The Burlingame Voice

Preservation Gem: "Gee Gee" Bland Platt

Let's end the year with something different in that it's not directly related to B'game.  We highlight the passing of special B'gamers on occasion, but I was struck by the obit of "Gee Gee" Bland Platt that ran in the Comicle this weekend.  You will quickly see why:

On December 13th the world lost a superlative San Franciscan and a remarkable mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother.  In 1963, Gee Gee became Survey Chairman (and later, concurrently, San Francisco County Chairman) of the Junior League's architectural survey, eventually published as Here Today: San Francisco's Architectural Heritage (Chronicle Books, 1968).

Her work on this book led Mayor Jack Shelley to appoint her in 1967 to the inaugural San Francisco Landmarks Advisory Board, on which she served for 13 years, seven as its president. Over 110 buildings and monuments received landmark status in this era, including Mission Dolores, Ghirardelli Square, and the rotunda of the City of Paris department store (still there in its glory at Neiman Marcus on 150 Stockton St). She was infamously fired in 1980 by then-mayor Dianne Feinstein, in what the San Francisco newspapers called at the time the "Black Friday Massacre."

Later that year, Gee Gee went on to found G. Bland Platt Associates, and this firm provided "a wide variety of consulting services to owners and lessees of architectural and historically significant properties and to their architects." Owners and developers of important buildings, once her adversaries, became her clients.

She served on the board of the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) for many years and twice was its president; served on the board of San Francisco Heritage; and helped to set up the California Preservation Alliance, the first preservation political action committee. In 2004-5, she was a leading force in a lawsuit against the developers of the now-defunct Westfield Centre, after the demolition of part of the old Emporium store's magnificent original office tower, which was supposed to have been preserved. The $2.5 million settlement led to the creation of the Historic Preservation Fund Committee, on which Gee Gee served from its inception until her death and which continues to support preservation projects in San Francisco. She was both the "Che Guevara" and the "Mother Superior" of architectural preservation in San Francisco.

That is quite a legacy and one that has added a lot of value for a lot of people who may not even realize it.  Architecturally speaking, a lot of bad stuff happened in the '60's and '70s and on into the '80s.  It coulda been worse if not for Gee Gee.  Many of you will recognize her seminal book--I probably have at least three copies laying around!  RIP Gee Gee.

Bayfront shenanigans: Where to put the seawall?

Sea level rise.  King tide flood control.  Airliner bird strikes.  A new lagoon with algae and sediment.  50 years of conflicting regulations.  Sinking runways. Shore-based or Bay-based.  Swing a cat--hit an environmental group:  Citizens Committee to Complete the Refuge, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sequoia Audubon Society, Green Foothills, Baykeeper and Sierra Club.  The Daily Journal's Holly Rusch did as good a job as could be done describing the circular firing squad of government agencies, politicians, environmental groups and the OneShoreline county entity that seeks to build a seawall in the Bay from SFO to Coyote Point.  The article didn't note what size budget OneShoreline has to gather public comment and attempt to get a draft EIR out by 2025, but we will $niff that out going forward.  In the meantime, the engineer in me is very curious about this:

The proposed barrier would remain open unless the Bay was hit by extreme storms or king tides, at which point the tidal gates would close to protect from flooding impacts.  One major concern regarding the project is the permitting and legal hurdles it could face when receiving approval due to its unprecedented scale and goals, said Save the Bay Executive Director David Lewis, a point his organization’s letter emphasized.  The “unprecedented” size of Bay fill required for the project, which includes a lagoon that could be as many as 670 acres, could require significant mitigation, BCDC warned in a letter to the agency.

For those keeping track at home, 670 acres is about 29.2 million square feet or exactly two-thirds the size of Golden Gate Park.  What could go wrong?  The County Supe contender (against Jackie Speier) notes:

Millbrae Councilmember Ann Schneider, who has been speaking out against the project since November when she was mayor, reiterated concerns that the community had not been given adequate time or space to provide feedback on the project.  “OneShoreline completely ignored me, me as the mayor of Millbrae, me who has been working on sea-level rise since they created the first vulnerability process,” she said.

