Three vie for Burlingame council seats

As is the case across the Peninsula, a central focus for the candidates is assuring Burlingame strikes the right balance of available jobs and homes while preserving the community’s charm yet keeping the cost of living low.

Dunham, a former educator turned housing advocate, positioned himself as the right candidate to manage the city’s growth — claiming more residential development is needed to address the needs of renters and workers.

“We have to stop this train or we are not going to like what our city becomes,” said Dunham, claiming officials have not done enough to address the needs of those facing displacement due to rising rents and sky high home prices.

Colson disagreed though, pointing to her regional work done alongside other county officials through the Home for All initiative designed to address housing and affordability issues across the Peninsula.

“We are bringing solutions to cities like Burlingame which have not had conversations about housing,” said Colson.

For her part, Beach agreed housing affordability is a central concern — alongside assuring residents are able to enjoy their community, which requires additional focus on transportation issues, the local economy and a stable city budget.

“Quality of life is something we really cherish as a community and we need to keep making sure Burlingame is a terrific place to live,” she said.

Officials will need to keep an eye to maintaining Burlingame’s charm as the city embraces Oculus, Facebook’s virtual reality initiative, which will occupy the massive commercial tower rising along the Bayshore.

Recognizing fears that the arrival of thousands of well-paying tech jobs will worsen the city’s existing housing affordability and traffic congestion issues, Beach expressed optimism Facebook would work to mitigate those problems.

Since the company has long been in the Bay Area and is already familiar with the expectations placed on large employers, Beach said she is confident Facebook will collaborate with city officials to address areas of mutual interest.

“They are a company that is committed to being a good community partner,” she said.

Colson shared a similar perspective, noting the company’s willingness to establish shuttle systems connected to local train stops, in the interest of to keeping cars off the road and easing some of the potential traffic issues.

“I’m actually very happy Oculus is going in there,” said Colson.

Dunham disagreed, suggesting officials should have driven a harder bargain with the company when establishing a development agreement which he believed should have included a requirement for Facebook to build housing.

He also suggested officials erred when they decided to restrict residential development along the Bayshore in the most recent general plan update, claiming the decision will give way to unencumbered commercial construction throughout the area.

“We are on the path to basically every parcel out there becoming a tech office complex,” said Dunham, referring to additional plans to redevelop the nearby former Hyatt Cinema site into another sweeping commercial building.

Colson defended the decision to exempt the Bayfront from residential development, noting schools cannot be built in the area due to proximity to the airport. She also recognized the need to preserve the thriving hotel industry east of Highway 101, since tax revenue generated by the industry is a main source of the city’s income.

Also regarding the city’s economic health, Colson said officials have been fiscally conservative which has resulted in healthy reserves and an effort to pay down pension and retirement debt with an eye on sustainability.

“We are conscientious about the recession and we don’t want layoffs,” she said, noting the additional work by officials to help local merchants navigate changes to the retail environment in the city’s two central shopping districts.

But Dunham questioned the city’s financial management, suggesting officials have spent more than they should while the economy hummed locally.

Pointing to a recent sales tax hike designed to finance improved facilities, Dunham said he would have preferred officials keep the purse strings tight.

“A sales tax paying for infrastructure makes me worried we are spending beyond our means,” he said.

For her part though, Beach said she is proud of the work completed to assure Burlingame is stable financially, while expressing a desire to continue refining some of those initiatives through another term.

“There’s a lot of great work that still needs to be done, and I’d like to work through it,” she said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 105