Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Burlingame public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
13 issues in development
Downtown height limit change and five-story Chapin Avenue building
Colson and Brownrigg want Chapin Street in front of the new City Hall re-envisioned as a civic plaza; the adjacent developer may pay for much of it, and a concept will come back to Council.
Affordable Housing Development
Three design-review applications would add new two-story houses on Paloma Avenue, California Drive, and Cabrillo Avenue — routine for the Commission but consequential for the immediate neighbors who live with the new construction.
Residential additions and new-home design reviews
A homeowner wants to add a second floor and expand a 1917 house to bring grandparents into the home. Commissioners said the design looks like two separate houses and urged major revisions — better material transitions, fewer doors and windows, and a unified look. No decision yet; the applicant will return with revised plans.
Bay Rise Park Appeal at 410 Airport Boulevard
A councilmember has appealed the Planning Commission's approval of the 410 Airport Boulevard project, sending it to the City Council for a new hearing.
City property negotiations, including Parking Lot H and FAA parcel
The city renewed a lease letting the FAA keep wind-shear detection equipment near Highway 101 that helps planes land safely at SFO. Thayer got confirmation the FAA can't add unrelated equipment without coming back to the city.
Mercy skilled nursing facility and apartment proposal
121 of roughly 570 trees on the hospital site come out for the carports, though protected coastal redwoods were spared in a redesign. Commissioners, uncomfortable with the loss, added a condition that 33 replacement trees be planted on the 20-acre site.
Historic Status of Existing City Hall
The new City Hall at 1440 Chapin opens in September — and now consultants say the old one at 501 Primrose qualifies as a historic resource under CEQA, thanks to master architect William Whifler. That means any future demolition or redevelopment triggers environmental review. The council kicked around ideas like an RFP for adaptive reuse and worried about $35 million in deferred maintenance.
County Bayfront land purchases on Old Bayshore and Mahler Road
San Mateo County is closing on the Old Bayshore/Mahler Road properties, planning a sobering-and-detox facility and nonprofit space. Burlingame has asked for a police substation, but Horizon's participation and its $25 million in state funding remain uncertain.
144-unit housing project at Park Road and Peninsula
A seven-story, 144-unit apartment building with 12 below-market-rate units replaces the funeral home and gym at the gateway to downtown. State laws (SB 330, AB 130, density bonus, AB 2097) heavily limit what the city can require, so the fight is mostly over design details like sidewalk width and landscaping.
North Rollins Road Specific Plan build-out
With the Broadway grade separation possibly never happening, Colson proposed studying a grade-separated bike/ped bridge over the Caltrain tracks near North Rollins Road to connect new housing to schools and Broadway. Colleagues agreed to explore it.
Divco Peninsula Crossing Development Agreement Compliance
The annual check-in confirmed Divco is in good-faith compliance on the three 11-story bayfront office buildings. Only BCDC and Caltrans approvals remain, plus a Coast Guard letter for the Easton Creek bridge; the mayor offered to help lobby Caltrans.
Lorton Avenue commercial facade remodel
Two vacant tenant spaces will be combined to attract a future restaurant or bar, reviving a long-empty former bar space near downtown. Commissioners want the design of the rear tenant entry improved.
Peninsula Health Care District senior housing project
The District has picked developer Novin/Abode to build about 221 affordable senior apartments on two acres bounded by the Hetch Hetchy corridor and Marco Polo Way, with construction starting by 2028. Council members flagged traffic concerns near two schools and asked for design collaboration and community benefits.