A blogger was thinking the same thing I was regarding the 203 Primrose shops...i.e. how's it coming? I was pleased to see all five spaces being worked on yesterday. Four of them (Which Wich, It's a Grind, Yogurtland and Pizza My Heart) seem like they have been sitting idle for a long time, but Five Guys Burgers is making great progress. Fixtures are in place and they are hiring. Here's a view of the application box that was drawing attention when I went by.
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I just heard that Which Wich and Pizza My Heart have had a serious falling out with Safeway and ARE NOT COMING to Burlingame. That opens the way for something other than fast food to come to Primrose.
Posted by: local motion | January 17, 2012 at 09:33 PM
If there is a falling out, I'm sure it is in regards to parking. This is going to be an ongoing issue, this city needs more parking. However, the city officials are concentrating on converting parking lots into mixed use developments rather than dealing with the current and future lack of available parking spaces.
Posted by: fred | January 18, 2012 at 09:58 AM
I agree. Has anyone notice that Safeway has taped off part of the parking lot on the roof. I would guess that having people back out of spots right towards the ramp didn't work out too well. Just a guess.
Posted by: local motion | January 18, 2012 at 07:17 PM
I have not seen the tape, yet, but I had noticed that the lot on the roof seems mostly empty, at least whenever I have been there. Also, I think there was a net gain of parking spaces along Primrose and Howard, when all was said and done. The interior lots seem at capacity, so maybe that is the issue. It all belongs to Safeway. It seems to me that all employees of the Safeway owned properties should be asked to park on the roof, if that has not happened already.
Posted by: jennifer | January 19, 2012 at 08:38 AM
According to the Daily Journal this morning, the new streetscape for Burlingame Avenue will remove the slanted/diagonal parking and go back to the paralell parking that the Avenue had in the 1970s.
This will remove many, perhaps half of the street parking on Burlingame Avenue. I believe the downtown businesses paid bond money to increase the parking back in the 1980s and I don't believe the city can take that parking away without replacing it elsewhere. However, elsewhere is not going to be good enough for some shoppers and this move will push business back to Hillsdale Mall.
ps: Safeway parking empty? That place is packed, even before seven or eight more storefronts open up.
Posted by: fred | January 19, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Another visit to the Safeway today (Saturday afternoon) and roughly a third to a half empty. I mean the rooftop, Fred, not the lower lots, which were at capacity. The city lot by Wells, however, was not full. Of course those cost money. I wonder how many are parking at the lower Safeway lot, several hours long, for free.
On the issue of the parallel parking on the Avenue, there is a net loss of 12 or 13 spots, I believe, but the trade-off is a generous, 5-6ft. sidewalk on each side, for strolling, sitting and eating, not stumbling over newsstands and garbage, bikes, dogs and strollers. Imagine that!? I think it will be a great positive to our city.
Like you, however, I would not think it is a good idea to shift all the core parking out of the PO lots. Some is definitely necessary there, and hopefully the parking studies will show how much. That said, however, I wouldn't want a huge multi-storied parking structure there, either, even if we had 43 million to spend on it. Getting in and out would just be a mess since Park Rd. functions almost as a culdesac when it hits the Avenue. Any design or reconfiguration for open space and development needs to consider the current and frequent use of those lots as mid-block lanes. It isn't just a convenience, it is a necessity that removes congestion from the "T" intersection at Burlingame Avenue.
Posted by: jennifer | January 21, 2012 at 06:36 PM
On weekday afternoons I've seen all the ground parking taken downtown including the lot behind Wells/Walgreens and the upper lot nearly full at Safeway. The signs up there say Safeway parking only and that will not help when the new storefronts open up.
I don't believe there is a net loss of only 12 spaces if they convert to paralell parking. More importantly, there should be no net loss of parking, this city needs more available spaces, not less.
The land Grab of parking on Burlingame Avenue and the land grab Park Road shouldn't happen. Bad ideas.
Posted by: fred | January 23, 2012 at 05:08 PM
I believe the 12 number but you are 110% right that we shouldn't lose any parking on the Avenue. I guess I just don't understand what the supposed gain is. It can't just be wider sidewalks.
Posted by: hillsider | January 23, 2012 at 10:58 PM
Not much new here, but freshness counts:
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=227512&title=Burlingame corner sees new life
Posted by: Joe | January 28, 2012 at 02:58 PM