I predict a lot of sound and fury ultimately signifying nothing--apologies to the Bard.  Here is our local jewel Coyote Point yesterday as an airliner descends through our December clouds.

California Exodus: 2023 version

As we ease into the end of the year, it is a time to reflect on the major trends of the year and assess what they mean for the future.  The elephant in the California room is out-migration, particularly of the people who foot the California tab which is large and growing.  We touched on it in July of 2020 here.  And again in October of 2022 here.  So none of this is news--the news is what little Newsom and the Legislature are doing about it.

State budget analysts recently projected a record $68-billion deficit in the next fiscal year because of a 25% drop in personal income tax collection in 2023. Some city, county and other local taxing authorities, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, have also recorded revenue declines.

California is heavily dependent on high earners to meet government fiscal needs. Tax filers in the top 1% of income, earning around $1 million and above, have typically accounted for 40% to 45% of the state’s total personal income tax revenue, said Brian Uhler, deputy legislative analyst at California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office, which estimated the $68-billion budget deficit.

Moody’s Analytics economist Mark Zandi analyzed moves in and out of California for The LA Times using Equifax credit data, to zero in on the age of the movers. He found that since the pandemic in early 2020, California has lost residents in every age group, but by a significant margin the biggest net out-migration came from those 35 to 44 years old.

Pundits on the Left AND the Right (looking at you WSJ) point to restrictive building codes as a key factor, but I think it is way down the list.  In fact, I'll bet a lot of departures are due to the reverse--over-development and all the quality of life problems it brings.  Or the sense that your single-family neighborhood is threatened by the Yes In Your Backyard crew--YIYBYs.  Right behind that are the oppressive taxes on the high earners and the little tricks being played like the Death Tax that slipped through last election.  Pile on the singularly stupid things like fining stores if they don't have a "gender-neutral" toy section or outlawing gas stoves that causes ridicule from friends all over the country and you have a Perfect Storm.

As I said three and a half years ago on the first linked post, this is not likely to change any time soon.  There maybe a Black Swan event at some point but they are intrinsically unpredicted.  All we can do it keep talking/posting about it and hope the politicians wake up to reality.  When the effects of the bad policies noted here finally come home to roost, it may be too late.

Merry Christmas, B'game

I have a simple wish for everyone in our sweet little town and it is perfectly illuminated by this great photo from a regular Voice reader and his trusty phone.  Merry Christmas, B'game.  I hope it's peaceful.  What's that star at the top?

Avenews: Pottery Barn closing

B'game has avoided the retail doom loop for the most part.  There are always vacancies on the Avenew and on B'way, but they haven't dulled the sense of vibrancy on the streets-yet.  Now one of the largest spaces on the Ave is going dark as Pottery Barn has announced it will close in January.  The Chron did a piece on the closure and how our store was more than just the average PB:

Malin Kansal, a San Francisco-based real estate agent who worked in Pottery Barn’s corporate office in San Francisco between 2008 and 2012, said that the current “state of affairs” in regard to the retail climate likely contributed to the decision to shutter the Burlingame location.  “As we stand here post-COVID-19, the retail climate is changing so much,” said Kansal. “People love shopping online.”

Kansal said that the Pottery Barn in Burlingame functioned as the “model store” for the larger brand: “They used the store to display and take photographs of the items before the start of the season.”

This will be a test of how strong the Avenew is going forward.  If it needs to be broken in half a la Anthropologie to rent that will be telling.  The new vet at that location, Dr. Treats, is now scheduled to open in January.  Say goodbye to Pottery Barn.

"SFO is sinking fast" while expired legislation is reintroduced.

The Comicle front page headline blared out the news SFO’s runways are sinking, new research finds in the on-line version.  The print version (below) was even better.

San Francisco Internation airport is sinking, fast. That’s according to new research, being presented at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco this week.   SFO’s runways are sinking approximately 0.4 inches per year, the fastest among 15 coastal U.S. airports surveyed in new research from Virginia Tech. The research, which utilized submillimeter satellite imagery, found that Los Angeles International Airport’s runways are sinking at roughly 0.1 inches per year, the slowest among the measured locations.

