From the archives

At least 20 homes and 20 businesses, including the city’s new fire station, were damaged. The tornado also uprooted trees and triggered gas leaks.

Meteorologists initially said the strong winds were caused by a funnel cloud. But during a news conference they said wind speeds reached roughly 70-to-110 mph, making the weather a tornado of "moderate strength.”

"To have a tornado in the Bay Area isn’t exceedingly rare but it is infrequent,” said Warren Blier, a science officer with the National Weather Service in Monterey. Blier added that tornados usually hit unpopulated areas in the Bay Area.

Red light cameras en route

The San Mateo Police Department announced the week of March 27, 2005 that it would be installing two red light cameras at two busy "high-risk” intersections in the city the following week.

Police officials said previously that Hillsdale Boulevard and Saratoga Drive had 31 red light violations in a two-hour time frame during an informal study conducted in 2003. Other dangerous intersections the study listed were Tilton Avenue at El Camino Real, with 18 violations in two hours. At 17th Avenue and El Camino Real there were nine violations in an hour. There were 15 violations in two hours at Norfolk Street and Hillsdale Boulevard and five violations at 25th Avenue and El Camino Real in a half hour.

Emotions erupt over war

The San Mateo police chief and city manager had to break up a heated argument between Councilman John Lee and members of a peace organization speaking at City Hall the week of March 27, 2005.

Emotions didn’t boil over until after the meeting in which the council voted 4-1 against placing a resolution opposing the war in Iraq on an upcoming agenda. While other council members immediately left the chambers after the vote, Lee stayed and argued with peace activists.

Words escalated and Lee was at times face to face with members of San Mateo Peace Action as other circled around. Police Chief Susan Manheimer had to break up the argument and walk Lee out of the chambers, while City Manager Arne Croce played interference and tried to change the subject of conversation.

The animosity between the peace activists and the council began well before the meeting began. San Mateo County Peace Action, a group opposed to the war in Iraq, asked the council to consider placing the resolution on its agenda.

Bay Meadows demolition sprinting to the finish line

The demolition of Bay Meadows and development of its 83.5 acres cleared a major hurdle at a Planning Commission meeting the week of March 27, 2005.

The San Mateo Planning Commission voted 3-1 to recommend a major study concerning the future development of Bay Meadows to the City Council. The City Council is expected to review the study in June and eventually approve it, setting off several months of planning for one of the largest developments in San Mateo County.

After reviewing additional information compiled by city staff and making a few minor changes, the commission reversed its sentiment from the previous month and decided to give the plan its stamp of approval. On Feb. 23, 2005, the commission voted 3-2 against recommending the study to the City Council because of what it felt was an inadequate review of traffic, water and historical significance issues.

Bay Meadows Land Company wants to create a transit-oriented development with 1,250 residential units, 1.25 million square feet of office space and 150,000 square feet of retail space. The land, the owners say, is too valuable to remain a race track.

From the archives highlights stories originally printed five years ago this week. It appears in the Thursday edition of the Daily Journal.