Burlingame kills plan for Broadway revamp

Unexpected funding increases now mean continuing with that original plan would cost around $899 million, a huge jump from an original estimate of around $316 million. The city will likely move forward with the grade separation alone, forgoing the train station, councilmembers have said.

“I know people have hopes it will stay open, but I’m telling you, the practicality of that is zero,” Councilmember Donna Colson said.

The elimination of the train station in that area means the Broadway district would no longer be automatically qualified as transit-oriented development with dense, parking-free zoning, which the Broadway Specific Plan had relied on both for funding and design.

That’s to the dismay of business owners in the area, who say that increased development is a necessity for continued vitality of the district, but, to the delight of local neighbors, who are largely uninterested in expansion of any kind.

Councilmember Michael Brownrigg emphasized that the City Council is not pausing Broadway’s redevelopment plans because of antidevelopment residents, but because of the complex land management issues in that area.

“We’re backing down because of the uncertainty with grade separation and what that community is going to look like,” he said.

Business leaders have pleaded with the city to retain a vision of the district.

“We, the Broadway merchants, request the City of Burlingame to have a VISION for Broadway Business District. Status quo is not acceptable,” John Kevranian, president of the Broadway Improvement District, said in an email to the City Council.

The existing land use standards in the area actually already allow for more housing and larger buildings than are presently being developed, Community Development Director Neda Zayer said.

While the makeup of the area and conflict between residents and business owners makes fulfilling that possibility challenging, it’s possible for the city to encourage private development with tools outside of a land use document like the Broadway Specific Plan.

“Broadway has a difficult geographic configuration, which makes it more challenging, and understanding the inherent conflict between the desires of commercial tenants and residents,” Zayer said.

Brownrigg encouraged those who want to see development and increased commercial vitality in the area to remain hopeful in the long term. The completion of a grade separation, even without a train station, could calm traffic in the area and make it more attractive to potential customers, for example.

“I think between the development standards we have and what could be unlocked, I think Broadway has some reasons for optimism,” he said.