Brisbane Baylands development

The Brisbane Baylands is a 660-acre parcel of land in Brisbane south of San Francisco.[1] There have been several proposals to change or otherwise develop the land, which was previously used as a railyard and a municipal landfill, the sources of contaminated soil, polluted stormwater runoff and toxic waste that may be buried. None of the present proposals have been approved by Brisbane's city council.

Brisbane Baylands Plan

The Brisbane Baylands is owned by Universal Paragon Corporation (UPC).[2] The site is being planned for significant regional transportation improvements as analyzed in the Bi-County Transportation Study,[3] including a multi-modal transit station connecting Caltrain, an extended Muni Metro T Third Street train, the planned Geneva-Harney Bus Rapid Transit, and multiple bus routes operated by Muni and SamTrans. UPC's land use proposal, one of several introduced to Brisbane's city council, calls for a major remediation program that would be followed by the development of an entertainment district that could include an arena, concert theater and cineplex, 12,500,000 square feet (1,160,000 m2) of R&D, 1.5 million of office, 64,000 feet (20,000 m) of civic space, 287,000 square feet (26,700 m2) of retail, 4,434 units, a high school, transit/roadway improvements, 25-acre solar farm and nearly 200 acres of open space.[4]

Project Status

The applicant (UPC) originally submitted a draft plan to the City in 2005. In 2010, UPC revised the plan and submitted an updated Baylands Specific Plan Executive Summary and Appendix. In Feb 2011, UPC submitted the draft Brisbane Baylands Specific Plan and associated Infrastructure Master Plan. The project is projected to create 15,000 - 20,000 permanent jobs and be built over a 30-year plan. The Baylands is the subject of an environmental impact report (EIR) prepared and released by the City of Brisbane on June 11, 2013. One of the major findings of the EIR is that "Brisbane currently is a job rich city...more than four times as many jobs as employed residents...the ratio between jobs and employed residents in Brisbane is not balanced...such an imbalance between jobs and housing typically contribute to higher homes prices due to demand outstripping supply, increased traffic congestion in the area, increase air and noise pollution, and longer commute times for workers..." The EIR found that by providing housing adjacent to the proposed office and transit improvements, car trips and the associated greenhouse gases would be significantly reduced. In addition to the applicant's proposal, the EIR analyzes a Community Alternative which the Brisbane City Council approved for study in July, 2009,[5][6] as well as the Renewable Energy Alternative Plan put forth by CREBL (Citizens for Renewable Energy on the Bay Lands).[7]

References

  1. ↑ Torassa, Ulysses (October 28, 2004). "Lofty plans for former landfill". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 28, 2004.
  2. ↑ Dineen, J.k (May 27, 2010). "4,434 homes proposed for Brisbane's Baylands". Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Fancher, Emily. "Baylands debate centers on housing,sustainability". Retrieved August 28, 2009.
  5. ↑ Fancher, Emily (August 27, 2010). "UPC pushes Baylands plan". Retrieved August 27, 2010. The draft EIR was released by the City of Brisbane on June 11, 2013. One of the major findings of the EIR is that "Brisbane currently is a job rich city...(more than four times as many jobs as employed residents)...the ratio between jobs and employed residents in Brisbane is not balanced...such an imbalance between jobs and housing typically contribute to higher homes prices due to demand outstripping supply, increased traffic congestion in the area, increase air and noise pollution, and longer commute times for workers..." The EIR found that by providing housing adjacent to the proposed office and transit improvements, car trips and the associated greenhouse gases would be significantly reduced.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Brisbane Baylands Environmental Impact Report Alternative Proposals

External links