Burlingame gets festive

“I happen to be someone who cares a lot about making Burlingame beautiful and clean, and I look at things from an aesthetic eye,” she said. “I will be walking, and think, ‘This will look so beautiful if it has this in it,’ ‘This will look so pretty if this is added in it,’ and I take the initiative of doing it.”

Khoury began with her own storefront, gardening and planting flowers. After noticing how much joy the arrangements brought passersby, she branched out.

“I saw the appreciation and how much [joy it gave] people to look at it,” she said. “I started with Mykonos restaurant, and then I started with the Primrose Street volunteer work, and it was one business after another — then I became [a] beautification commissioner for Burlingame.”

Now, a variety of businesses, including Philz, Halo and the Burlingame Post Office — among others — sport brightly-colored flowers and plants put in place by Khoury.

In her capacity as a member of the Beautification Commission, she’s also encouraged planting of jacaranda trees, which sport violet-colored flowers and require little water to maintain, as well as encouraging an award for best multifamily landscaping, to honor apartment holiday decorations.

Khoury also led the charge on Burlingame’s holiday lights and festive decor, which is currently a work in progress for the upcoming season and completed before Burlingame’s tree-lighting Dec. 6.

Originally faced with electrical challenges, Khoury persevered to find a way for Burlingame to have holiday lights that mirrored those on University Avenue in Palo Alto, adding in spherical bulbed lights and reusable Christmas red flower arrangements.

“[For] under $1,500, I’m able to dress up the entire city,” she said of the flowers. “I know how to plan, I know how to budget, and I like quality things.”

Khoury’s motivation for the beautification efforts is the enjoyment it gives those living, visiting or simply walking through Burlingame.

“It just makes me happy to see the city beautiful and vibrant. I know some people are like, ‘Why do you waste your time? Why do you do that?’” she said. “It’s very rewarding to me, because I love Burlingame.”