How allowing biotech labs to operate in an incoming office complex could affect residents were among the concerns sparked for San Carlos city officials Monday when they approved a developer’s proposal to update designs for two buildings currently under construction on the city’s east side.
Previously dubbed Meridian 25, the project came before the City Council for the second time since officials approved Windy Hill Property Ventures’ proposal to build a 530,000-square-foot office complex at Industrial and Bransten roads. Sold to Alexandria Real Estate Equities in 2017, the property has been slated for the real estate company’s specialty in life sciences but required officials’ approval to make changes to the previously-approved design and accommodate biotech research and development there, said Community Development Director Al Savay.
The Planning Commission recommended the council approve additional rooftop exhaust stacks, exterior design changes and a new signalized intersection at Commercial Street and Industrial Road for the development. With that recommendation in mind, councilmembers considered how noise from the stacks and reflection from the building’s glass exterior could affect residents of neighborhoods on the east side of the city and those passing by the development on Highway 101.
Noting residents on the city’s east side have in the past experienced the effects of industrial uses such as auto repair shops, Councilman Matt Grocott asked the developer if studies had been done to forecast noise levels in residential areas near the site.
“We have the unfortunate history of industrial right next to residential,” he said. “While it’s not chemicals and machinery, it still is having an impact because of light, because of venting off the roof.”
Terezia Nemeth, vice president with Alexandria Real Estate Equities, said the exhaust stacks — which will increase the building height some 6 feet from what was originally proposed and be mostly covered by roof screens — are located on the side of the buildings closest to Highway 101 and added she didn’t expect any noise generated by them to exceed freeway noise.
Grocott also asked what the hours of operation for the labs might be out of a concern the building’s lights might be on during late hours of the night or in the early morning like he’s observed at the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park.
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Nemeth said other facilities the developer has worked on have been open 24 hours a day and employees may be checking scientific experiments at night or during the weekend. Needed to ventilate the laboratories, the exhaust stacks have not generated complaints from residents living near the developer’s facilities in San Francisco, said Nemeth. She said the developer is committed to creating a biotech district in San Carlos, where the company has also purchased the former L3 Communications building providing 500,000 square feet of space at 960 Industrial Road.
City Attorney Greg Rubens added noise levels under 70 decibels are permitted in the area and that officials could require the property owner mitigate noise exceeding that limit.
Grocott also asked whether the glassy exterior of the building is likely to reflect light during specific hours of the day, and architect Lisa Iwamoto said the shingled design and type of glass used is expected to refract the light rather than reflect it.
Councilman Mark Olbert asked whether officials could include language requiring the developer to pay for the new signalized crosswalk required at Commercial Street, and Rubens said the developer would be required to do so per the agreements made with the city.
In response to resident Paul Magginetti’s concerns about whether testing conducted at the site would involve dangerous diseases, Grocott urged staff and officials to consider the concerns about the building’s design use when reviewing future biotech developments in the city.
“I think all those are legitimate concerns and I think we need to have our radar out for these items,” he said.
San Carlos will take over a year+ to study how a sporting goods store may negatively impact the community - but do zero studies on how a giant business complex may negatively impact the surrounding communities. Rich.
And we wonder why we have an imbalance of jobs and housing in this region. City Councils, such as the one in San Carlos, are merely lapdogs for big industry. What a pathetic group of elected officials.
Over a million (530,000 plus 500,000) sq.ft of commercial/industrial development...how much more traffic will that much commercial expansion generate in the area, on 101, the SM bridge.....?
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San Carlos will take over a year+ to study how a sporting goods store may negatively impact the community - but do zero studies on how a giant business complex may negatively impact the surrounding communities. Rich.
And we wonder why we have an imbalance of jobs and housing in this region. City Councils, such as the one in San Carlos, are merely lapdogs for big industry. What a pathetic group of elected officials.
Over a million (530,000 plus 500,000) sq.ft of commercial/industrial development...how much more traffic will that much commercial expansion generate in the area, on 101, the SM bridge.....?
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.