1214 Donnelly Avenue Project

1214 Donnelly Avenue Project

The project site encompasses three parcels with addresses of 1214, 1218, and 1220 Donnelly Avenue (Assessor Parcel Number (APN) 029-151-150, -160, and -170), referred to collectively in this document as 1214 Donnelly Avenue. 1214 Donnelly Avenue is in the southern portion of Burlingame, San Mateo County, California. The project site is located within the downtown area of Burlingame and within walking distance of the Burlingame Caltrain Station. The 0.36-acre project site is predominantly flat. The site has frontage on Donnelly Avenue, and the western, northern, and eastern property lines are adjacent to surrounding development. The project site is within the “Donnelly Avenue Area” of the Burlingame Downtown Specific Plan (DSP). The Donnelly Avenue Area consists of properties on either side of Donnelly Avenue between Primrose Road and Lorton Avenue. The project site is in the Donnelly Avenue Commercial (DAC) zoning district, which the DSP designates primarily for retail and office uses. Existing residential uses may remain and be improved, but the zoning district regulations do not allow new residential uses (Zoning Code Section 25.36.020). Accordingly, one of the project approvals required will be an Amendment to the DSP and DAC District to allow for residential use (with a conditional use permit) on properties within the DAC zone that lie north of Donnelly Avenue and that have sole frontage on Donnelly Avenue. In November of 2013, a fire destroyed the existing structure at 1218 Donnelly Avenue. In February of 2015, a demolition permit was issued to demolish the existing building at 1218 Donnelly Avenue, as well as an existing single-story building at the rear of the site. The fire also spread to a portion of the building at 1214 Donnelly Avenue, commonly known as the “Gates House.” The structures at 1220 Donnelly Avenue were not damaged by the fire. 1214 Donnelly Avenue is vacant following demolition of the Gates House in 2018. The majority of the site is covered in concrete. 1218 Donnelly Avenue contains the foundation of the building that was destroyed by the 2013 fire. 1220 Donnelly Avenue contains a two-story residential structure at the front of the lot and a detached accessory residential structure at the rear of the lot. The two-story structure includes three residential units, and the accessory structure contains one residential unit. The front of the lot at 1220 Donnelly Avenue is used for informal parking by occupants of the residential building. There are four existing trees located at the front of the property at 1214 Donnelly Avenue. One of these trees, a 20-inch Brisbane box, qualifies as a protected size tree. Aside from these trees and some minimal landscaping, the three parcels are paved. There is one existing London plane tree with a diameter of 21.5-inches located in the planter strip within the right-of-way in front of 1214 Donnelly Avenue. The project would include demolition of the existing structures on site and construction of a new three-story, 43-foot 10-inch tall mixed-use building containing commercial and multi-family uses totaling 35,075 gross square feet. Commercial uses totaling 4,704 gross square feet would be located on the ground floor, with two levels of residential uses above. The building would include 14 residential units, including 12 two-bedroom units and 2 one-bedroom units. The project plans are included in Appendix A of this initial study (IS)/mitigated negative declaration (MND).

Burlingame

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region 2 (RWQCB), Office of Historic Preservation, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water