CBB Concerns with New Safeway Plan

On Monday January 11th, 2010 Safeway will bring its new plan to the Planning Commission for the final review and public hearing.  The proposed re-development of their lots, bounded by El Camino, Howard, Primrose & Fox Plaza Lanes , has benefited from more than 18 months of public input from the Safeway Working Group (SWG) that had representatives from 7 separate stakeholder groups including the Citizens for a Better Burlingame. 

As  an active participant in the SWG process the CBB feels that the proposed plan is a significant improvement over the existing store and is significantly better for Burlingame than the plan that was rejected by both the planning commission and the city council in 2003.

CBB Concerns

Despite our active participation in the process the CBB has a number of concerns that we hope will be addressed by the planning commission during their review.  Our  concerns reflect the degree to which the current plan meets the 8 design criteria established by the SWG early in their process to assess any proposed project.

The final design brought forward by Safeway is one option that the SWG spent very little time discussing.  Most of the options discussed by the SWG involved the incorporation of the two city owned parking lots L& K.  However Safeway and the City were not able to reach an accord to incorporate the city parking lots in this re-development.  

As a result of the short time spent by the SWG discussing the option that has been brought forward many of our concerns detailed below were not fully addressed in the SWG process.

Traffic & Safety

1. The resulting plan raises safety concerns with all the delivery trucks having to maneuver in the main parking area and pedestrian walkways.
2. The traffic flows to and from the city owned parking lot K is problematic with Fox Plaza Lane remaining unaltered and the current egress / ingress via the Safeway lots being closed.

   Pedestrian Flows and Connections

3. The current plan does not accommodate an improved pedestrian experience to and from the Howard / EL Camino corner.
4. The connecting pathways across the lots are incomplete in contrast with most of the other design options discussed by the SWG.

   Other Issues

5. The design style of the proposed development  does not reflect the character of other buildings in the  surrounding area.
6. The proposed public roof top park might be under-utilized resulting in an unattractive space.
7. The roof-top parking area presents an opportunity for greater positive environmental contribution through the use of eco-friendly shading and / or solar electrical generation.

Design Criteria

The Safeway Working Group developed 8 key criteria to guide their deliberations and to ultimately assess the proposed plans.  These are set out below and we have highlighted those that we feel have not been met adequately.

Traffic:

Changes to vehicular and pedestrian flow on El Camino, Primrose Road, Fox Plaza Lane and Howard Avenue resulting from the Safeway project:

• will not deteriorate below the existing level of service without acceptable mitigation, 
• will minimize the impact of truck delivery.
• will provide pedestrian friendly access to, through and from the site.

Parking:

After giving consideration to shared parking options through a partnership with the city the resulting on-site parking:

• is safe, sufficient and convenient
• provides a pleasing visual and physical connection to downtown.

Use:

The Safeway project adds to the economic vitality of the downtown by providing

• grocery as the primary use (giving consideration to additional uses such as retail, residential, and office) 
• parking options,
• and walkways to and through the site.

Economic Impact:

Safeway project will improve the overall downtown economic vitality by having a synergistic (mutually beneficial) relationship with downtown businesses.

Visual Impact:

The Safeway project’s architecture, site plan, parking layout, and landscaping will provide

• a timeless attractive “entry statement”, 
• a “human scale”
• a design that reflects the character of Burlingame and the surrounding neighborhood and 
• an orientation that attractively and conveniently connects the project to the business district.

Shopping Experience:

The project provides a pleasant and varied shopping experience that reflects the shopping needs, demographics and character of Burlingame while efficiently addressing store operation.

Integration with Downtown:

• The site plan gives consideration to walkways, vistas and parking options that enhances and connects the shopping experience at multiple destinations in the Burlingame Ave/Howard Ave area.

Environmentally Responsible:

The project will be designed and operated in an environmentally responsible manner by

• complying with all applicable environmental laws and regulations.
• minimize waste, reduce pollution sources and promote energy efficiency.

Summary

The CBB was an active participant in the SWG and we feel that the design brought forward addresses many of the community’s concerns with the prior proposals.  We also believe that the concerns addressed above can be mediated in the normal course of the planning review process.  We are confident that the development can be made to more closely meet the criteria established in the course of the public SWG process.