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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet - BC - 2024.12.05Beautification Commission City of Burlingame Meeting Agenda BURLINGAME CITY HALL 501 PRIMROSE ROAD BURLINGAME, CA 94010 Burlingame Community Center 850 Burlingame Avenue 6:30 PMThursday, December 5, 2024 Consistent with Government Code Section 54953, this Burlingame Beautification Commission Meeting will be held via Zoom in addition to in person. To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can observe the meeting from home or attend the meeting in person. Below is information on how the public may observe and participate in the meeting. To Attend the Meeting in Person: Location: Burlingame Community Center, 850 Burlingame Ave, Burlingame, California 94010 To Attend the Meeting via Zoom or Phone: Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82256001889? pwd=hr1x3NzkAcdO6uVB9ZmyhMNBUkBp5b.1 Passcode: 735823 Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Webinar ID: 822 5600 1889 Passcode: 735823 International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbe1qq8Orx To Provide Public Comment in Person: Members of the public wishing to speak will be asked to fill out a "Public Address Request Form" card located on the table by the door and then hand it to staff. The provisions of a name, address, or other identifying information is optional. Speakers are limited to three minutes each, however, the Chair may adjust the time limit in light of the number of anticipated speakers. Page 1 City of Burlingame Printed on 11/27/2024 December 5, 2024Beautification Commission Meeting Agenda To Provide Public Comment via Email: Members of the public may provide written comments by email to parksadmin@burlingame.org. Emailed comments will not be read out loud, but they will be noted for the record. Your email should include the specific agenda item on which you are commenting. Please note if your comment concerns an item that is not on the agenda. Emailed public comments that are received by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, 2024, will be included in a supplemental packet that will be sent to the Beautification Commission prior to the meeting and published on the website here: https://www.burlingame.org/189/Beautification-Commission 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. MINUTES November 7, 2024 Draft BBC Minutesa. Draft MinutesAttachments: 4. CORRESPONDENCE 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS, NON-AGENDA Speakers may address the Commission concerning any matter over which the Commission has jurisdiction or of which it may take cognizance that is not on the agenda. Additional public comments on agenda action items will be heard when the Commission takes up those items. The Ralph M. Brown Act (the State local agency open meeting law) prohibits the Commission from acting on any matter that is not on the agenda. Speakers are asked to fill out a "request to speak" card located on the table by the door and hand it to staff, although provision of name, address or other identifying information is optional. Speakers are limited to three minutes each, although the Commission may adjust the time limit in light of the number of anticipated speakers. 6. OLD BUSINESS 7. NEW BUSINESS Approval of the Installation of Two New Didactic Panelsa. Staff Report Exhibit A Exhibit B Exhibit C Attachments: Page 2 City of Burlingame Printed on 11/27/2024 December 5, 2024Beautification Commission Meeting Agenda 8. REPORTS 9. UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS Next Regular Meeting: Cancel January 2, 2025 Meeting Notice: Any attendees wishing accommodations for disabilities should contact the Parks & Recreation Dept. at (650) 558-7330 at least 24 hours before the meeting. A copy of the agenda packet is available for review at the Recreation Center, 850 Burlingame Avenue, during normal office hours. The Agendas and minutes are also available on the City's website: www.burlingame.org. Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Burlingame Beautification Commission regarding any items on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at 850 Burlingame Avenue during normal business hours. Page 3 City of Burlingame Printed on 11/27/2024 1 BURLINGAME BEAUTIFICATION COMMISSION Draft Minutes November 7, 2024 The regularly scheduled meeting of the Beautification Commission was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Chair Batte. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Batte, Commissioners Bauer, Chu, and Khoury Absent: Commissioner Kirchner Staff: Parks Superintendent/City Arborist Holtz, Parks Supervisor Burow, and Recording Secretary Flores Others: None MINUTES Commissioner Bauer made a motion to approve the October 3, 2024, Regular Meeting minutes. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Khoury and was approved. 