Safeway plans on enlarging its current Burlingame store from 32,000 square feet to 68,000 square feet. In the proposed store’s path are several old growth trees. Superstore verses 75 year old trees? Most likely, the trees will lose the turf war. Unless of course, the trees have some allies in their corner.
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| These are just a few of the trees scheduled to be cut down in order to make way for a new, larger Safeway supermarket. |
Burlingamers will have to remind Safeway that Burlingame has been named The City of Trees for the last 25 years or so and that chopping down heritage trees to merely accommodate a larger cereal aisle is not the best of ideas.
Years ago, Burlingame adopted the Heritage Tree ordinance to help protect Burlingame’s much beloved trees. The idea behind the ordinance was to let homeowners and developers know that we as a city would prefer that they accommodate the trees in their project rather than remove them altogether. In other words, 'The trees were here before you were, and we’d like them to be here many more years after you’re gone.'
The question is Will the Mayor, City Council and Safeway hug a tree or will they turn a deaf ear to the sound of chain saws?
Think Safeway should save a tree? If so, call or write Burlingame City Hall and/or Safeway’s Project Manager
Richard S. Zlatunich
2066 Clarmar Way, Suite D
San Jose, CA 95128
Phone408-295-0600
Fax408-295-0632.
Also, attend some of the upcoming planning and/or council meetings where the Safeway project will be discussed.
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