The Burlingame Voice

Horgan Weighs In

From the on-line blog "Read it and Rant": Tinkering with a low-rise formula By John Horgan Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 am in Uncategorized. Be careful what you wish for. Maybe that ought to be the mantra for those investigating the possibility of adding multi-story buildings in what are, essentially, small-town business districts. A number of San Mateo County suburbs are considering making that shift. Their argument can be compelling: Tall structures can include both commercial and residential components while increasing the tax base. All well and good, at least on paper. But, in reality, things don't always work out as planned. Take Burlingame for example. There, a major debate on this issue is heating up. There is a very tentative proposal to permit certain areas of the hamlet's downtown area to have buildings as high as 75 feet. That would be a significant and rather stark change for a century-old place that prides itself on its cozy, tree-lined atmosphere. Ironically, within a block of what is technically defined as downtown, a massive, eight-floor apartment building on El Camino Real a block from Chapin Avenue already appears to tower well over that height limit. It sticks out like a sore thumb. So do two old, smaller AT&T switching facilities masquerading as office buildings near the corner of Burlingame Avenue and El Camino Real. It is highly unlikely that either of those structures would be allowed today. The point is that, in spite of these obvious anomalies, tinkering with a thriving low-rise formula would be dicey. Towns like Burlingame (and Menlo Park, San Carlos, Millbrae, San Bruno, Half Moon Bay, etc.) have long tried to maintain a friendly village ambience based, in part, on maintaining a non-city look and feel. Isn't that the point of the suburbs in the first place? People move to the Peninsula to escape life in the city, whether it's San Francisco, San Jose or Oakland. Things tend to slow down a bit here. There is a certain undefined intimacy involved. Seven-story buildings, if they do come to pass in any great numbers in Burlingame, would alter that in fairly dramatic ways. The betting in this corner is that, in the end, they won't see the light of day. The change would just be too much. Smaller will wind up being better. To join the discussion at "Read It and Rant" go to www.insidebayarea/sanmateocountytimes

- Written by Joanne

Children's Art Mural in Burlingame Library

Children's mural commissioned - The Associated Press (Daily Journal) The Burlingame Library Foundation has a special treat in store for the children of Burlingame and Hillsborough this fall. San Francisco-based muralist Lynne Rutter was commissioned to create a centennial mural in the main library children's room. The mural will include subjects and styles from fairy tales and storybooks painted in the manner of the Golden Age of Illustration.? Examples of styles from that golden age may be seen in the works of: Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth and Carl Larsson. Rutter noted that, Figures and characters will also be placed throughout the room; and the architecture of the entire space will be tied together with an ornamental border.? We are very excited to be able to commission this mural for the children of Burlingame and Hillsborough,? noted foundation President Stephen Hamilton. The foundation provides funding for library collections, programs for all ages, as well as providing public art in the library for the community.? Twenty five donors who might give $1,000 each are being sought to make the dream come to fruition, said mural committee chair Kris Cannon. All donations are welcome. Anyone interested in donating can visit www.burlingamelibraryfoundation.org. Rutter will be installing the mural in September, following a routine re-painting of the children's room. The mural will be unveiled at the Burlingame Public Library centennial kick-off celebration on Sunday, Oct. 19, at noon.

- Written by Fiona

Safeway Working Group Meeting on Thursday

The next Safeway Working Group meeting (agenda) is on Thursday, July 31st between 4:00 and 7:00 pm in Conference A, City Hall. It is open to the public and, whether you want a big, bigger or biggest grocery store, there are two times during the meeting (4:05-4:20) and (6:30-6:45) for public comment. The SWG recommendations will be presented at a Joint Planning and Council Study Session on August 19.