Subsidence, or sinking, can cause cracking and bulging on runways, a major hazard for aircraft while taking off and landing. SFO isn’t vulnerable to this cracking, but as the water level rises in nearby San Francisco Bay, the airport could be at risk in about 40 years, according to lead researcher Oluwaseyi Dasho, an environmental hazard specialist at Virginia Tech.

They don't mention why SFO runways are not vulnerable to cracking.  That would have been helpful since they are mostly landfill to begin with.  For those keeping track at home 0.4 inches per year for 40 years is 16 inches--that's some speed bump at 120 mph or more.  And then there is the "seawall" project.

Airport revenue will pay for the $590 million Shoreline Protection Program, a seawall that will shield the airport from some storm surge and future sea-level rise impacts. Project construction is scheduled to begin in 2025.

We have our very own Hans Brinker effort going on although it would probably be wiser to emulate Tokyo or Denver and just start working on an adjacent airport out in the East Bay--maybe the Silicon Valley investors hoping to build a new city in Solano County could spare a few hundred acres.  Back in real time, our Rep. Kevin Mullin has reintroduced some of the same legislation that Jackie Speier logged as noted here.  The specifics of the two most important pieces are:

Reps. Panetta, Eshoo, Mullin, Cárdenas, and Sherman introduced the following pieces of legislation to ensure quieter skies:

The “Restore Everyone’s Sleep Tonight Act” or the “REST Act” (Panetta)

Legislation which would authorize an airport to impose an access restriction between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. for aircraft.

 

Reps. Panetta, Eshoo, and Mullin, all Bay Area members, introduced legislation specifically aimed at addressing issues with San Francisco International Airport (SFO):

The “Serious Noise Reduction Efforts Act” or the “SNORE Act” (Mullin)

Legislation that would address noise mitigation through soundproofing and other strategies in the communities surrounding San Francisco International Airport.

This acknowledgement about the noise from take-offs and landings in the press release shows a good understanding of our current situation

“This legislation requires the FAA to prioritize noise-related health impacts, enables communities to engage with the FAA, establishes standards related to ground-based noise".  We shall see if our local reps can muster any support in Congress.  I applaud the attempt.  Now put some juice behind it in DC.

220 Park: "We missed a spot"?

Earlier this week I was struck by how high up a concrete feed can be hoisted.  The workers at 220 Park have extended the hose from the concrete truck nearly to the top of the building.  I was left to wonder "Did they miss a spot months ago?"

SamTrans: Somebody has to ask....

I love the Daily Journal but let's face it--hard-hitting journalism is not its forte.  The Daily Post drills points home in Palo Alto even when they are a little questionable, but that is what Big J "Journalism" is all about.  The latest example is this DJ puff piece about SamTrans looking to buy new office space because their building is 40+ years old.  Oh Dear.

SamTrans has identified four properties of interest in the potential acquisition of a new district headquarters building, all located within walking distance of a Caltrain station. 

During a meeting Wednesday, Dec. 6, staff presented four properties of interest to the board, including The Gateway at Millbrae — located at the intersection of the Millbrae Caltrain and BART station — Circle Star in San Carlos and two downtown Redwood City properties. All are strategically located near a Caltrain station and range in size from about 71,000 to 180,000 square feet. 

The push for modernized SamTrans headquarters, currently located in San Carlos and occupying 140,000 gross square feet, began in 2019, arising out of concerns the 44-year-old building was not only too small for the growing number of employees, but it adhered to outdated 1970s building code and seismic standards.

So I have to ask:

1.  Why is there a "growing number of employees" who work in an office?  Not bus drivers or mechanics, just cube dwellers?  The system is on life support and should be cutting cube dwellers before the rest of us, who seldom take the bus, have to pay for the overhead. It's a local bus system, not NASA trying to get to Mars before Musk.

