Height concerns over office plans in Burlingame

While the building — a long block north of Burlingame Avenue off El Camino Real — will incorporate a tiered approach, meaning not all of the total development will reach five stories, a planned rooftop garden — not included in formal height measurements — could raise the height to 90 feet in certain places. 

But the potential implications of the height on neighbors, including the building creating shadows on smaller homes and businesses, was broached as a major criticism during a Burlingame Planning Commission meeting Dec. 8. 

“The building will both impact residents personally and financially, from the perspective of private property values, peace and tranquility darkness in our homes — despite the shade and sun studies, I kind of find it hard to believe the building isn’t going to block some of the natural light,” resident Pam Waddington said. 

The tier design is intended to alleviate some of the height-related issues, DevelopURBAN principal Neal Yung said. In summer, spring and fall, shadows should be minimal, he said, with more significant shadows in the wintertime. 

“You never really experience this building as if it’s a 75-foot tall building,” he said. “You experience it as if it’s a single floor, a second floor, as a three level floor building.” 

Based on Planning Commission concerns, Yung said, the development firm will continue to refine plans for the back façade of the building to minimize privacy, height and shadow impact on residential neighbors. 

Commissioner Jennifer Pfaff emphasized height-related concerns for the proposed 87,172-square-foot development, which would include two levels of subterranean parking, on the city’s character and construction precedent it might set. 

“I’m just looking at a lot of bulk on the street and I guess it is zoned office, but it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to guess this could be housing or some sort of mix,” she said. “The component is going to be potentially very out of proportion with our cute — I still consider it cute — downtown.” 

While the height may be jarring for residential neighbors, it isn’t the first project of its kind to develop on a larger scale in Burlingame, Commissioner John Schmid said, citing housing developments that are now permitted at taller heights. 

“This isn’t the first one to break this height and it’s part of how our city is growing. I do feel this is a good area for financial institutions to grow … this is the right place for this,” he said. “I do agree it’s challenging in, how do we make that interface a little softer?” 

The 1430 Chapin Ave. project will return back to the Planning Commission for a formal recommendation before moving to the Burlingame City Council.