Community Service
For eight years I have served on the Burlingame Planning Commission, including as Chairman 2006/07. In that time, I have worked on projects large and small to find practical solutions that balance the desires of the property owner with the concerns of the neighbors or community. Over my eight year tenure we:
- Guided Mills Peninsula’s new hospital project to a design that is beautiful and functional while mitigating so far as possible the impact on the neighborhood. Their $500 million hospital on El Camino will bring better health, new technology and new jobs to residents of Burlingame and the wider region. I was also responsible for encouraging the hospital to provide a major piece of public art at the corner of Truesdale and El Camino.
- Acted on hundreds of residential and business applications. At my instigation, every new home or major remodel in Burlingame now has an informational sign in front so that neighbors can see the proposed design without having to come to City Hall to get a copy of the plans; also at my suggestion, we now give applicants an extra year without fees to build their homes, to take account of the economic downturn we are all confronting. We do not want to discourage remodels or other home improvements just because an owner is having cash flow troubles.
- Worked through the significant environmental and planning issues surrounding a state of the art facility for the Peninsula SPCA (Humane Society) on Rollins Road.
- “The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA faced a seriously challenging and complicated entitlement battle leading up to approval to build our new Center For Compassion in Burlingame. Michael Brownrigg, as chair of the Planning Commission, was consistently fair and open to all sides, and deserves credit for successfully managing that lengthy process. We plan to break ground Fall 2009."
Ken White, President, Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA
- “The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA faced a seriously challenging and complicated entitlement battle leading up to approval to build our new Center For Compassion in Burlingame. Michael Brownrigg, as chair of the Planning Commission, was consistently fair and open to all sides, and deserves credit for successfully managing that lengthy process. We plan to break ground Fall 2009."
- Created a dynamic new zoning vision for the North End of Burlingame, which has already led to the establishment of a new (200) bed Sunrise Assisted Living facility and a new condominium on Trousdale, increasing business and property taxes for the city.
- Voted against a bad Safeway project 4 years ago – which was politically tough but was the right decision. In the last 18 months, however, I have been a part of a Working Group process that brought neighbors, local business, and community leaders (but not officials) back to the table with Safeway. Together, the Working Group has created a hugely improved proposal that is now going back to the Planning Commission with widespread community and corporate support (see Safeway section elsewhere on this website). This project will generate substantially more sales tax and vitality to the Howard/Primrose intersection.
The new $500 mm Mills Peninsula Hospital, which will bring new, good paying jobs to the Community. This diagram also shows the site for public art. It was Michael’s suggestion, endorsed by the Commission, to include public art in the conditions of approval for the hospital.