- Written by Fiona

Required Reading for Ostriches, Part 2

Another town but Burlingame but relevant to a downtown Safeway:

Business & Technology | New Bellevue Safeway caters to urban dwellers | Seattle Times dated June 27, 2008 Safeway opened a new store on Bellevue Way Northeast that reflects the transformation downtown Bellevue, which boasts about 5,000 residents. New Bellevue Safeway caters to urban dwellers A grocery store unlike any other on the Eastside opened its doors Friday. People live above it. Patrons park beneath it -- those that drive. The store's owner expects half the customers to arrive on foot. The new Safeway at Northeast Fourth Street and Bellevue Way Northeast is the kind of supermarket that had been found only in the densest, most walkable precincts of Seattle. It is both a response to and a reflection of the transformation downtown Bellevue has undergone. Almost no one lived in the city center a decade ago. Now it boasts about 5,000 residents, mostly in newer condos and apartments. Bellevue's planning department reports 3,000 more units under construction and 2,500 in the permitting process. Greg Sparks, president of Safeway's Seattle division, says the new store was designed with those new urbanites in mind. "This is our flagship lifestyle store," he said. "We have a lot of stuff in this store that we don't have in any other store." Like a 26-flavor gelato bar. A sit-down sushi bar. Eighty kinds of roasted nuts. And a dozen varieties of pre-made kebabs, for downtown residents or workers with no time to cook. "For the growing number of people who live in downtown Bellevue, it's going to be a valuable resource," said Patrick Bannon of the Bellevue Downtown Association. The 55,000-square-foot grocery is on the ground floor of Avalon Bay Communities' seven-story Avalon Meydenbauer project, which includes 368 apartments and 18,000 square feet of additional retail space. It replaces a 25,000-square-foot Safeway across Northeast Fourth that opened in 1963 and hadn't changed much since. Safeway swapped that 2-acre property for the 3.3-acre site of the new store in 2005 in a deal with Kemper Development, owner of Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place and the Lincoln Square mixed-use development to the north. Kemper has announced plans for a two-tower mixed-use project on the old Safeway site that would include 545,000 square feet of office space, 392,000 square feet of retail, a 120-room hotel and 200 condominiums, 545,000 square feet of office space, 392,000 square feet of retail, a 120-room hotel and 200 condominiums. Sparks said the new $20 million Safeway was designed to appeal to upscale shoppers without scaring away those who look for value. "We're trying to be the best in the middle," he said ...

Additional article

- Written by Fiona

Literary Tasting Events at the Burlingame Library

Our Library's Literary Tastings events which included six movies and eight events are coming to an end with two events remaining: Monday July 28th at 7:00 pm Cupcake Fun with Baker Nancy Kux How to decorate cupcakes simply, yet give a professional look. Wednesday, July 30th at 7:00 pm Croissant Tasting, San Francisco Baking Institute. The events are free. Please call the Reference Desk (558-7444) to make sure they have tickets available for these events.

- Written by Fiona

Please Return the Lions' Chef Hats!

The Library has a notice on their board asking for the return of their two chefs hats which were sartorially elegantly worn by the two Lions and have been recently "borrowed" by a wannabe chef. The notice says no questions will be asked on their return!

- Written by Fiona

Music in Washington Park on Sunday

The next band for Music in the Park is the California Cowboys, country rock. The music is between 1:00 and 3:00 and if you forget to bring a picnic or visit the Farmers Market before the event, you can purchase hot dogs, etc from the Youth Advisory Committee booth.

