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. **

Opting for a New Schedule in the New Year

To ensure that the most relevant and reliable information is relayed to the community in the most cohesive manner possible, the City Council has elected to hold one City Council Meeting for regular business every month instead of a meeting held every other Monday. For the month of January, the Council Meeting will be taking place next Monday, January 8th. February’s meeting is proposed to take place on Tuesday, 2/20 (after the holiday). The Council will continue to meet every Monday, but over specific issues such as the General Plan, Baylands EIR, and on-going lecture series. These meetings will also be televised on cable channel 27. Click here for an up-to-date program listing schedule.

The Council is aware of the vast measure of opportunities that lay in store for the City, and therefore wish to dedicate more consideration to the important issues that will be affecting future generations in Brisbane to come. If you wish to subscribe to the City’s Agenda E-Mail list, e-mail Sheri, our City Clerk, and she’ll be sure to add you (cityhall@ci.brisbane.ca.us). You will then receive Agendas - that resemble the below graphic - in your inbox 72 hours before the meeting is scheduled to take place.

Calling all Artists

The Fourth Annual Artists’ Evening of Sharing with Brisbane Artists is calling for entries! This year's event will be held Saturday, February 3, 2007. Artists of all varieties have an opportunity to share their talents with the Brisbane Community during an evening of inspiration and enchantment. Each artist will present a short slide show, video or performance of music, dance, theatre or spoken word. For entry forms and information about the event, contact Beth Grossman at beth@bethgrossman.com. Entry forms are also available on the City's website.



When Artists get together, anything is possible.

City's DPW Crew Repairs Water Main Break

At 8:00am today the Department of Public Works responded to a water main break near the intersection of San Bruno and Mendocino. Water was seen to be bubbling up through the groud under the pavement, indicating the location of the leak on Mendocino. Investigations were conducted to pinpoint the exact location of the water main break so that the DPW crew could being digging. Before doing so, it was verified that no other underground utility lines would be affected by the digging equipment.

A full-circle break on a 6" cast iron pipe was discovered, which was replaced by a cut section of PVC piping. The water main was then tested by the DPW crew, after which they backfilled the hole.

Almost half of the breaks in any given year occur in December, January, and February. Increased soil pressures, caused by freezing, thawing, and shifting, affect weak spots of a water main, causing breaks. We're just glad our DPW crew was able to respond so quickly to today's break, and we thank the local residents for their patience as well.

What's Being Built at 1 San Bruno Ave.?

You may have noticed the cement foundation that has been laid down at the corner of San Bruno and San Francisco Avenues (across from the Community Park) and wondered what was going to occupy that space. Commercial businesses? Residential housing units? The answer is yes to both. A 2- to 3-story mixed-use project is being built, with commercial businesses and a parking garage on the ground floor, and 15 residential units occupying the floors above. Six one-bedroom units, ranging in size from 817 to 945 sq. ft. in floor area, will be located on the second floor, with 9 two-story units occupying the second and third floors. Four of the two-story units will have one bedroom and range from 899 to 936 sq. ft. in area, and the remaining 5 two-story units will have two bedrooms and range from 1,162 to 1,226 sq. ft. The stuccoed building’s color scheme will be similar to that of the Visitacion Gardens Senior Apartments, dark tan with bluish-green, off-white, and brownish taupe trim. The builder hopes to have the project completed by the end of year 2007.

The project was designed to be as environmentally sensitive as possible, incorporating solar power, energy-efficient appliances, and walls with high insulation value. The builder has selected materials to provide a healthy indoor environment and reduce the demand on natural resources. Because of lower utility and maintenance costs, the residential units are expected to be more affordable than those in other buildings. Of the 15 residential units, one unit will be constructed so as to be fully accessible for persons with disabilities. The sales prices for two units will be restricted in perpetuity so as to maintain their affordability for a low-income household and a moderate-income household (as set by the California Department of Housing and Community Development for San Mateo County). The other units will be subject to a right of refusal by qualified first-time homebuyers under the City’s first-time homebuyers program.

At the time of this posting, there had not been any requests for a business license, so it is still uncertain the nature of the businesses that will be occupying the first floor. Whatever the case may be, the City is excited about the positive feedback it has received from its community members expressing their opinions that the building will be a definite improvement for Brisbane.

An Exchange of Funds Allows Brisbane Residents to be Better Served

As a member of the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG), which deals with issues that affect a city’s quality of life (in areas such as transportation, air quality, stormwater runoff, etc.), the City of Brisbane is entitled to request for the allocated federal grant funds set aside for Brisbane, given project funding needs. One of these funds is the Surface Transportation Program (STP), which is used specifically towards street improvement projects. $31,000 had been allocated by C/CAG for Brisbane’s STP Fund, but with $100,000 being the minimum grant amount a City may apply for, the City would have had to pay an additional $70,000 just to receive the $31,000 in federal grant assistance. Also, these funds would only allow for California state streets to be improved, which in Brisbane consists of only Guadalupe Canyon Pkwy and Bayshore Blvd. Because the City, including the Public Works Department in this situation, aims to serve the residents of Brisbane, the City did not apply for federal grant assistance. Rather, it is the City's intent to use its funds towards making any necessary improvements to the streets used more frequently by locals. When the City of San Bruno learned of the City’s decision, they offered Brisbane a portion of their Gas Tax Fund in exchange for Brisbane’s allocated STP Fund, which, otherwise would have been relinquished had the City not applied for them.

Seeing this to be a great opportunity to increase the City’s revenue base, Brisbane agreed to San Bruno’s offer, and under the terms of the Exchange Agreement, the City of Brisbane will transfer to San Bruno $31,000 in STP Funds in exchange for $23,250 of San Bruno’s Gas Tax Funds. The net effect is an increase in the gas tax revenue received by the City, further contributing to the City’s General Fund. This leverages the City to be in a better position financially, and able to further meet the needs of its citizens.

Correction in the Brisbane City News

The date of the 25th Anniversary Party for the Library and Community Center will be on Sunday, December 10th from 1:00-5:00pm, not December 5th. We apologize for this mistake, and hope to see you at the Community Center as we celebrate this Brisbane milestone!