Andrew Scheiner/Daily Journal After two years of community meetings to gather input refined by a Citizens’ Advisory Committee, a draft of the Burlingame Downtown Specific Plan will be presented Wednesday.

Creating the future vision for downtown Burlingame — one with more trees, a creek, open space, a reconfigured California Drive and shorter pedestrian walkways — comes with a $43.6 million price tag, according to the draft Burlingame Downtown Specific Plan.

After two years of community meetings to gather input refined by a Citizens’ Advisory Committee, a draft of the Burlingame Downtown Specific Plan will be presented Wednesday. The community informational meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. at the Recreation Center, is the first unveiling of the plan in its entirety.

Community Development Director Bill Meeker noted this was a chance for the public to comment on all aspects of the plan before public hearings begin with the Planning Commission and City Council early next year.

The proposed street and landscaping changes, while inviting, come at a hefty price.

Streetscape updates are estimated to cost $33.76 million and open space upgrades will cost $9.8 million, for a $43.6 million bill.

These costs are inclusive of infrastructure under the street. Since some of that work could be done to improve the storm drains, the recent storm drain measure could potentially be used for those projects. But funding for the bulk of the cost remains unfound.

A few options are included within the report including a bond measure or an assessment district. If improvements were to be done over several phases over time, improvements to Burlingame and Howard avenues are suggested first.

Still, the plan looks at a number of areas — land use, streetscapes, open space, traffic circulation, parking, design and character and historical resources — the proposal creates a vision for the area generally including Peninsula Avenue on the south, Oak Grove Avenue on the north, El Camino Real to the west and Anita Road to the east.

Howard Avenue showcases the biggest proposals, said Meeker. Using Burlingame Avenue as inspiration for the character of the area, the plan calls for Howard Avenue to become a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly area.

Planning Commissioner Michael Brownrigg was pleased to see the focus on Howard Avenue, followed by California Drive.

“This will give us an opportunity on Howard to create more retail and housing. Affordable housing is an integral part of creating more vitality in the downtown,” said Brownrigg adding the downtown needs to be a place where people want to stay and spend time, not just shop and leave.

Brownrigg was particularly interested in hearing feedback from developers and real estate officials on the ability to implement the vision.

Creating a local voluntary historic registry is part of the plan, an aspect that was emotionally discussed last year by business and property owners. In June 2008, the effort started discussing ways to aid in maintaining historical elements but drew criticism from property owners who claimed to be blindsided by the requirements the denotation brings with it. A list would be in conjunction with efforts to create tax incentives.

Proposed street changes are often coupled with opportunities to enhance open space.

Placing a roundabout at the intersection of Primrose Road, Bellevue Avenue and Douglas Avenue in front of the main library and City Hall is one way to create a modest open space while improving traffic circulation.

The triangle corner at Howard and California drives known as the Highland Triangle would be an area that could be used for either additional outdoor seating or parking.

Relocating existing post office parking will make an open space that would be in conjunction with the creek. An open median space is suggested for the eastern end of Chapin Avenue with options for parallel parking.

On Howard Avenue, street corners are proposed to be “bulbed out” from the current sidewalk to create shorter distances for pedestrians to walk across the street.

California Drive could look very different with the proposal to create one lane of traffic in either direction with a center median turn lane.

The Downtown Specific Plan will be presented 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 at the Recreation Center, 850 Burlingame Ave. in Burlingame.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.