facilities are just as important as sidewalks. Public Works Director Syed Murtuza reminded the council that moving forward with a ballot measure to cover sewer updates would free up capital improvement funds. City Manager Jim Nantell agreed, but requested the council consider where sidewalks fall on the priorities of capital funds. It is one item the city is not required to fund, he said, as compared to a list of $200 million projects the city is required to address. Also, the park money is a one-time fund versus ongoing, he said. Schwartz requested to bring back other projects he could fund with the money proposed for turf. Other proposed improvements include $45,000 for a new boiler at the aquatic center a joint venture with the San Mateo Union High School District. The library is slated to receive $39,000 to renovate the children's rest room, counter space and a drinking fountain to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act. The council showed great interest in adding an employee dedicated to bringing in new businesses. Keighran and Deal were interested in fully investing in the potential $100,000 annual cost since it could drive up revenue nd sales tax, which are a bit down this year. Deal suggested considering a consultant for the position potentially saving the benefit costs. O'Mahony and councilwomen Baylock and Terry Nagel were more inclined to put a part-time employee in the position. Baylock suggested offering commission bonuses for business brought in to motivate the potential employee. There was talk of reconfiguring parking lot O the lot north of the Burlingame Train Station and renovating streetlights on Howard Avenue. Many of the streetlights around Howard Avenue are on an old circuit system that replacement parts cannot be ordered. Additionally, many lights go out as a result of one light going out. From here, the city's departments will submit budgets on March 28. The council will adopt a master fee schedule on April 14. The council will consider a budget proposal on May 19 with a second study session held May 28. A public hearing will be held on June 2. The council will vote on a budget on June 16.

- Written by Fiona

SMUHSD - Updating Facility Fees

District discusses updating facility fees (by Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal) New facility use fees and costs for renting transportation will be discussed by the San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees in an attempt to break even for services used by others in the community. The district's Budget Advisory Committee began studying the real cost of things like using a field or powering a classroom for two hours. Results of its work will be presented to the Board of Trustees tonight in hopes of setting fees that allow the district to cover costs. Additionally, the board will revisit fees for renting vehicles to other districts to cover rising gas prices. The annual cost for running the lights around the Burlingame High School field is approximately $16,000, said Liz McManus, chief business official. That comes right out of our educational program. It is critical that the facility stay open and accessible for the community, but we can't take the money out of a student's education to fund someone else's program,? she said. District high schools are in four cities San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame and San Mateo. The district has use agreements with each city, one dates back to 1955. This will be the first step to renegotiating those contracts to be uniform, said Superintendent David Miller. The board will discuss the potential changes tonight. A vote is planned for March 13 resulting in the basis for which the district will use to renegotiate the use contracts. Currently, the district is losing money when other organizations use its facilities, said McManus. The report will update these numbers to include the lighting, maintenance and custodial costs. For transportation, the new numbers will take rising gas prices into consideration, she said. Ultimately, Trustee Stephen Rogers hopes to recover the district's costs while taking into consideration the various constituents using the facilities. Basically, he would be interested in a sliding scale for fees that covers costs but also maybe goes toward a fund for repairs and replacement when the time comes. At the same meeting, the board will hear an update on the district-wide athletic fields project. The board meets 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 at the San Mateo Adult Resource and Technology Center, 789 E. Poplar Ave., San Mateo.

- Written by Fiona

Panthress' Rule the Pitch in CCS

CCS Title Caps Special Girls' Soccer Season By Scott Campbell, STAFF WRITER, San Mateo County Times SAN JOSE The ascension is complete. After rewriting its own history book throughout a magical season, the Burlingame High girls soccer team left a lasting mark in the Central Coast Section history books Tuesday night. By securing its first CCS championship with a 2-0 victory over Presentation in the Division II final at Valley Christian High, Burlingame put the finishing touch on the section's first undefeated season in six years. Just four other teams have run the table in the past 21 years, and only the 1995-96 Los Gatos squad had more than Burlingame's 23 victories. "Pinch me when I wake up," said 10th-year Burlingame coach Phillip De Rosa. "In my wildest dreams, as much as I wanted to believe it, as much as I wanted them to reach it, I know how hard it is." We didn't take any win for granted," captain Tina Arobio said. "We could've gotten used to winning and taken all the winning for granted. We had to focus on one game at a time." Entering the season, Burlingame (23-0-2) knew the two trends that had taken the air out of previous Panther sides three straight second-place finishes to Carlmont in the Peninsula Athletic League's Bay Division and five consecutive defeats in the CCS quarterfinals. Burlingame broke the Carlmont jinx by claiming its first Bay title in style. The Panthers went 14-0-2 and outscored their opponents 39-3, finishing with nine straight shutouts. And after earning the No.1 seed in the loaded Division II bracket, Burlingame opened its run with a 3-1 quarterfinal win against No.8 Valley Christian, the first of three straight West Catholic Athletic League opponents the Panthers would beat. Once Burlingame rallied from a 1-0 semifinal deficit with an overwhelming second-half assault to beat No.4 St. Ignatius 2-1, forward Adrianna Ortiz said her team had learned plenty on the eve of its first final. "After the last two games? The confidence, how we keep our composure," the PAL Bay Forward of the Year said. "We don't let down. We're going to push and push and push until we get a goal." And that's exactly how they beat No.6 Presentation, the team that eliminated No.3 Los Altos and No.2 Mitty. After collecting a throw-in, Ortiz calmly backed down one defender and then spun by her, and then deked past another to accelerate down the right sideline in the 13th minute. From the corner, the Burlingame senior drilled a right-footed cross that forward Jenny Haggarty collected in stride and blasted home for her 17th goal and a quick 1-0 lead. Haggarty again used her speed to set up the second goal. After sophomore Sarah Fraser knocked a ball over Presentation's defense, Haggarty won possession in the 18-yard box and fired a shot that goalie Jennifer Randazzo deflected. Burlingame's Elizabeth Cook nailed in the carom for the insurance goal with 21 minutes left. "They're faster than Los Altos and Mitty seemed to be. They close down quick," said Presentation coach John Hutchinson, who was also impressed with Burlingame's physical play. "They crash the goal." Presentation (16-7-5) took the first three shots of the game and had a golden opportunity to score on Ashley De Mello's arcing free kick, but Lindsey Bisaillon's open header from the far post sailed wide in the first 10 minutes. Otherwise, a Burlingame defense which amassed 18 shutouts held firm. Marie Torres, the PAL Bay Goalie of the Year, snuffed out Presentation's late scoring opportunities.

