Burlingame may get an indoor ski training facility

“It’s an interesting reuse of a warehouse out there,” Vice Chair Walker Shores said. “I think there’s a lot of them that seem less than fully utilized, so it’ll be a very interesting addition to a very varied commercial landscape.” 

The facility — which was previously used for car rental storage — would serve beginner, intermediate and professional athletes and include a lobby, retail area, locker rooms and a magic carpet at the rear of the building to simulate a ski slope, the staff report said. 

The applicant, Meng Yang of Metro Slopes LLC, is also requesting to re-stripe the parking lot, turning the lot from 43 spaces to 70. 

Yang was not present at the meeting, and the item was moved to a future Planning Commission meeting so he could respond to commissioner questions before a conditional use permit for commercial recreation is approved. 

Commissioners were largely supportive of the project, including a proposal from staff that the applicant redo the landscaping in the front of the property. Chair Chris Horan voiced some safety concerns around a loading dock that would be adjacent to the facility. 

“It’s definitely an interesting business proposition,” he said. “There’s a shared driveway with a loading dock. I just felt that could be a safety concern, if there’s a semi backing up into that loading dock as people are coming in and out of this sports complex.” 

Whether the applicant planned to serve food or have a kitchen on the premises was also a question from commissioners. 

The facility would be the only indoor ski training facility in San Mateo County, though there are several others located in the surrounding Bay Area. Per the staff report, it would operate from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, with 24 employees on-site.