4-0-1 CORRESPONDENCE None PUBLIC COMMENT None PRESENTATION None OLD BUSINESS None NEW BUSINESS 1. Public Hearing to Consider an Appeal of the City Arborist’s Approval of the Removal of a Protected Private Tree at 2300 Adeline Drive Arborist Holtz presented the staff report. He confirmed that the appeal is in reference to the Mercy property at 2300 Adeline Drive, which is split between the Sisters of Mercy and Mercy High School. They are Burlingame's largest privately held property, with over 1700 trees on site. He explained that Mercy had their share of emergency removals during the 2023 storms. They had an assessment of their entire property completed that identified trees of concern and priority rating to determine what trees need to be removed. Arborist Holtz walked the campus with the Sisters of Mercy staff and their hired tree company and reviewed their supplied arborist report. He stated that the tree approved for removal was a large Cypress tree that was overly mature and had decay and significant dieback in the canopy. He explained that as they get larger, they lose larger branches and require frequent pruning and maintenance to prevent this kind of failure by removing the end weight. Due to the highly trafficked area, there would be a greater impact should a failure occur. Arborist Holtz confirmed that his assessment of the situation met the threshold for removal in accordance with the Burlingame Municipal Tree Ordinance 11.06. His approval was determined based on tree specimen history and lack of vigor with little hope of recovery. He explained that the removal of the tree does not significantly affect the neighborhood. Arborist Holtz stated that staff received an email from 2 a neighbor wanting to begin the appeal process but did not provide reasoning for the appeal after staff made contact twice. Chair Batte opened public comment. With no one in the audience wishing to speak on the item, Chair Batte closed public comment. With no one in the audience wishing to speak on behalf of the appellant, Chair Batte invited the respondent/applicant from 2300 Adeline Drive to address the Commission. Sister Anne Murphy of The Sisters of Mercy spoke as an individual, not in representation of the organization, in favor of the tree removal. She explained that there are critical concerns as sisters, one of which is the environment, and that they have planted two trees on the property yearly for a minimum of 25 years. In the past year, twenty trees were planted to replace the trees lost due to weather events of the last two years. Further, 20 large rose bushes have been planted adjacent to the Kohl mansion at the request of the high school in response to the Sisters planting trees around the high school. She confirmed that trees would not be removed needlessly. In the case of the Cypress tree, the removal is being proposed out of precaution for the safety of nearby pedestrians and its proximity to a building. Any damage to the building may result in costly repairs that would take funds away for the maintenance of the grounds. She explained that the Sisters of Mercy have chosen to welcome neighbors to walk and access the property to be healthy physically, spiritually, and psychologically, and she hopes they can continue to offer this benefit for many years to come. Aaron Wong with Tree Management Experts, the independent contractor that conducted the tree assessment on-site, spoke in favor of the tree removal. He explained that less than 10% of the trees on site were recommended for removal. There are many over-mature trees on site, and although they do not wish to remove more trees than necessary, safety concerns prompted recommended removals. Mr. Wong made himself available for questions from the Commission. Once the respondent/applicant completed their talking points, Commission discussion ensued. Commissioner Bauer stated that due to the lack of reasoning provided by the appellant via email and in person, she recommended the approval of the tree removal application and denial of the appeal. She explained the results of the independent arborist report and the assessment from the City Arborist that led to her decision. The rest of the Commission agreed with Commissioner Bauers's recommendation. Commissioner Bauer made a motion to deny the appeal to the City Arborist’s approval of the removal of a protected private tree at 2300 Adeline Drive. Commissioner Khoury seconded the motion, and it was approved. 4-0-1 City Arborist Holtz explained that the appeal was brought forward out of an abundance of caution. He is confident that the updated tree ordinance will prevent nuisance appeals from being filled in the future. Chair Batte stated that a written notification of the decision would be sent via mail and explained that the Commission’s decision is appealable to the City Council. REPORTS 3 Commissioner Khoury reported that work is commencing on the holiday decor for the fall season. She also stated that she delivered the 2024 Landscape Award to all three winners. Supervisor Burow reported that approximately 180 trees were planted during the fall and that the Tree and Parks crew had come together to complete large group projects such as Cuernavaca Park along the 1700 and 1800 blocks of El Camino Real. Arborist Holtz commented on new large specimen species to help diversify our urban forest. Arborist Holtz reported on Capital Improvement Projects that are wrapping up, such as the Cuernavaca Field Renovation