According to the Daily Journal today, it appears this project is back in a different form. One wonders at what point the cumulative density of new development downtown is itself a reason to stop a project?
An initial building proposal aims to transform a former auto repair shop and surrounding properties into a sweeping residential development offering 140 luxury apartments near downtown Burlingame.
Fore Property Company, a national development firm, submitted plans in late January to construct a four-story building over two floors of underground parking spread across 1.2 acres at the intersection of Bayswater Avenue and Myrtle Road.
The project, only blocks from the Burlingame Caltrain station, conforms with the city’s downtown building regulations and stands to offer benefits traditionally associated with transit-oriented development, said the developer.
“The effect of having high-density housing near a transit line is important to control significant impacts on infrastructure,” said Mark Pilarczyk, Fore Property Company’s vice president of Northern California.
That last sentence is a real winner (the bolding of the text is mine). Translation: If we ignore most of the infrastructure the city and school district have to provide like; police, fire, water, parking, classrooms, athletic facility time, etc, etc then high-density housing is good. Not! Just because one can walk to the Caltrain station doesn't mean it makes sense.
This proposed project, that is at the entrance to the Lyon Hoag neighborhood, by design, is nothing but a big box. It's designed to put the maximum units in the space allotted and does not fit with the neighborhood. It is under parked, has little or no landscape and is not pleasant to look at. This proposed project, though they say these residents will take the "train", will add to the traffic congestion throughout our neighborhood as well as increase the number of cars parking everywhere. The architect obviously threw out the same box cutter project that is going up all over the area and obviously, does not care that it does not fit in with Burlingame. I'm tired of hearing that these residents won't use the schools, won't have cars and will all take the train. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. I've heard that all over the Peninsula and watch as everything we predict will happen, happens. This needs to be downsized and designed to fit within the neighborhood. Again, once they start building, it will be too late. You need to speak up now if you don't want our neighborhood to become nothing but a thoroughfare to the freeway.
Posted by: Laura | March 08, 2017 at 09:50 AM
You've hit the nail right on the head. Thanks for speaking up!
Posted by: Cathy Baylock | March 08, 2017 at 04:27 PM
Laura, I feel many people agree with your sentiment but don't exactly know how to act. What do you recommend? City hall meetings seem don't seem to have much effort, seems more to me as just a way to placate the group and provide "agreed, but" commentary.
Posted by: Burlingamer | March 08, 2017 at 07:37 PM
Joe thanks for posting this article. I tend to agree that any development have adequate parking, be aesthetically appropriate and the city should carefully consider and charge for any increased demand on city services resulting from any new development. Too often the costs and demands are underestimated.
Posted by: Christopher Cooke | March 09, 2017 at 08:04 AM
Burlingamer,
Yes, I too feel like Council just listens, says all the right things and then just goes ahead and does the opposite. Unfortunately they are listening more to what Sacramento wants them to do, than those that elected them to office. Governor Brown has mandated that all Cities build along the traffic corridors. If they don’t, they lose whatever money they’ve been getting for infrastructure. So, instead of fighting back against Sacramento, saying that enough if enough, they move forward with the build, build and build some more mentality. Some have higher asperations, some have developer family members and some just want to build. Its sad as they are destroying what is charming about Burlingame and what all it’s residents love about our City.
With that said, the way we can get this trimmed down and to fit with the neighborhood is to write our Council , Kevin Gardner, Head of the Planning Department as well as the Planning commission. You can reach Council at [email protected], Kevin at [email protected] and [email protected] . The Developer hopefully will be having a neighborhood meeting and once that is annouced, ask your neighbors and friends to attend to voice our concerns. If we sit idle, it will move forward as is. If we voice our concerns, we can perhaps help shape the project to fit in a bit better with our neighborhood and with adequate parking.
Our neighborhood is a large voting block and Council needs to be reminded of that. Most of them live on the other side of town and thus all this development does not put a dent in their quality of life. They need to be reminded that their decisions, effect our lives and that we will no longer sit idle and let these large projects effect our neighborhood.
Posted by: Laura | March 09, 2017 at 01:04 PM
This project is back. Bigger and worse than the first project. The developer will be holding a meeting on this at the Burlingame Rec Center, Tuesday, May 9th at 6:30pm. Please plan on attending. Once I figure out how to get the picture on this website, will post the picture of what is proposed. Please attend the meeting. If you can't, please contact City Council and let them know what you feel about this project at [email protected]. AGAIN, THE MEETING IS BELOW. if you don't speak up now, once the bulldozers arrive, IT WILL BE TOO LATE.
RECREATIONAL CENTER – “SOCIAL HALL ROOM”
850 BURLINGAME AVENUE
MAY 9, 2017
STARTS AT 6:30PM
Posted by: Laura | April 27, 2017 at 11:17 AM
I gotta tell ya guys, Bruce Dickinson loves the fighting spirit! There is an election in November, be sure to ask the candidates what their stance is on this project. Make them state loudly to the public what their views are, and if they are contrary to the public's desire, they will have to potentially suffer consequences as to their election outcome. Much easier to hide inside a council chamber with late night meetings and low attendance, than to go on the record in front of the debate forum, newspapers, other campaign gatherings, etc etc and actually take a stance!
Enough with the empty suits! Time to get into the talent business, fast!
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | April 27, 2017 at 05:09 PM
Thanks for the suggestions Laura, I will attend tomorrow. Bruce great suggestion on hearing the council members positions also.
Laura, in addition to attending the meeting, do we have a group around Lyon Hoag/Burlingables to help us keep organized and informed? It could be as simple as a group on NextDoor to discuss together. My feeling is there is so much development going on now.. and with the looming overpass it might be useful to get on the same page together.
I think we all want to minimize the impact of these developments, I really hope council can take this feedback as an opportunity to listen and protect our community. There must be more common sense things we can do here (e.g. traffic calming along Howard / Bayswater like bump outs, speed divots, reducing size and increasing parking or even asking builders to provide some facilities to the neighborhood instead of being just being a big hulking island on it's own).
Posted by: Burlingamer | May 08, 2017 at 05:13 PM
You are wasting your time with NextBoor. Get you neighbors to come to this site and make their opinions known. The Council reads this but not the other.
Posted by: resident | May 08, 2017 at 09:33 PM
I think Nextdoor is a good platform too, to informs more neighbors about this project and to voice. It would be great if we creat a group and someone can be the representative for the neighborhood like San Mateo North Central neighborhood did to fight off a big project. Can't imagine all four buildings are up on Howard, plus this one, that would easily adding a thousand ppl. Not to mention those office building will have clients/vendors in and out, Lyon Hoag neighborhood will be ruined.
Posted by: Amy | May 15, 2017 at 08:52 AM
Amy, Ive been posting on Nextdoor as well. Tomorrow night is an important meeting on the Peninsula Ave Overpass. 6:30pm, Tuesday at the Rec Center in Burlingame. Please come. We need as many as possible.
Posted by: Laura | May 15, 2017 at 12:38 PM
Here's one of the last bits of approval:
Also related to windows, officials approved the use of vinyl in a residential development proposed along Bayswater Avenue, closing the loop on concerns expressed last month regarding their look.
Officials unanimously approved allowing Fore Property Company to use vinyl windows in a 128-unit development, despite previous fears the materials would make the project look unattractive.
The developer though claimed the windows were the best in their class, and most effectively addressed soundproofing requirements generated by the development’s proximity to the train tracks.
https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/burlingame-affordable-housing-parking-structure-move-ahead/article_96af0722-fe98-11e8-b18a-3b8d48760c68.html
Posted by: Joe | December 13, 2018 at 05:24 PM