SMDJ - Millbrae overrules airport concern on biotech

City seeking new businesses, say they will be safe in flight path

In an effort to allow the construction of biotech businesses near Millbrae’s intermodal station and east of El Camino Real, the City Council decided to overrule the Airport Land Use Committee’s zoning that restricted biotechnology workspaces near the airport.

City officials feel that the land use committee’s restrictions in the area that extends through the south of Millbrae Avenue near the intermodal station is outdated.

“The Airport Land Use is out of date, it was fully discussed or I brought it up several times at C/CAG, it needs to be updated in several manners here, one of the updates we would also like to see is child care in this vicinity,” Vice Mayor Gina Papan said, referring to the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County that oversees the committee.

The restriction was based on Biosafety Level 2, specified as involving clinical, diagnostic, teaching and other laboratories, working with moderate risk agents already present in the community: such as HIV, salmonella, Lyme disease and influenza.

A previous decision by the land use committee, which determined in October that biotechnology would not be a suitable use in the area, prompted the council to override the land use committee, ultimately freeing the airport of any liabilities.

Assistant City Attorney Michael Conneran said that the city would sign an agreement with any developer freeing the city of liability as well.

“This particular area is not the subject of a lot of air traffic even though it is treated the same as the other runways that the airport has. So, compared to those, the risk is considerably lower. As the city manager indicated, we feel the airport land use could be modified but that has not been their practice to date,” Conneran said.

The land use committee previously said that biotechnology companies that work with potentially hazardous materials should not be allowed in Zone 2, an area south of Millbrae Avenue because it is located in the inner approach and departure zone.

Because biotechnology businesses work regularly with hazardous materials, airport officials claimed their presence in the flight path of a popular airport could amplify the danger facing residents in case of a plane crash.

San Francisco International Airport representatives previously sent a letter to Millbrae officials expressing concerns with a proposal to allow biotech businesses to occupy commercial developments in the Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan.

“The city should consider carefully the health, safety and well-being of its citizens in the event of an aircraft accident,” said the letter signed by Nupur Sinha, acting Airport Planning director.

In the event a plane heading to or from runway 19 L/R crashes, airport officials said the presence of hazardous material could compound the threat to the Millbrae community, according to the letter.

“The release of pathogens in the event of an aircraft accident would increase — not minimize — public exposure to safety hazards,” the letter said.

South San Francisco has also overruled the same restriction to allow biotech businesses in the city.

The city will provide a letter of intent to consider overriding the land use committee and Caltrans Aeronautic Division, the two agencies will have 45 days to review and 30 days after that to respond. The City Council’s final action will be a public hearing to override and with final findings, according to a staff report.

nick@smdailyjournal.com

650-344-5200 ext. 105

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/millbrae-overrules-airport-concern-on-biotech/article_9e9b7300-46bd-11ed-8d15-4b3c2754748a.html

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