The above photo shows the Piombo Construction Company shed that was on the site of today’s Samtrans South Base Maintenance and Operations Facility.  In the early 1950’s Piombo was asked to bid on paving the runway at San Carlos Airport.  In exchange for doing that work, Piombo was given an option to purchase some property near the field [1].  Eventually, after a series of transactions Piombo owned a 16 acre parcel on which the above buildings were situated.   The County purchased the Piombo property in 1967 [2] and allocated a portion of it for the parking area behind the terminal.  

In case you wanted to know why that parking area is called “Piombo,” now you know.

1. Carol Van Vliet, History of San Mateo County Airport, Incorporated, San Mateo County History Museum, SM 1562, 1957.

2. Herb Foreman, A Little Bit of History, The San Carlos Airport, The Beginning, The San Carlos City Museum, June 2, 2007.