Re: Item K-1, Study Session on Draft Development Agreement, Parkline project
The proposed draft development agreement for the Master Plan for this project properly sets conditions for construction of non-residential buildings, based on the progress in constructing residential units. However, the draft agreement fails to recognize or address a serious issue posed by the Parkline project – the placement of residential units adjacent to existing SRI bioscience laboratories that will remain under SRI control and are not part of Parkline.
SRI International has a long history of developing drugs and diagnostics for a wide range of disease organisms, including COVID-19, anthrax, Ebola, drug-resistant bacteria, and hepatitis C[1]. Working with organisms that are infectious, contagious, and potentially lethal requires a high containment laboratory (Biosafety Level 3, BSL-3) equipped with 24/7 airflow, contamination control, and specialized filters to prevent release of airborne particles.
Of the three laboratory buildings that SRI plans to retain, one (Building P) will be sited within 100 feet of the new multistory residential buildings. The laboratory exhaust stacks terminate at approximately the same height as the rooftops of the new buildings (Figure 1). The other two laboratory buildings (S and T) are at the southern end of the property; Building T is separated by only 50 feet from houses on Kent Place (Figure 2).
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Figure 1
Location of SRI Building P
with respect to proposed
multistory residences
[cid:part2.5dJI9Y7U.uSVskbq0@hotmail.com]
Figure 2
Location of SRI Building T
with respect to residential neighborhood
SRI has provided no information to the public on the types of research that go on in the three existing laboratories, or whether they propose to continue that research when Parkline is completed. A city councilor informed me that a meeting was held between the City Manager and SRI which included discussion of the future of the existing labs, but that information was not made available to the public prior to the May 27 meeting. The Staff Report states only that the new office/R&D buildings will not support BSL-3 research.
Siting housing next to laboratories that could be a source for an outbreak of disease is an outstandingly bad idea. It is not sufficient to rely on vague promises from SRI or Lane Partners as to future use of those labs. Future zoning of the SRI labs should restrict the properties to uses compatible with the surrounding residential areas, banning any BSL-3 labs and requiring conditional approval of BSL-1 and BSL-2 labs.
The following questions should be put to SRI and answered to the satisfaction of the City Council, before completing the Development Agreement.
* Are you currently conducting any research at the Menlo Park campus that requires you to operate under BSL-3 protocols? Do you plan to do so after Parkline is built?
* If you plan to decommission any or all existing labs, which ones and on what timeframe? How might delays in obtaining federal approval for decommissioning impact the Parkline construction schedule?
* If you plan to continue operating these facilities after Parkline is constructed, please answer the following questions:
* In the event of a lab accident, whether chemical or biological, which agencies do you expect to act as first responders? What information on hazards would you provide to the first responders? What training would you require before a first responder can safely enter a high containment lab?
* What changes will be required in your hazard management plan to account for the proximity of the Building P lab to future residential buildings?
* How will SRI ensure biosecurity after the campus is opened to foot traffic, allowing passersby to look in the lab windows? Will there be physical barriers against unauthorized entry? Do you have concerns with bioterrorism?
* Given that SRI is planning to decommit the cogeneration plant that currently provides SRI with backup electricity, how many days of emergency generation will you provide? What would be the impact on the high containment facility if there is a lengthy power interruption?
The Parkline project promises to provide much-needed housing to the city, but future residents deserve a safe environment.
Naomi Goodman
Menlo Park
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[1] https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/980390
