Council Agrees to Fix Street, Although Money is Uncertain

At their Monday night meeting, city council members took action on the on-going conversation of whether Burlingame Avenue streetscape improvements should be completed simultaneously with planned infrastructure upgrades by motioning for a request for proposals (RFP) for an updated streetscape.

Although it is arguably the most popular streets in Burlingame, Burlingame Avenue is also one of the most rundown. Vice Mayor Jerry Deal likened a drive down the street to a toboggan ride. Improvements are expected to benefit businesses and residents alike by drawing more traffic to downtown Burlingame.

While water and sewer improvements, at an estimated $4 million, would be paid for through the water and sewer enterprise fund, funding for streetscape repairs—including street resurfacing and storm drainage improvements at an estimated $9 million—comes from a less certain source. Although the gas tax and storm drainage fee would cover some of the costs, city staff faces a $8 million funding shortfall.

“The water and sewer infrastructure on Burlingame Avenue is 100 years old,” said Public Works Director Syed Murtuza. “Doing the streetscape at the same time…would save significant money and…minimize construction impact.”

After a December 6 meeting, city staff met with the Burlingame Avenue Downtown Business Improvement District (DBID) members, property owners and merchants to weigh funding options for the project and whether or not to move forward with the streetscape project.

The options discussed with the Burlingame Avenue business community included creating an assessment district, creating an assessment district in conjunction with a parking meter fare increase or continuing with only sewer and water pipeline improvements without streetscape improvements, said Murtuza.

City staff found there was strong support for infrastructure and streetscape improvements, but uncertainty over the city’s financing plan.

Seventy percent of property owners who responded to staff said they would support funding streetscape improvements through an assessment district coupled with a parking meter increase. However, two property owners contacted, or seven percent, were unsupportive of an assessment district.

“They did not like the options,” Murtuza said. “They simply wanted the city to do it all.”

Most of the remaining parcels expressed uncertainty over both an assessment district and parking meter fare increases.

Regardless of funding concerns, all contacted property owners and merchants were unsupportive of completing sewer and water drain repairs without including streetscape improvements.

“It’s well past time to do something there,” DBID President Dale Ferrel said. “We need to find a way to improve streetscape down there while this necessary work is going on.” 

The council will now issue an RFP from landscaping and engineering firms for streetscape engineering and design and complete a parking study determining implementation of meter rate adjustments.

Planning and designing the streetscape is estimated to use $500,000 to $600,000 from the capital improvement fund. Additionally, the city applied for Measure A grant funds, which would decrease the cost of the project.

“I just want to be very careful when we select somebody to do the streetscape,” said Vice Mayor Jerry Deal. “I’m really happy to see this happen.”

An assessment district requires a simple majority vote among parcel holders to pass.

Also during the meeting, representatives from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission presented on the Crystal Springs Pipeline project beginning along El Camino Real in Burlingame. Syed Murtuza, Burlingame Public Works director, gave a presentation addressing impacts of the storm last week.

Also at the meeting, Michael Gaul and Sandra Yie were unanimously re-appointed to the Planning Commission and a public hearing was set for May 2 on a resolution of intention to levy assessments for the Broadway Avenue Business Improvement District.