Project and the Mills Canyon Landslide Repair Project. He spoke about future projects that include sports court lighting at Washington Park. Further, staff will be engaging once more in regular maintenance, focusing on fencing and paving. Arborist Holtz stated that future conversations would arise pertaining to how best to move forward when looking at the Urban Forest. Due to recent tree projects, staff has heard that community members feel like the City is removing all sorts of trees, but explained that removals have been brought to light due to the significant decay in certain groves. Commissioner Bauer inquired how many more trees would be removed along the train tracks on California Drive. Arborist Holtz confirmed that only three smaller trees were pending and should have been completed already. Commissioner Bauer asked if stumps would be ground down. Arborist Holtz confirmed that removing stumps is costly and timely to complete and are not scheduled for removal at this time, but that staff can look at potential opportunities towards the end of the fiscal year to see if there is budget remaining to remove the most noticeable stumps. Secretary Flores reminded the Commission that the Mobility Hub ribbon cutting would take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 1:30 pm. Further, she reported that the Laguna Playground Renovation project would break ground on November 12, 2024. Chair Batte inquired about the day of the Annual Tree Lighting event and Arborist Holtz confirmed it would take place on Friday, December 6, 2024. Secretary Flores reported that the Burlingame Square Project construction contract with Azul Works, Inc. was approved, and a pre-construction meeting would follow. UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS Arborist Holtz explained that Council Member Brownrigg would like staff to readdress theme blocks. It will be on a future agenda. Secretary Flores confirmed that the December Commission meeting would include a presentation of two didactic panels from the Historical Society. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:05 p.m. The next Beautification Commission meeting is scheduled for December 5, 2024. Respectfully submitted, 4 Veronica Flores Veronica Flores Recording Secretary 1 STAFF REPORT To: Beautification Commission Date: December 5, 2024 From: Veronica Flores, Administrative Assistant II Subject: Approval of the Installation of Two New Didactic Panels RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the Commission approve the installation of two new didactic panels, one about Ansel Mills Easton’s Burlingame Railway Company and one about Baseball and Washington Park Field. BACKGROUND In 2023, the Burlingame Historical Society and a community donor approached staff with the idea of installing didactic panels in Washington that would provide information about Burlingame history. One was about William Corbitt, and the other was about the Gunst Mansion. The Parks and Recreation Commission approved the proposed panels on January 18, 2024. In May 2024, the panels were installed. The Corbitt panel is located near Burlingame High School, while the Gunst Mansion panel can be found in the Rose Garden. In the fall of 2024, the Burlingame Historical Society again contacted staff about two new didactic panels. Since one of the proposed locations is on Hillside Ave. (not in a city park), staff thought the Beautification Commission would be the appropriate body to review the proposal and decide if they were appropriate for installation. DISCUSSION The first panel will tell the story of the Easton Trolley and the history of the shelter near Hillside Avenue and Alvarado Avenue. The second panel would provide the history of the Washington Baseball Field, one of the earliest fields in the State. The proposed location for the Easton Trolley panel would be along Alvarado Avenue, while the Baseball Field panel would be installed near the fields at Washinton Park, adjacent to the playground (see Exhibit A). Both locations will need to be vetted by staff, and the location may change due to site conditions. Approval of the Installation of Two New Didactic Panels December 5, 2024 2 The Historical Society developed draft didactic panels, which are attached as Exhibits B and C. Staff time would be required to complete the installation, and it would be added to the list of park projects. Staff anticipate the panels could be installed in the spring of 2025 if approved by the Commission. FISCAL IMPACT The Historical Society will be funding the purchase of the panels. They have indicated they will use funds from the City of Burlingame Community Grant and the Historical Society General Fund. The Burlingame Community Grant program occurs yearly, and the City Council grants funds to non-profits that apply for certain causes and projects. The project does not require City funds; however, staff time is estimated at $2,000 per panel for installation, for a total of $4,000. EXHIBITS A) Proposed Locations B) Draft Easton Trolley Panel C) Draft Washington Baseball Field Panel Easton Trolley – Proposed Location Washington Baseball Field Panel – Proposed Location EXHIBIT A EXHIBIT B EXHIBIT C