Believing it safe to have a biotech business close to the airport, the Millbrae City Council approved a resolution to consider overriding the City/County Association of Governments San Mateo County Airport Land Use Commission which sided with SFO in expressing safety concerns.
Ann Schneider
San Francisco International Airport representatives sent a letter back in January to Millbrae officials expressing concerns with a proposal to allow biotech businesses to occupy commercial developments in the Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan.
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 since biotechnology companies regularly work with hazardous materials.
“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 January of this year, the council adopted a resolution to override C/CAG’s decision that the Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan, or MSASP amendments for Biosafety Level 2 uses in the SFO Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan, or ALUCP Safety Zone 2 were inconsistent in the transit-oriented development, or TOD zone. It also adopted a resolution amending the MSASP to allow these uses.
The Biosafety Level 2 involves clinical, diagnostic, teaching and other laboratories working with indigenous moderate-risk agents that are already present in the community such as influenza, HIV, Lyme disease, and salmonella.
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“The diseases in that level are diseases that already exist in the environment. That doesn’t mean that precautions can’t be made. And all of that can be designed into the actual plans of the buildings themselves. So it’s well within keeping things under control,” said Mayor Ann Schneider.
She is optimistic about this moving forward and is excited about how it will help the city thrive.
“If you’re a business like biotech, a good number of your employees have to be on site. And that means those employees are eating at local restaurants and hopefully shopping local. Diversifying our business space is all good for Millbrae,” she said.
The city will start a 45-day review period by first providing notice of intent to consider the override to the ALUCP and Caltrans Aeronautics division. ALUCP and Caltrans have a 30-day period to respond and then the council will take final action at a public hearing for the override with the final findings in September.
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