Neighborhoods
Neighborhoods and neighborliness are what make Burlingame great. Burlingame is a place where you can leave your car keys with your neighbor, and where everyone is looking out for the kids. My kids have played baseball and football in the street since they were tiny, and without fail our friends and neighbors look out for bouncing wiffle balls and quip about an errant interception.
For eight years I have served on the Burlingame Planning Commission. 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. I learned that even a small project – a new garage, a second floor remodel – could have a major impact on the neighbor, even if the city was largely unaware. As public servants, we cannot always find an answer that pleases everyone, but we need to keep an open mind and use our judgment.
We have a great planning system and, for the most part, I think it serves Burlingame well. But I think there are ways it can get even better. For one, I would encourage the Planning Commission to reconsider our policy on putting two car garages at the back of the lot. I think most of these 400 ft(2) buildings become large storage sheds, at the expense of gardens, yards and greenspace. Moreover, because the garages are hard to access (in many cases), people wind up parking on the street, leading to an increasing clutter of cars on our side streets. I think we should re-examine planning policies that punish “attached” garages, which I believe get used more. Let’s design them in a way that is tasteful, but let’s bring back functional garages!
When I found out recently that I was a victim of identity theft, I was so pleased to get visited by a Burlingame officer that lives just three blocks away from me. Somehow, I think we all know that when our teachers and firefighters and safety officers live here, they are one of us, and that makes an intangible difference. Yet, how many young officers can afford to live here?
I have been a long time champion of finding new ways to create affordable housing in Burlingame, and not just talk about it. I was a driver behind the incentives to ensure that condominium developers set aside units to remain “affordable.” These days, I am working with my colleagues to look at novel programs to make our affordable housing stock even more robust.