Burlingame Planning

05/22/23

June 01, 2023

Welcome to Ultraground. We show you what’s being entitled in Burlingame.

May 22nd

304,000 SF R&D: Only-office worry in Bayshore | Design Review: ①
Development Data: R&D Comparative Analysis X Approval Time

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1499 Bayshore

Bayshore | 2.97 Acres | 639 Stalls | Design Review: ① - ② - ③

Project Overview: 1499 Bayshore is King Street/Helios RE Partners’ eight-story office/research and development (R&D) with an open parking garage. The site is at 1499 Bayshore Highway and 825 Mahler Road, to be merged into a single lot. The proposed building will be approximately 304,354 SF (excluding the penthouse) with a floor area ratio (FAR) of 2.35. The building is designed with larger floor to ceiling heights (16'0") and configured at a 60% lab and 40% office ratio. The project proposes a landscape coverage of 27% and provides a 2:1000 SF of parking spaces. A café, loading dock, trash room, and mechanical equipment room, along with three undefined tenant spaces, will be included on the ground floor.
Risks and Changes: The initial application for a hotel and restaurant expired as there were no extensions or building permits filed. The new project requires a fresh CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) review due to its substantial differences from the initial proposal and changes in development patterns in Burlingame since 2019, including the adoption of the 2020 General Plan. The site will also be raised by approximately 5.5 feet as part of sea-level rise requirements.
Community Benefits: The developers are offering four community benefits, including a 6,900 SF public plaza, sea-level rise infrastructure, public art installations, and the construction of an approximately 400 linear feet public trail along Mills Creek. These benefits align with the city's zoning law which allows an increased FAR in return for community benefits.

Situated under the purview of BCDC jurisdictional rules, 1499 Bayshore aims to present a wind-protected public plaza and trail, designed to provide visitors with a view of the shorebird sanctuary and the sprawling bay. The architectural design respects the restrictions of height and diligently adheres to FAA rules, with each floor designed to have balconies providing bay views. Moreover, the project tucks away the seawall, blending it with the earth's facade.

It’s parked at a ratio of 2:1000 - less than what one would typically find in an office building. A inviting café has been proposed but whether not it’ll be public sparked discussion.

“The café. Is that intended to be a tenant only use or tended to be or intended to be open to the public?

“…We don't have as many good options right now and in the near future because we're tearing them down. So I think that along that trail, and particularly at that junction, I think that to make the plaza is really a public benefit, there's gotta be something for the public to do other than to sit there.

Peter Banzaf from Helios RE Partners informs us that they are still in the decision-making process regarding the café's status, pending further exploration and data collection.

The developers said they studied Mills Creek, arriving at a sustainable solution that marries the preservation of the creek and considerations for rising sea levels. But Commissioner Schmid focused in on Mills Creek, questioning if there was a missed opportunity in not amplifying Mills Creek's attributes, which stands adjacent to the project on the south side.

Here’s how Peter Banzaf fielded it:

“The Mills Creek is a little more complicated than meets the eye because we don't own the other banks. So if you touch the creek, you're not doing the other side of the creek. And so if we were to add riprap, by example, you would have to engage with the Army Corps engineers update the other side of the street, which is not our our other side of the creek, it's not our property.

The community expressed mixed reactions with concerns about the building's height and its potential impact on the nearby Mills Creek and the shorebird preserve, while also recommending the incorporation of a bike trail and pedestrian access and safety enhancements.

“Will there be some type of bike path along this road?

The developers assured the community that the building will be adequately prepared to accommodate the bike path as part of broader road improvements.

Commissioner Horan praised the public amenity of the plaza and suggested a restaurant or café to attract visitors. Commissioner Comaroto liked the project and suggested planting more trees. Commissioner Schmid did not have any design issues but suggested adding more movement to the building.

“The building is really efficient. But it I'm not feeling any design to it for me. It's got it's it's got very minimal movement in it. It's very square. It's very vertical. The penthouse is maybe an opportunity to do something funner rather than just shielding mechanical equipment, but some movement.

Financial district was somewhere you didn't wanna go because there wasn't anything there but office buildings. So if we create just an office situation down there, know what you know, people aren't gonna go down there. So I think a huge opportunity there.

Commissioner Tse liked the site layout and suggested adding more design to the building. Commissioner Lowenthal supported the height of the building and suggested adding more visual interest to the building.

“Non tenant specific building frightens me a little bit. No one knows the potential of the economy we're we're approving a lot of square footage on this Bay shore area. The worst thing in the world would be to have a ghost town. But at least if we had the public amenity on the bottom, you still get the the citizens of Burlingame to use it, which is important.

Commissioner Pfaff was thrilled with the project and suggested adding a non-tenant specific public amenity on the ground floor. They also suggested enhancing the access from the Bay Trail to the site. The meeting ended with a positive review of the project and appreciation for the attention to detail.