From the Archives

Approximately 100 eucalyptus trees in Burlingame received a temporary reprieve from the chain saw Oct. 24, 2008 as the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission agreed to meet with city officials and residents to hear concerns regarding their removal.

The PUC was to begin cutting the trees along Skyline Boulevard the following Monday. However, Mayor Mike Coffey asked for a delay so a citizen meeting could be held to address concerns over the noise and wind impacts if the trees are removed.

The letter seemed to do the trick. That work was not to begin until after officials met with Coffey and concerned residents.

The 100 trees in question lined Skyline Boulevard on PUC-owned land just east of Interstate 280 between Trousdale Boulevard and Margarita Avenue. The SFPUC planned on retaining any native tree in the area and replace it with smaller California oaks.

Police records requested in lab probe

Federal investigators requested a pile of San Mateo police reports indicating a long history of trouble at the home of a sports nutrition lab owner accused of selling a designer steroid Oct. 22, 2003.

Victor Conte, the owner of Burlingame’s Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative — or BALCO — was suspected of selling a new type of steroid that several high-level athletes tested positive for. Federal investigators were looking into every aspect of Conte’s life as more athletes announce they’ve been subpoenaed to testify in a grand jury hearing.

The U.S. Attorney’s office requested every police report ever documented at Victor Conte’s residence in the Beresford neighborhood of San Mateo.

Since the Conte’s moved to the house in 1986, there have been 24 police reports made. In the previous two years, police were called to the house seven times.

The most prevalent type of call was for residential burglary with the most recent break-in reported Feb. 2, 2003.

Marina towers’ height studied

A billion dollar development which would have brought high-rise condominiums in at least a dozen towers — some of which would reach 260 feet — to Redwood City’s waterfront continued its march forward Oct. 21 as planning commissioners studied its height.

The project’s main visionary, Terry Bottomley, compared Marina Shores Village, the proposed site of 1,930 residential units spread over 43 acres, to the Vancouver, Canada waterfront.

Bottomley said Vancouver city planners realized they were limited in building housing outward, instead chose to build up, creating architecturally appealing residential buildings of different sizes. That allowed for maximum use of open space not only between the buildings, but on the ground as well.

Marina Shores Village’s tallest tower would have been 21 stories. In comparison, Oracle’s tallest tower in Redwood Shores is 17 stories.

Pumpkin fest brings

some 250,000 to Half Moon Bay

Delightful fall weather, a record-setting pumpkin and even the Florida Marlins are to thank for the success of the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival the weekend of Oct. 25, 2003, organizers say.

Spokesman Tim Beeman said that the 33rd annual festival attracted about 250,000 people over two days, a figure he called "very close to as good as it’s ever been.”

Beeman said that crowds tend to swell when the weather is good — and when the San Francisco Giants are not in the World Series.

From the Archives features events that occurred five years ago this week. It appears in the Thursday edition.