Burlingame council discusses proposal for behavioral health facility

The nonprofit Horizon Services originally intended to construct the facility at 101 N. El Camino Real in San Mateo after being awarded $25 million for the project from the state, but faced serious pushback from residents who were concerned the project would worsen traffic and attract crime to affluent nearby neighborhoods. 

With a June deadline for Horizon to use the funding quickly approaching, Burlingame Mayor Michael Brownrigg said resolution for the controversial project could come at the city quickly. 

While county leaders have been considering the Burlingame location as a viable alternative, Brownrigg emphasized a number of factors were still at play, particularly the fact that Horizon would prefer the more residential San Mateo location and were unsure if the state’s grant funding would transition over to the more remote Burlingame property. 

“I would say it is not, at least in my judgement, a done deal that it won’t stay right where Horizon wanted it in the first place,” Brownrigg said. “That said, it’s pretty clear that the county thinks the number two best place is Mahler Road.” 

Brownrigg disputed concerns that the clients of the treatment center would be in the neighborhood unsupervised or causing undue issues and cited Horizon’s “pretty stellar” operational track record. He also pushed back against those who’ve offered the argument that the treatment facility should go somewhere, but just not near them. 

“None of us can have it both ways. You can’t on the one hand say, ‘I’m scared of these people, they’re scary, they might hurt my kids, so I don’t want them near me, but they should be here somewhere.’ That’s not tenable,” he said. 

The original proposal from Horizon calls for a 69-bed facility comprised of 16 sobering center beds — a jail alternative for nonviolent DUI offenders — 17 detox beds and 36 beds for residential treatment services, all of which would prohibit alcohol, illicit substances and outside loitering. Clients are also not allowed to bring vehicles on-site.

Still, some Burlingame hoteliers along the Bayfront have pushed back against the proposal, with Stanford Hotels Corporation Treasurer Jeremy Louie saying during public comment that the facility would bring down hotel occupancy and transient occupancy tax by 3%. 

“I’m here before you tonight to ask that we slow down and be thoughtful about the process about the placement of the Horizon facility,” he said. 

The City Council has little control over the final placement of the facility and was discussing it so residents and staff could be aware of the proposition, Councilmember Donna Colson emphasized, though, she also said it could provide a safe location for individuals with nowhere else to go. 

“In fact, taking people who are wandering around, sleeping on the town square and wandering into hotels, and giving them the opportunity to call, provide and get them out, and have a place to take them,” she said.