Walgreens appeal before City Council

An appeal to approve a new 24-hour drug store proposed for the corner of El Camino Real and Burlingame Avenue will go before the Burlingame City Council Monday more than a month after being denied by the Planning Commission.

The proposal calls for moving Walgreens to 260 El Camino Real where a closed Chevron station currently sits. Plans include demolishing the station to build a new 12,403-square-foot commercial building with 10,168 square feet of retail space on the ground level and 2,235 square feet of second story storage space. Two entryways -- at the corner of El Camino Real and Burlingame and one at the south side of the building -- are also planned. Plans were denied without prejudice by the Planning Commission 3-2-0-2, with Chair David Chauchi and Tim Auran dissenting, on Nov. 24 and was appealed the following day. The appeal will be heard by the council Monday.

In August, the Burlingame Planning Commission requested the Walgreens applicant expand its traffic and environmental study of the plan, as well as revisit windows to allow pedestrians to see into the store. Currently, the windows proposed would serve as display cases. In November, the commission reviewed the changes and discussed the potential impacts of the upcoming Safeway development on Walgreens.

Many positive comments have come from the community thus far, Nick Delis, landlord for the site, wrote in a Dec. 30 e-mail to the council.

"Remember, one cannot please everyone. Unless the City Council has on file some redesigned plans for the existing telephone building across the street that would conflict with this project, we would therefore feel this Walgreens proposal should be approved. It would be a benefit for all the community and the Burlingame downtown area could then move forward and work diligently in making the new Safeway store a reality."

Moving the Walgreens, which is currently located next to Safeway, will open up space previously slated for a new Walgreens. If it moves forward, city officials and community members working toward an agreeable design for the new grocery store will have increased flexibility in options. Additionally, the proposal begins the design work for the entryway onto Burlingame Avenue from El Camino Real. This falls under part of a larger plan of reworking Burlingame's downtown that city officials are happy to report is moving forward.

Work on Walgreens, Safeway and the downtown plan are being completed separately. But more flexibility will be granted to those trying to create a financially-stable Safeway with Burlingame's charm with Walgreens moving.

Additionally, a new parking lot entrance on El Camino Real could be gained as a result of the Walgreens proposal. It can be difficult to get such access since El Camino Real is a state highway, which means the city cannot give the OK. The Chevron site already has the lowered sidewalk entrance, which property owners plan to keep if possible potentially opening access to the under-utilized parking lot behind Chevron at the moment.

A proposal for a new Safeway is expected early this year.

The council meets 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5 at City Hall, 501 Primrose Road.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.