- Written by Fiona

The Pros and Cons of "Smart Meters" in Burlingame

Meters don't make the grade Future shock: Burlingame has decided not to adopt the use of "smart meters." (by Mike Rosenberg , Examiner) REDWOOD CITY (Map, News) - Don't expect to receive a cell phone call from your parking meter anytime soon on the Peninsula, unless you're in Redwood City. Redwood City became the first city in the county to install the vaunted smart meters? for downtown parking in early 2007, with the eyes of city officials across the region focused on the innovative device. Burlingame, the first city to evaluate Redwood City's meters, decided this week not to use what authorities have called a confusing and expensive contraption. Redwood City had lauded the meters, which can be fed using cash, credit cards and even a cell phone, as a solution to its downtown parking woes. The solar-powered meters cost the city $400,000 and charge rates based on the popularity of the street. Drivers can even have the meter call them when parking time is running out and press a button to add more minutes, without worrying about time limits. Burlingame, however, has decided the meters are too costly and that Redwood City has received too many complaints about its system to warrant installing its own smart meters, said City Manager Jim Nantell. Parkers have complained the system is too confusing and breaks down too easily compared to dumb meters? that take coins. We were watching Redwood City with interest and they got a ton of complaints about it,? said Councilwoman Terry Nagel. When a new technology comes along everyone wants to have it right away, but there are usually some bugs to work out.? To offset the cost of the meter system, Burlingame police would have had to hike parking rates or take away other traffic services, said Sgt. Don Shepley. People don't seem to like using them,? Nantell said. Despite its problems, Burlingame officials admitted they were still a bit tantalized by the meters' potential. The city has long received complaints about downtown parking, particularly on and around Burlingame Avenue, and thought the smart meters could have been a solution, Nagel said. I still think it would be wonderful to have, but I think [our police] convinced me that the costs are too high and the technology is not where it needs to be,? Nagel said. San Mateo does have pay by space? meters inside downtown garages, but nothing as sophisticated at Redwood City's system, said San Mateo Community Development Director Bob Beyer. Those machines are similar to smart meters in that everyone from a block or lot pays at the same location. Price to pay - Smart? parking meters' strengths and weaknesses Pros Can pay using credit card No time limit Calls to avoid fines Solar powered Cons Confusing to use Break down easily Wait times at meters More expensive to city Source: City of Burlingame

- Written by Fiona

Required Reading for Ostriches

The City of San Buenaventura (aka Ventura) recently completed a vision plan that is entitled "Transforming Urban Environments for a Post Peak Oil Future". At 281 pages and 65Mb this is a hefty read but the A.D.D. summary is this:

The peak in global oil production, or Peak Oil, will necessitate a change in the way communities function. While most planning for post-Peak Oil focuses on the generation of alternative energy sources to compensate for depleted oil supplies, the goal of this plan is to decrease energy consumption through community design and planning. This approach requires the localization of resources and transformation of urban environments and lifestyles, and therefore provides an opportunity to enhance quality of life. The Post-Peak Oil Vision Plan analyzes probable implications of Peak Oil on the City of San Buenaventura and the surrounding region, and describes a vision for post-Peak Oil planning that responds to these implications by building upon positive trends that are already taking place. This vision is supported by planning and design guidelines, as well as a phased implementation plan. The regional vision emphasizes preservation of natural resources, concentration of the developed footprint, and intra-regional collaboration. The 2050 vision for the City of San Buenaventura demonstrates the potential for transformation of urban environments. Under this vision, 85 percent of the population lives on less than a third of the city's land and is within walking distance of daily needs; 50 percent of the food supply is grown within city limits; and greywater and roofwater supply over 75 percent of urban irrigation needs. The community design that results from this plan includes a significant reduction in energy demand and an increase in quality of life.

It's well worth the time to read this document. Its sobering and stimulating. Just what Burlingame & San Mateo County needs. Can you imagine 50% of our food supply being grown within our county?

- Written by stephen

Burlingame's Cars in the Park this Saturday

Hope this year the caravans are included in this event. They would be a great low-rise affordable way to live in Burlingame!

Lions Club auto show motors - Fourth Annual Cars-in-the-Park features rides for all tastes (by Mark Abramson / Daily News Staff Writer) One of the Burlingame Lions Club's biggest fundraisers is sure to get auto enthusiasts revved up Saturday. The fourth annual Cars-in-the-Park auto show and barbecue starts at 8:30 a.m. at Washington Park, at the corner of Burlingame Avenue and Carolan Drive. The show features up to 220 vehicles, including antiques, hot rods, custom wheels, vintage autos, funny cars and other attractions. Admission is free, and the barbecue lunch costs $5 for a hot dog or hamburger and chips and a drink. The lunch is from 12:10 to 1:30 p.m. at the Burlingame Lions Hall, 990 Burlingame Ave. "The attendance has grown considerably year after year," Lions Club Secretary Dan Andersen said. "Last year we had a Russian motorcycle equipped with a dummy machine gun. The San Francisco Street Rod Association will have entries (in the show)." The cost to display a vehicle at the show is $25. The Lions Club awards plaques for Best in Show, Best Hot Rod and 18 other categories. The Lions Club will also donate $500 to the Burlingame Police Department to support its K-9 program and $500 to a fund that helps injured firefighters and their families during the event, Andersen said.

Ps. you can also give blood too.

- Written by Fiona