Step up to the drawing board – Planning session taps community's ideas for Howard Avenue
(see full article in San Mateo Times)

… The challenge for designers is enlivening the stretch of Howard Avenue between California Drive and El Camino Real, which suffers from a bland appearance and a lack of pedestrians. The planners will also look at the side streets, such as Lorton Avenue, that connect it to Burlingame Avenue. Their ideas will cover aspects of Howard Avenue's appearance from landscaping to building design. Once city officials settle on a guiding philosophy for the avenue, it will be incorporated into the city's downtown specific plan, said Nagel, who emphasized that the guidelines will apply to future tenants, not current ones.

Ed Bank, the owner of Just Kids Cuts at 1200 Howard Ave., said planners should focus on making Howard more of an extension of Burlingame Avenue, so that the entire area experiences the same bustling foot traffic. As rents rise on Burlingame Avenue, forcing out small, independently owned stores, the city has an opportunity to find locations for them to the south, said Nagel. "We're hoping to make this an exciting place and a more affordable place for small businesses," Nagel said. Store owners cited several obstacles to that goal. Some are rankled by the number of parking meters on Howard with 24-minute limits. Though there is an ample supply of cheap parking nearby, many customers either don't know about or choose not to use it. Richard Weiner, owner of Nuance Design Jewelers, said the 24-minute limit just isn't conducive to leisurely shopping. "You can't conduct your business in here that quickly or get a haircut at Kids Cuts or even get paint at the paint store," Weiner said. Bank said the Safeway and Walgreens stores at the corner of Howard and El Camino Real also present a hurdle. Despite long-running talks, the city and Safeway have not been able to agree on rebuilding or replacing the store. "That whole corner is so unattractive," Bank said. "Safeway does nothing to improve their store and it's been that way for years." Owners also pointed to the lack of retail stores and the predominance of service-oriented businesses on Howard. There are several banks, some offices, a nail salon, a fitness center and a couple restaurants, but few stores that serve as shopping destinations. "You cannot move people over there without having attractive tenants," said Karim Salma, whose company owns the building that occupies the 1100 block of Burlingame Avenue. "I don't know what you can do, to be honest with you. I wish them all the luck." Weiner said that, even if the city does nothing, market forces could cause Burlingame Avenue's vitality to spread. "I think it might just be a matter of natural progress, of Burlingame Avenue starting to overflow onto the side streets," Weiner said. If there is one subject on which Howard Avenue store owners are unanimous, it is beautification. Potholes need to be fixed and storefront planter boxes need to be added. Some merchants pine for a canopy of trees.

All these variables and more will be in play next Saturday. Members of the public are encouraged in particular to attend the morning session, which begins at 8:30 a.m., when the ideas will be flying. "The earlier your input is given, the more impact it will have," Schoichet said.

– Written by Fiona