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For some in town the Fattoria e Mare property will always be the "Velvet Turtle".  Visitors often ask me "What was the name of that restaurant right by the freeway and Broadway"?  But those days are long gone as will be Fattoria e Mare after a six year run — another relic that provided memories, music and comraderie.  In it's place:

The Hanover Company is proposing a six-story building replacing the restaurant and adjacent parking garage and tennis court. The development would include 35 studio apartments, 74 one-bedroom apartments, 38 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units. Of the 150 units, 15 would be set aside at a moderate rate.

The project would also provide 195 parking spaces, 175 of which would be accommodated through a stacking system while six would be provided in tandem spaces and 14 would be standard spots. Most of the parking would be in an underground garage.

Parking concerns were raised at the Planning Commission session along with neighborhood compatibility of a six-story building.  But it passed 4-2.  There's no indication of discussion about where the kids from Anson Apartments (Summerhill), the Adrian Rd. development and now this Hanover project will go.  Hanover adds 194 bedrooms to the mix.

I'm also wondering which of these Big Four projects (counting the delayed Howard Ave. at Bayswater project) will trigger any major additions to the projected water deficit in town for a three-year drought.  The five year old Urban Water Management Study predicted on page 72  that supply available to Burlingame in multiple dry years is estimated to be reduced to 1,628 MG (year 1) and 1,376 MG (years 2 and 3).  I'm still hunting for why is a third consecutive year is estimated to be the same as the second consecutive year.  Table 6-4 shows demand exceeding supply in such a multi-year drought situation by 21% in 2020 and 30% if it occurs in 2040.  But these estimates predate the latest building boom here and in the rest of the SFPUC water service area.  And that is only for a three year drought.  At least the revision to these plans that is due this year includes a new 8 1/2 year drought scenario.  I'm betting the numbers will be scary to environmentalists and people who drink water.

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10 responses to “Arrivederci Fattoria e Mare”

  1. resident

    I think you are forgetting about the Lot F&N project and the post office. Big Six would be better to watch.

  2. resident

    I guess I can’t blame you for forgetting projects since I forgot whatever the hospital board is building and whatever the school district is going to do with the new bond money.

  3. Barking Dog

    Lots of great memories with my father in law in the 70′ and early 80’s @ the Velvet Turtle..after work “business meetings” as he called them. Still light my wood burning fireplace(s) with my cache of matchbooks i have from Velvet.

  4. reggie

    speaking of developements: What is going on with the 225 California (on Highland) office building? Seems like it was completed and nobody moved in.

  5. hollyroller@gmail.com

    The Best Burlingame Restaurants for Prom @ 1975 through 1977.
    Velvet Turtle, Ernie’s,Hyatt and Danny Marino. That Awesome Restaurant at Coyote Point.(I forgot the name.)
    In my opinion, the BEST restaurants in Burlingame: both that are gone, were “Café La Scala,” and “Left at Albuquerque.”

  6. Barking Dog

    Castaways

  7. Cathy Baylock

    Loved the Velvet Turtle. Salad tossed at your table with Steak au poivre to help soak up your two martini lunch. Not thrilled to see this kind of density at the gateway to our City…think I’ll have another martini

  8. Barking Dog

    Good to read today in the DJ that the Post Office development is moving forward in a direction that all parties involved seem have the same vision for the site.
    Also good to read the city backing out of the joint powers authority with CalCHA as CalCHA got out bid on the property. That had disaster written all over it IMO.

  9. Since you knew it was Castaways’ you must have gone to “The Lani”A Tiki Bar @ Hillsdale.
    Sidewinder Fang-Two per Customer.

  10. Joe

    It’s a done deal:
    The Burlingame City Council voted 5-0 during a meeting Monday, Feb. 3, in favor of plans to build the six-story tower at 1095 Rollins Road, where Italian eatery Fattoria e Mare is located.
    The decision came after neighbors claimed its construction would mire traffic patterns, congest parking and forever change the nature of their community, according to video of the meeting.
    “This project to me is really appalling, because the character of Burlingame is getting destroyed. Our quaint little city, I don’t know what is happening to it,” said Jeanne Malarky, according to video of the meeting.
    https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/burlingame-oks-new-apartments/article_121bf9ac-4bb3-11ea-b2b6-8b7558e6637d

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