2.  Are these cube dwellers even coming into the office?  The same-day Daily Post edition had the Big J piece about how getting into the top floor of the Palo Alto City Hall is sort of like entering CIA headquarters.  Nobody in PA government wanted the Post to see so many empty cubes.  What is the SamTrans Zoom bill these days?

3.  Why not lease?  The reporter repeats the spin as "coupled with a commercial real estate market now seeing sky-high vacancy rates, the circumstances to purchase property near transit are increasingly attractive."  Uh, no.  With commercial space seeing sky-high vacancy rates how about going for a tasty 10 or 15 or 20 year lease.  In 15 years we might not even need a physical bus authority office space.  Somebody has to ask.  

Ka-chingleBells, Ka-chingleBells

I stopped short in my one-horse open sleigh entering Safeway this week and I was not laughing all the way.  My spirits were notably less bright as I perused this three-foot-high tree for the new Inflation Production Act price of $46.99 + tax.  Wasn't it just a year or two ago that these little tabletop trees were twenty bucks?  I'm not blaming Safeway.  I'm pretty sure this isn't a brazen grab of any extra sawbuck or two, but as the bad fiscal policies of the last three years ripple through the economy, expect more shocks.  It's a delayed feedback loop and the loop is tightening.

Few people know the third verse:

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away. Ah!

It might have been Gavin in the sleigh, but looked it more like that "other Joe".  Santa is facing the same cost pressures as eveyone else so be sure to buy some Toys for Tots this year.  Too bad Talbot's is gone after 66 years.  Nice work, San Mateo.  I haven't checked yet, but the B'game Fire Department (ie. Central County) is probably collecting new, unwrapped toys as usual.

High-Cost Rail - Part 161 The waste continues unabated

We noted in High-Cost Rail - Part 159 back in March that costs for our own little train-to-nowhere were spiraling out of control.  But would that cause the Fed and the Bidenflation team to reconsider giving more drugs to the addict?  Nope.  Here, have another hit, California--the largest one ever from the Feds.  Apologies to Quicksilver Messenger Service.

This week the Authority blared out the award of another $3.1 Billion of good money to pour after bad.  It will go to

• Fund six electric trains for testing and use
• Fund design of train facilities
• Fund design and construction of the Fresno station
• Fund final design and early works, including right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation on the extensions to Merced to Bakersfield
• Fund construction in the Central Valley

You read that right.  Fifteen years into this boondoggle, they are still acquiring right-of-way down near Merced.  That is reason #25 why costs are spiraling out of control.

Closer to home, a former mayor of Brisbane is defending his tiny town (pop. 4,850) regarding meeting the outrageous RHNA scam foisted on them by the state--1,588 units over the next eight years.  They are trying; even though doubling the size of their burg in eight years is ridiculous and likely to create numerous Unintended Consequences but are still being criticized in the Comicle.  Here is the response:

The city of Brisbane has worked well with the Baylands project developer, especially since the passage of the General Plan Amendment in 2018. 

Environmental impact reports are being prepared by a hired firm, not the city’s staff. The firm cannot complete its analysis until it has all the necessary information on the ongoing toxic remediation, the source and transmission route of the required water supply and the resolution of a conflict with the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

The real story is how the rail authority is undermining the Baylands project. The city and the developer have sued to persuade the authority to change the proposed configuration of a railyard maintenance facility at the site, which makes the Baylands plan financially unfeasible. 

The proposed railyard and maintenance facility requires a substantial proportion of the land area east of the Caltrain track. The developer’s plan for the west side of the Baylands is negatively impacted by a long flyover elevated track proposed by the authority to get southbound trains over to the railyard and maintenance facility.

It’s the state that needs to get its act together, not the city.

Raymond Miller, former mayor, Brisbane

Even towns that are trying to comply and "do their fair share" get chastised.  That is the nature of the beast and "it can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, it doesn't feel pity or remorse or fear, and it absolutely will not stop".  Apologies to Kyle Reese (The Terminator).  Sometimes it seems like the California taxpayer is Linda Hamilton.  A regular reader sent this along