Planning Process

Safeway's application for approval of its proposed MegaStore was rejected by the 5-member City Council 3-2 after having been rejected by the Burlingame Planning Commission 6-1 in May 2003.

The formal process in Burlingame is for the Planning Commission to review projejcts and then after sufficient public hearings and consideration of all the issues, the Planning Commission is empowered to certify or refuse to certify the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared by consultants to the City and make appropriate findings supporting its decision. In addition they can make specific findings for each significant environmental impact identified in the EIR that show that either:

• changes in the project have been made (including the adoption of fully enforceable mitigation measures) to avoid or substantially reduce the magnitude of significant environmental impacts of the project; or
• specific economic, social, legal, technical or other considerations make mitigation measures or alternatives infeasible.

The planning commission may then approve or disapprove the project as proposed or as revised. If the proposed project is disapproved, the commission may make recommendations as to changes that would likely result in the project being approved.

The Planning Commission may not approve the project if it will have a significant effect on the environment after imposition of feasible mitigation or alternatives unless the Commission finds that the benefits of the proposed project outweigh the unavoidable adverse environmental effects.

The applicant or any other citizen can appeal any planning commission decision to the city council who can overturn the planning commissions decision by a simple majority vote.