- Written by Joe

Our Two New Planning Commissioners

Government Watch - City government (Daily Journal) On Tuesday, the Burlingame City Council appointed Jeff Lindstrom to a three-year term on the Planning Commission filling the vacancy left by Jerry Deal who was elected to the council in November. The council also appointed Sandra Yie to a four-year term. Yie will take the place of Ralph Osterling whose term expires on April 7.

- Written by Fiona

Burlingame City Council Budget Study Session Tonight

Burlingame to mull over increasing revenue, costs - Council to brainstorm ways to swell city funds (by Mark Abramson, Medianews Staff) BURLINGAME The City Council will get some good news and bad news when it gets to work tonight at a study session on the 2008-09 budget. The good news is that projected revenues will grow about 5 percent, partly because income from the transit occupancy tax charged to visitors who stay in local hotels is expected to rise. The bad news is that costs will rise, too by an estimated 10 percent in 2008-09. Sales tax figures are not what the city expected, and Burlingame will need to tap into the money it has left from this year's budget to compensate, City Manager Jim Nantell said. "The last quarter, we got information on sales tax (revenues) for July, August and September, and it was up (just) 1.5 percent from the same time last year, so that does not bode well," Nantell said. Rising costs are expected to stem primarily from increases in Fire Department salaries and benefits as a new labor contract is negotiated; increases in health care costs; and other personnel-related expenditures, a city staff report indicated. Overall, the city's budget is expected to be $48.3 million in 2008-09, up from $45.42 million this fiscal year, which ends June 30. Burlingame will look at options including implementing development-impact fees on any new construction projects in the city. The City Council will discuss impact fees Monday. As part of this year's budget planning process, department heads were asked to list items they would fund if they had the money. The Fire Department's wish to replace its self-contained breathing apparatuses, which firefighters use to breathe in smoke-filled environments, was one of the most expensive unfunded items on the list, at $257,150. "These are about 8 years old, but there has been so much advancement in technology that they don't meet the new requirements," Central County fire Chief Don Dornell said. It is difficult to find replacement parts for the equipment, which lasts about 10 years, and the apparatuses need to be compatible with the newer models that are being used by other fire departments in the area, since the various agencies work closely together, Dornell said. Nantell said he will propose that the city use some of the funds it usually sets aside for its vehicle fleet to buy new breathing apparatuses. Burlingame sets aside $800,000 a year for the vehicles and has built a reserve of $4 million for that purpose. "We are sending firefighters in to eat smoke with apparatuses that are worn," Nantell said. The City Council budget study session is at 6 p.m. in the Burlingame Library Lane Room, 480 Primrose Road.

