The Quarry's Current Quandary

In lieu of there being a definitive “next step” for the Guadalupe (Brisbane) Quarry, at the time of this posting, the Quarry’s future remains uncertain. Rather, the prospects of the century-old Quarry, which encapsulates 157-acres of land about a mile up from the City’s center, rests with its property owner, California Rock & Asphalt. In November, 73% of Brisbane’s citizens voted No on Measure B, which would have resulted in 173 housing units built in the Quarry’s base. Since the elections took place, there have not been any development proposals brought forth by either the property owner or any other party. Because the Quarry sits atop the unincorporated land of San Mateo County, and thus beyond the jurisdictional limits of the City of Brisbane, the City has no legal authority to control the land use of this property or regulate the operations conducted by the Quarry.


Photo Courtesy of San Bruno Mountain Watch

But the City is aware that there are two basic scenarios that can occur regarding the future of the Brisbane Quarry. The first would be that the property owner decides to sell the land, which could potentially lead to an application for additional commercial space, similar to that of Crocker Industrial Park. The second scenario would be for the property owner to keep the land, and that the site would continue to operate as a quarry, with the County likely re-issuing the property owners a permit to do so. If the latter scenario were to take place, the same issues felt by citizens today such as pollution and truck traffic would remain as relevant concerns, but the benefit would be that no new development would occur. This would ensure that native and endangered plant species would not be threatened by the construction of large office buildings, and that no additional traffic would arise due to a heightened population of business park employees. Whatever the property owner decides, it will remain the chief concern of the City that Brisbane residents and businesses continue to be given the highest level of service, respect, and care.

** Temperatures are expected to drop to the 20s and 30s tonight and tomorrow. Visit the City’s OES page to find out how you can protect yourself and your family during these extreme cold-weather conditions. **