Jon
07-11-2007, 06:23 PM
Here's what I think about the idea of having a centennial plaza take over for a parking lot at the Burlingame Train Station ...
A proposal to close the parking lot at the Burlingame Train Station to create a “centennial plaza” is wrong for many reasons.
The idea is to create a central meeting place for concerts or farmers markets and to commemorate the city’s 2008 centennial at the same time. To help pay for it, some have suggested creating a ribbon-like structure that would cascade down to the ground where multi-colored bricks that commemorate certain historical events could be bought. The plaza could also highlight the historical museum that is set to open in the former train station.
But removing parking in the congested downtown is wrong. And the location is wrong.
First, the lot is heavily used in the mornings and evenings by people either stopping by the doughnut shop or other shops or restaurants on Burlingame Avenue. People picking up or dropping off people at the train station also use it. One could suggest that people could use the Caltrain lot to the north, but that is usually crowded with people using the train.
Second, the location is poor. Anyone thinking the city could use a nice plaza should only look to the other side of the train station where a bucolic and green area rests. No one uses it though. That area could be promoted as a place to celebrate the city’s history if need be.
However, do we really want to create a situation in which more people linger about the train tracks? Caltrain is already beginning an extensive remodel of the train station while building multiple fences to discourage people from being near the tracks. Why would anyone want to create a draw to dangerous tracks that have killed people? And wouldn’t it make sense to wait and see how the improvements look and feel before redesigning the parking lot?
One could argue that there are public plazas in Europe next to dangerous streets, but that is not necessarily by design. At one point, those same streets did not carry cars, they carried horses and the plaza was there as a place of retail because it was easy. We live in a time now in which we can plan ahead for the safety of our people.
If there is a need to have a place to celebrate the city’s first 100 years, then plan a party in the parking lot for a few days next year then revert it back to the parking lot it should be.
If the ultimate need or want is for a plaza, then it should be placed in a different spot that would create a draw to an underutilized area. The city is undergoing a large-scale study of its downtown and some on the City Council have said they want to revitalize Howard Avenue south of Burlingame Avenue. Wouldn’t that street — once redeveloped — be a better location for such a plaza? Perhaps the city could work out a deal in which a redeveloped Safeway commit some space to a central meeting place for concerts. And what exactly is wrong with having Park Road shut down every Sunday morning for a farmers market?
Another option may be to close the first block of Highland Avenue from El Camino Real to Howard Avenue to create a plaza. There already is a plaza of sorts there with the historic bus depot leased to Sam’s Italian Sandwich Co., one of the oldest businesses in the city. There are currently two ways to make a right on Howard Avenue and eliminating one wouldn’t hold up traffic that much. In fact, it might make the intersection of Highland and Howard avenues safer since there are already many near misses there. Placing a plaza there would eliminate the danger of having it so close to the train tracks while making Howard Avenue a destination of sorts. The street parking could be made up by creating a small parking lot on either side.
Closing the parking lot at the train station for a public plaza celebrating the city’s centennial doesn’t make any sense. The Highland idea may not be accomplished in a year, so perhaps the effort to establish a centennial plaza should be dropped. Why the rush?
A proposal to close the parking lot at the Burlingame Train Station to create a “centennial plaza” is wrong for many reasons.
The idea is to create a central meeting place for concerts or farmers markets and to commemorate the city’s 2008 centennial at the same time. To help pay for it, some have suggested creating a ribbon-like structure that would cascade down to the ground where multi-colored bricks that commemorate certain historical events could be bought. The plaza could also highlight the historical museum that is set to open in the former train station.
But removing parking in the congested downtown is wrong. And the location is wrong.
First, the lot is heavily used in the mornings and evenings by people either stopping by the doughnut shop or other shops or restaurants on Burlingame Avenue. People picking up or dropping off people at the train station also use it. One could suggest that people could use the Caltrain lot to the north, but that is usually crowded with people using the train.
Second, the location is poor. Anyone thinking the city could use a nice plaza should only look to the other side of the train station where a bucolic and green area rests. No one uses it though. That area could be promoted as a place to celebrate the city’s history if need be.
However, do we really want to create a situation in which more people linger about the train tracks? Caltrain is already beginning an extensive remodel of the train station while building multiple fences to discourage people from being near the tracks. Why would anyone want to create a draw to dangerous tracks that have killed people? And wouldn’t it make sense to wait and see how the improvements look and feel before redesigning the parking lot?
One could argue that there are public plazas in Europe next to dangerous streets, but that is not necessarily by design. At one point, those same streets did not carry cars, they carried horses and the plaza was there as a place of retail because it was easy. We live in a time now in which we can plan ahead for the safety of our people.
If there is a need to have a place to celebrate the city’s first 100 years, then plan a party in the parking lot for a few days next year then revert it back to the parking lot it should be.
If the ultimate need or want is for a plaza, then it should be placed in a different spot that would create a draw to an underutilized area. The city is undergoing a large-scale study of its downtown and some on the City Council have said they want to revitalize Howard Avenue south of Burlingame Avenue. Wouldn’t that street — once redeveloped — be a better location for such a plaza? Perhaps the city could work out a deal in which a redeveloped Safeway commit some space to a central meeting place for concerts. And what exactly is wrong with having Park Road shut down every Sunday morning for a farmers market?
Another option may be to close the first block of Highland Avenue from El Camino Real to Howard Avenue to create a plaza. There already is a plaza of sorts there with the historic bus depot leased to Sam’s Italian Sandwich Co., one of the oldest businesses in the city. There are currently two ways to make a right on Howard Avenue and eliminating one wouldn’t hold up traffic that much. In fact, it might make the intersection of Highland and Howard avenues safer since there are already many near misses there. Placing a plaza there would eliminate the danger of having it so close to the train tracks while making Howard Avenue a destination of sorts. The street parking could be made up by creating a small parking lot on either side.
Closing the parking lot at the train station for a public plaza celebrating the city’s centennial doesn’t make any sense. The Highland idea may not be accomplished in a year, so perhaps the effort to establish a centennial plaza should be dropped. Why the rush?