BRISBANE — A key decision on the Brisbane Baylands, a massive mixed-use development proposal, will wait until next month, but many residents of this small community in the shadow of San Bruno Mountain have already made up their minds against it.
The Brisbane Planning Commission heard passionate arguments Thursday night for rejecting developer Universal Paragon Corporation’s vision of 4,434 homes on 684 mostly vacant acres west of Highway 101, but put off a decision on the project until Aug. 25.
Commissioners also listened to calls for more housing from some community members and organizations like the San Mateo County Economic Development Association.
But most citizens in the audience seemed aghast at the idea of tripling the number of residential units in the city, which currently has about 2,000.
“The town should grow organically,” said Amy Dondy, adding of the proposal, “That’s huge. That’s a city. That’s a city that has no relationship to our community.”
In addition to housing, Universal Paragon envisions 6.5 million square feet of office, retail, and research and development space on the former industrial site, along with open space, parks and renewable energy generation. Commissioners are leaning toward a much smaller development without housing.
Tom Heinz, who’s lived in Brisbane for 30 years, said his opposition to housing on the Baylands stems from the toxic legacy of the property, which formerly held a rail yard and landfill and is contaminated with lead, arsenic and other toxins. Universal Paragon claims a comprehensive cleanup will allow people to live there safely.
“It’s not about us not wanting to grow,” he said. “It’s about us not wanting to accept the risk of people living on toxic land.”
Other speakers said Brisbane needs to provide housing opportunities for younger generations. Don Wagner, who has three children, said he’s fortunate to own a home in a region where a shortage of housing is contributing to astronomical prices.
“We need more housing,” the longtime resident said. “Otherwise my children will need to move outside the community.”
Michele Salmon, who was born and raised in Brisbane, said she understands the desire for more housing, but argued the Bay Area cannot grow indefinitely to accommodate more people.
“Where does it stop? Where do you draw the line? When we can’t breathe? When we can’t move? When no other living being, no plant, no animal, no butterfly, no fish, no anything can live here anymore?” she said, adding, “What we contribute to the Bay Area is open space and a little more room to breathe.”
After the hearing, Salmon walked to a corridor in City Hall and shined her smartphone light on the wall at a framed photo of her father, Jess Salmon, a member in 1961 of Brisbane’s first City Council and one of the city’s “founding fathers.” Until his death in 2014, he was adamantly opposed to people living on the Baylands.
“I gotta be true,” his daughter said. “I think about it all the time.”
Contact Aaron Kinney at 650-348-4357. Follow him at Twitter.com/kinneytimes.
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