Week in review

U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, announced this his endorsement of former state senator Jackie Speier to replace him in Congress.

"From her earliest days as a staff member for the late Leo Ryan to the offices she has held at the local and state levels, Jackie has always been a first-class public servant who has made the community’s most pressing priorities her own. With her impressive record of achievement and her unique life experience, Jackie will bring to Washington all the heart and soul, muscle and grit that makes for an effective new member of the House,” Lantos said.

Lantos announced two weeks ago that he would no seek re-election because he was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He was elected to Congress in 1980 and is in his 14th term in office. Lantos’ Democratic colleagues elected him chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in January 2007. He is a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, Lantos is the founding co-chairman of the 24-year-old Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which his wife, Annette, has directed as a volunteer since its inception, according to a press release.

City gets first

look at ‘Village Center’

To get the town square Foster City wants, developers are suggesting the project on a prime vacant 11-acre lot in the center of the city contain buildings as high as eight or nine stories.

The developer, Pacific Retirement Services, is proposing a 251 to 275 independent living area, a village square park and 31,000 to 50,000 square feet of retail on the 11-acre portion of the 15-acre city-owned property adjacent to the Foster City Government Center. The design concept was approved by the City Council last year, but Tuesday night was the first time developers put forward a specific design.

Balancing a sizable town square is dependent on the height of the buildings that surround it. Developers suggest keeping retail buildings low along Shell Boulevard but up to a nine-story independent living building for seniors.

The idea was presented at the first of two Planning Commission study sessions. Commissioners will ask questions and make comments about the project at the second meeting Jan. 24. However, commissioners gave a few guiding comments — from making sure buildings are inviting to ensuring the nearby library and recreation center are tied into the project.

State of San Bruno: Poor

More houses and condominiums will be built in San Bruno this year, but the city still faces a $500,000 annual deficit to address, Mayor Larry Franzella explained during the annual State of the City address Tuesday.

Hundreds of condos and the start of single-family homes will be built during this year bringing tax dollars and growth to San Bruno, said Franzella. At the same time, the city needs to find a way to address the continued budget shortfall and capital improvement needs — a brainstorming session residents can expect to begin in the coming months. Looking ahead, the city also plans to bring together residents and representatives from development companies to create a clear vision for downtown.

More than 300 condominiums are expected to be built in San Bruno during the next year. Additionally, model homes are now open at the SummerHill development — a proposal to build 70 single-family homes on an old school site.

Chlorine spill snarls traffic

Downtown San Mateo traffic was snarled for approximately seven hours as emergency personnel tried to clean up chlorine that fell off a truck Monday morning.

The San Mateo Fire Department responded to Delaware Street between Fourth and Ninth avenues shortly at approximately 7:30 a.m. Monday. A San Mateo Public Works Department employee spotted four unmarked containers in the five-block span and called the fire department to respond.

San Mateo firefighters cordoned off the street while the San Mateo County Hazardous Materials team determined common chlorine, approximately enough to treat a high school pool, was in the four unmarked, yellow, 2.5-gallon containers.

Two of the containers burst open when they fell off the truck and the other two remained intact, said San Mateo Battalion Chief John Healy.