Coyote Update...5 days and counting

From: Eyes4Hire@aol.com-DeleteThis
Date: Wed Jun 09 1999 - 21:24:06 PDT

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From: Eyes4Hire@aol.com-DeleteThis
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Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1999 00:24:06 EDT
Subject: Coyote Update...5 days and counting
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Bob Indig, the SFBA webmaster will be out of town shortly, so I am having him
link the SFBA Coyote Status to the following site where I can modify the
update as I get more info and have more time to process the latest Staff
Report released by the City of Burlingame. Check back regularly as the info
listed on the page should increase daily.

http://hometown.aol.com/thewinddog/myhomepage/index.html

Here is the text to date:

Coyote Point Update

Information re. June 14th Planning Commission Meeting
The Planning Commission will meet at 7:00 p.m. on June 14th at:

Burlingame City Hall
501 Primrose Road
Burlingame, CA 94010

SFBA will have an informational meeting at ASD Windsurfing at 6:00 p.m.
Please come and get the latest info:

ASD Windsurfing
302 Lang Road
Burlingame, CA 94010
(650) 348-8485

ON THE AGENDA:
The issue of project approval for the 301 Airport Boulevard development is on
the calendar. According to the Planning Department the Commissioners should
do one of the following:

(1) Certify the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and accept the project as
proposed
(2) Certify the EIR and suggest limited changes
(3) Certify the EIR and deny the project without prejudice (developer may
return with revised plans)
(4) Take no action on EIR and deny project

The Planning Commission also may opt to extend the issue but has the power to
approve or disapprove the development at this meeting. The Planning
Commission will be looking to balance the interests of the City, the
community, the developer, etc. Let them know that this is a quality of life
issue and that we live in the Bay Area because of the balance that it allows
between work, recreation, and the environment.

BACKGROUND:

LAST MEETING:

At the last Planning Commission meeting a number of Commissioners asked the
developer to come up with options that did not require exceeding height
limits. He was also asked to come up with options that would reduce impacts
to view, traffic, and windsurfing. Specific requests included plans which
would have the larger number of buildings concentrated from the Coyote Point
side of the property and rotating buildings narrow side to the wind. The
developer has responded with a plan that does not address the requests the
Commissioners made.

REVISED PLANS:

The revised development plan has two primary changes:

(1) The buildings have the same total number of floors between them (and
floor area) but their heights have been shifted around in a way that would
yield a minimal improvement regarding the wind impacts. The initial plan
called for buildings 5, 5, 7, 5 and 3 stories tall. The new plan calls for
buildings 4, 4, 4, 6 and 7 stories tall. The buildings are listed in the
order they will be constructed under the phased implementation. The first
three buildings are those closest to Coyote Point Park.

(2) The parking deck that is to be situated between the buildings has been
lowered to avoid the need for a conditional use permit regarding lot
coverage. While the developer has apparantly satisfied the requirement
through a technical change, the character of the project remains the same.

FLOOR AREA:

The revised development calls 635,868 square feet of office space spread
among five office buildings which are to be 4, 4, 4, 6 and 7 stories tall.
The buildings will be located on a 16.23 acre parcel, resulting in a floor
area ratio (FAR) of .9, meaning that the total square footage of floor space
is equal to 90% of the area of the land.

Burlingame’s Design Guidelines for the Bayfront Area limit FAR to a maximum
of .9, but the average FAR for all office developments approved since the
establishment of the guidelines is .57. At a .57 FAR, the project floor area
would be approximately 403,000 square feet. A project calling for 403,000
square foot floor area could be constructed using the current designs while
limiting the buildings to 3, 3, 3, 3 and 4 stories tall (or possibly some
similar configuration such as 3, 2, 3, 4, 4 with the lowest building (B)
nearest the water and the taller buildings farther back).

CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS REQUIRED:

The project requires the following Conditional Use Permits which would allow
building beyond the limits set by Burlingame’s zoning code:

(1) To exceed the 65’ maximum height limit (measured curb line to parapet and
excluding penthouse and utility structures) established under Design
Guidelines for Bayfront Development. (Building D is 89.68’ and Building E is
103.18’)

(2) To exceed the view obstruction from Airport Boulevard on the east side of
the property (77% obstruction vs. 50% allowed)

(3) To exceed the view obstruction from the Sanchez Channel frontage on the
west side of the property (76.6% obstruction vs. 42% allowed)

(4) To have 5.3% landscaping coverage where 10% is the minimum

PHASING OF CONSTRUCTION:

The developer wants to build the buildings one at a time and in response to
market demand. If there is a downturn in the economy he might not construct
all of the buildings. As it stands, the developer wants to erect the
buildings that have the most dramatic impact to windsurfing and views first.
In the end, if the development is only partially completed, it will be
completed in a way that has the greatest negative impact to windsurfing and
the views from Coyote Point Park.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR):

The Planning Commission previously voted to find that the EIR was sufficient
even though the wind analysis does not include an analysis of turbulence
impacts. If the EIR is finalized along with approval of the development, it
will create a standard for evaluating impacts to windsurfing that is based on
average wind velocity alone. Looking at average wind velocity does not
distinguish between wind that is gusting over a very broad range. It
considers the windsurfing conditions to be identical whether the wind is
blowing 18-22 m.p.h. with a 20 m.p.h. average or 5-35 m.p.h. with a 20 m.p.h.
average.

The Planning Department’s Staff Report prepared for the 5/10/99 Planning
Commission meeting conceded that, “There is a rule of thumb for wind
turbulence, wind recovers in 25-50 times the building height” (Page 10).

My Favorite Links
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Peter Thorner
e-mail: Eyes4Hire@aol.com-DeleteThis

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