If you appreciate, enjoy, and use the public space surrounding the current Burlingame City Hall, please sign the petition to support keeping city hall at it’s current location.

DO NOT let Burlingame City Council give the land away to developers for a quid pro quo deal.  Demand that it should stay or be a park for everyone to enjoy. Please sign this petition and let city council hear our voices.

What Happened:

The City of Burlingame has put out an RFP (Request for Proposals) to build a new city hall. Unfortunately, this may not be located in the same place as the current city hall because the city doesn’t have enough money and is considering selling the current land in exchange and to pay for the new building elsewhere. This means giving the current land away to a developer for a quid pro quo deal.  The developer would get the land for free and build a new city hall at no cost to Burlingame. [See RFP on Burlingame.org website]

But City Hall is part of our current Civic Center on the roundabout with the library. It provides a calming, green, public space among the many condos and apartments in the area adjacent to Burlingame Avenue. There is no public park in this neighborhood but many people use the public space at city hall as one.

Moving City Hall to a new location would be a major loss for the residents of the area who use and appreciate the public space associated with the current city hall. If it’s relocated, it’s also likely that the developer will build an apartment or condo complex on the existing site.

Reasons Why Moving City Hall is Bad For The Neighborhood:

1. No more annual Christmas Tree Lighting at City Hall. This is a Burlingame tradition where many people celebrate and gather during the tree lighting. The tree is lit up in the evenings for over a month during the holidays and provides a festive atmosphere.
2. It’s a popular public gathering spot, especially on weekends. City council and staff may not be aware of how much this area is used during non-work hours when people are home (such as the weekend.) There are people constantly using the benches and grassy areas of city hall. This include kids playing, residents walking pets, and friends meeting to sit and chat. When kids play at their own home, they don't meet other kids randomly. By playing in a public space, it creates a better feeling of community by meeting other neighbors.
3. Many large, mature trees would be lost. The city hall property has a number of beautiful mature trees that likely would not be retained if a developer were to build a new apartment / condo building on the existing site.
4. Elimination of space for kids to play. Even though there isn’t a formal park at city hall, there are large grassy areas where kids frequently play neighborhood games of soccer, tag, or just explore nature. Since many of the nearby apartments don’t have their own green spaces, the space at city hall is well used and appreciated.
5. Fewer places for owners to walk their pets. Many people walk their dogs around city hall (and are typically very responsible about cleaning up after them.) The dog owners know each other and socialize there.
6. Removal of park benches. If you observed how frequently the park benches at city hall are used, you’d likely be surprised. People meet there, sit and talk, eat lunch, read or have coffee on those benches. The weekends are especially busy and the benches provide a peaceful place to sit and relax in a green, shaded setting just a block from the bustle of Burlingame Avenue.
7. An apartment with a “public park” wouldn’t feel the same. It’s possible the city could choose a development plan that includes retaining some of the public space even if condos are built. However, playing in the front yard or socializing on park benches in front of someone’s apartment won’t feel as comfortable as city hall where it feels like it’s a resource for everyone. 
8. What about the time capsule? Did you know there’s a time capsule buried under the tree on the Primrose side of city hall? It’s scheduled to be opened in 2025.  My son wants to see it opened!

A new city hall, in the current location, would enhance the neighborhood visually and retain the public space that we all appreciate.

Alternatives:

Burlingame does need a new city hall, but we should consider other ways to fund the rebuilding or remodeling of the existing building. Please urge members of the city council to consider alternatives that would keep city hall in it’s current location. They could include options such as:

• Selling a public parking lot to raise funds for the new building (with the stipulation that the developer include public underground parking to compensate.)
• Initialize a bond
• Increasing taxes temporarily to pay for a new city hall
• Taking out a loan to pay for the construction of a new city hall
• Raising money through charity fundraising or a crowdsourced program like Indiegogo
• 2 Billionaires live in the 94010 area code—perhaps one would like a new city hall named after them?