Politics & Government
From Parking Space to Pizza Place?
Burlingame councilmembers agreed to start negotiations for downtown parking lot development.
Burlingame moved a step closer towards realizing elements of the Downtown Specific Plan Monday by agreeing on beginning negotiations with two developers that submitted proposals for residential and commercial development in city-owned parking lots.
The proposals—submitted by Grosvenor and Equity Residential—are subject to council and community scrutiny and suggestion but signify a step towards future development.
“The City Council for many years…has had a goal for exploring options for better use of its city parking lots,” said Community Development Director Bill Meeker. “That goal was expanded with the pending adoption of the Downtown Specific Plan.”
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During a , council members discussed creating more retail and residential space downtown, as well as a public open space, while maintaining the current amount of parking, perhaps through the construction of a parking structure.
Grosvenor’s proposed project focuses on Parking Lot E—between Lorton Avenue and Park Road next to the post office. Its project encompasses the post office building, which is expected to be put on the market in the upcoming months.
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Equity Residential's project includes Parking Lot F between Lorton Avenue, Park Road, Howard Avenue and Bayswater Avenue and Parking Lot N between Lorton Avenue, Highland Avenue, Howard Avenue and Bayswater Avenue.
Meeker reminded that all ideas are purely conceptual at this time, and the question before the council was whether to move forward with the two groups—narrowed down from a field of 19—to begin the development process.
Questions of developing the post office as historic property, creating residences that could be purchased rather than just rented, forcing unnecessary retail, deciding the location for a public space and more came up at the meeting.
Mayor Jerry Deal reminded councilmembers and residents it is still very early in the process.
“We have a very engaged public, so this is going to go through a huge vetting process,” he said.
Regardless of the questions, Councilmember Michael Brownrigg urged the council to move forward.
“The community made the decision that we were going to see the change because we saw the net benefits,” he said. “This is a great downtown; we can make it even better.”
So now, Burlingame residents, we turn the conversation over to you. What kind of development would you like to see in these city-owned parking lots? Are the parking lots proposed by these two groups the right ones to develop? Where would you like to see a parking structure? Where would you like to see a public open space? What will happen if parking is taken away from the proposed lots?
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