The future of Burlingame?

For the plan to work, Safeway would likely have to buy into it. Mark Hudak, an attorney representing Safeway, declined to comment and City Manager Jim Nantell said the grocer wants to review the plans before commenting.

The plan would eliminate parking lots in the area bounded by El Camino Real, Primrose Road and Burlingame and Howard avenues and build several three- to five-story buildings, arcades and a walkway facing the United Methodist Church on Howard Avenue. It would also build roughly 300 condominiums in the area with small shops underneath.

There would be a main walkway entrance near Primrose and Howard leading to a fountain plaza. He showed the Whole Foods mixed-use project off Hillsdale Boulevard for some comparison.

Ionescu, who despises parking lots, said his "smart growth" plan will build vertically to encourage people to shop and walk there. Parking is planned under Safeway, but he stressed throughout the presentation that the entire project is flexible.

Nantell, who organized the meeting, said, "I want to express my thanks to Safeway for not going ballistic when I called them to say 'we're having a meeting about mixed use on your land.'"

Ionescu, who has offices in Norway, Argentina and San Mateo, showed photos of high-density towns in Europe with four-story buildings before unveiling his drawings, which embraced similar concepts.

"Many of you have been to Europe and you loved shopping there," he said in his Romanian accent.

Pointing to where umbrella tables would be placed, he said, "This is where you can sit down and have a coffee and a cigarette."

He said the project could be built in one to two years with the right developer.

City Councilmembers liked the plan.

"I think the Safeway bordered by smaller stores is a great idea," Councilwoman Terry Nagel said. "This plan captures what I was looking for last February," she said, connecting Burlingame Avenue, Fox Plaza and the church.

Because zoning codes would have to be wiped clean, Nagel suggested a possible specific area plan for the project.

Mayor Rosalie O'Mahony, Councilwoman Cathy Baylock and Councilman Mike Coffey also approved.

"There's a lot of vision here. I'm excited that we're going in this type of direction," he said. "You've broken the mold."

There were also some unanswered questions stemming from the plan, the most important being how to build underground parking at Safeway without toppling it.

Some asked how independent stores could afford the rent, which might instead draw chain stores.

The plan also called for outdoor cafe tables in a revamped alley behind the Safeway, and some asked where the dumpsters and delivery trucks would go.

Safeway's plans for a new 66,900-square-foot Safeway was rejected 3-2 in February. It was also rejected by the city's Planning Commission. This proposal is significantly bigger.

"You can understand how Safeway's scratching their heads right now," Nantell said. "You didn't want a 67,000-square-foot store but you want this?"

Stephen Baxter can be reached by e-mail at stephen@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.