- Written by Fiona

Safeway, Walgreens and Downtown Burlingame

Safeway affected by Walgreens (by Heather Murtagh, Daily Journal) The Burlingame Planning Commission is looking at a proposal to relocate Walgreens to 260 El Camino Real which would allow for more Safeway expansion possibilities. After years of debate, rejection and fresh starts, the Burlingame Safeway project could see more possibilities if Walgreens does move to 260 El Camino Real a proposal currently at the Planning Commission level. Moving the store, which is located next to Safeway, will open up space previously slated for a new Walgreens. If it moves forward, city officials and community members working toward an agreeable design for the new grocery store will have increased flexibility in options. Additionally, the proposal begins the design work for the entryway onto Burlingame Avenue from El Camino Real. This falls under part of a larger plan of reworking Burlingame's downtown that city officials are happy to report is moving forward. It opens up some doors, which is a good thing,? said Vice Mayor Ann Keighran. It gives Safeway more land to work with. Whether it's expanding the options or opens up more parking ability, it's to their advantage to look at that extra space.? Moving away from Safeway's side is still about a year away. The Planning Commission had an initial design review of 260 El Camino Real, which currently houses a closed Chevron station, Monday. Plans include demolishing the station to build a new 12,403-square-foot commercial building with 10,168-square-feet of retail space on the ground level and 2,235-square-feet of second story storage space. Walgreens is the proposed tenant but a lease has yet to be signed, said Kevin Cullinane of SC Properties which owns the property. Moving Walgreens opens many options for that area, said Cullinane, such as expanding the open space around Safeway and access way to parking lot K. Studying the project for an environmental impact report is underway. It should come before the commission in June. Aesthetics is normally a top concern for Burlingame which is currently considering a master plan for the area. The proposed building would not need to meet the guidelines yet to be set, explained Community Development Director Bill Meeker. However, efforts to keep with the ambiance of the area are included in the plan, he said. It is a real entry point into the downtown,? said Meeker. It really should be built as if it was part of the downtown years ago and represent the styles that give it character.? Work on Walgreens and Safeway are done separately. But more flexibility will be granted to those trying to create a financially-stable Safeway with Burlingame's charm, said Candace Hathaway, co-facilitator of the Safeway Working Group. Creating a Safeway for all A February 2004 rejection of a 66,900-square-foot building with a new store and a Walgreens and a Wells Fargo inside spurred a new public planning method called the Burlingame Process? in February last year. Months of meetings began with representatives from stakeholder groups like merchants, property owners and citizens sharing their desires for the site at Howard Avenue and Primrose Road. The first phase ended in September, the group was then charged with the task of creating designs for a new store with an added component of mixed use. Since October, the group has been in creative chaos mode? working through three potential scenarios: A site with only a grocery store; a grocery store with additional retail space and a grocery store with additional retail and housing or office space. Thus far, the details of the first alternative are complete, said Hathaway. The group moved onto the other options. Moving Walgreens does not really come into play with the planning since the ultimate goal remains: A store that enhances Burlingame and is financially feasible for Safeway. The move does add flexibility when considering the options later, she said. Hathaway thinks the group will hold a study session with the various options in late spring or early summer. Additionally, a new parking lot entrance on El Camino Real could be gained as a result of the Walgreens proposal. It can be difficult to get such access since El Camino Real is a state highway, which means the city cannot give the OK. The Chevron site already has the lowered sidewalk entrance, which Cullinane plans to keep if possible potentially opening access to the under-utilized parking lot behind Chevron at the moment. Downtown dreams The forward movement in the downtown gateway area shines light on another large project. It is critical to get our downtown plan finalized,? said Councilwoman Terry Nagel. There are so many things happening that are going to shape the future.? Community ideas were gathered in a number of settings since 2006 including a charrette and forums to gather ideas for creating a more cohesive downtown. A major part of this idea always comes back to Safeway. The large site has potential to draw crowds onto Howard Avenue, an area that lacks the foot traffic of its parallel neighbor Burlingame Avenue. All three of these projects Safeway, Walgreens and the downtown plan are working parallel but not in a vacuum, said Meeker. The ultimate goal is to create a downtown that celebrates the small-town flavor and architectural feel. Potential alternatives will be discussed at a community workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15 at the Lane Room at the library, 480 Primrose Road.

- Written by Fiona

Burlingame Business License Fees and Who are Required to Buy Them

Some important information on the city website on the Business License Tax Amnesty Program On February 19, 2008 the City Council voted and approved a Business License Tax Amnesty Program to help businesses operating in Burlingame come into compliance with the city's Business License Tax Ordinance. The City of Burlingame is offering an Amnesty Program for all businesses operating within the city that have not paid the city's Business License Tax and obtained a Business License. The city requires any and all businesses to obtain a license and pay the tax whether the business is physically located within the city limits or not. The following businesses do not require a business license: * Charitable and non-profit organizations; * businesses governed by Interstate Commerce; * veteran peddling or soliciting; * minors (16 or younger) and seniors (65 or older) with gross receipts of $4,000 or less; * City of Burlingame parks and recreation contract employees; * alcoholic and liquor brokers and distributorships (unless they also sell non-alcoholic products); * public utilities paying a city franchise fee; * banks (unless they also engage in non-banking services such as leasing of real estate); * insurance companies and associations (excluding independent brokers); and * any person that cannot be licensed by the city due to protection under the U.S. or State of California Constitution. You can call the City if Burlingame Business License Office at 558-7212 to determine if you require a license. ### Please go to city wesbite for payment time line. .

- Written by Fiona

Taste of the Town - Burlingame High School's Fundraiser

Burlingame High School's fundraising event "Taste of the Town" (Friday Night Lights) is on Friday, February 29 from 6:00 to 9:30 pm at the Burlingame Recreation Center. You have the chance to sample food and drink from over 25 local restaurants and beverage companies and there will be live music. There are also 150+ auction items - click here For more information, please call 650-343-9604 or go to http://bhs.smuhsd.org

- Written by Fiona