MINUTES

of the

SAN FRANCISCOBIOSCIENCES

TASK FORCE

Tuesday, October 5, 2004 at 4:00 p.m.

City Hall

1 Dr. Carlton Goodlett Place, Rm. 421

1.         CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

The meeting was called to order by clerk, Jill Lerner at 4:25 p.m. as the Chair and Vice Chair were absent.       

Present:            Rajiv Bhatia (DPH)                   Madison Kilpatrick                                                                   Peter Cohen                             Dick Morten

Terry Feeley                             Karen Pierce

Michael Costa                          Scott Williams                         

My Do                                     Lori Yamauchi

 Tom Hui (DBI)                                    

Absent: Reed Benet                              Scott Ogus

Jan Bolaffi                                Joe Raguso

Susan Exliner (DCP)                 Greg Stewart

Chris Geiger (DOE                   Elaine Warren    

Amit Ghosh (DCP)                  Corinne Woods           

2.         REPORT OF TASK FORCE AD HOC WORKING GROUP—COORDINATION WITH GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING BULLETIN OF 4/26/88

Ms. Yamauchi:  committee meeting spent looking at maps of Eastern Neighborhoods area and Planning Dept. staff mapped out all the residential and mixed use areas of south of Market going south and noted where 50-foot buffer would be.  Task Force conversations proposed Biosafety Lab Uses propose that BSL 1 and 2 labs be permitted in any nonresidential districts without respect for separation from residential zoning districts and BSL 3 labs which involve airborne hazards be separated from residential zoning districts by some buffer distance and BSL 4 not permitted anywhere.

After looking at different buffer distances, committee wants to recommend 50-foot buffer zone for residential zones with BSL 3 lab.  Where there is slight overlap, buffer needs to be reconfigured to allow a BSL 3 lab. Permissible areas for BSL 3 labs would include core PDR areas and PDR residential area and zoning areas outside 50-foot buffer.

Also talked about other kinds of uses—chemistry labs,vivarium.  Allow chemistry labs if no explosive materials involved—in same areas where allowed now, C-3, C-M and M-1 zones. 

Discussion of industry standards for regulation of laboratories followed.  Dr. Bhatia recommended the names of Eugene Lau, Director of Health and Safety for UCSF and Sam Lipson, Director of Environmental Health for Cambridge for scientific consultation.

3.         REPORT OF COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES COMMITTEE

Mr. Kilpatrick:  committee has met three times in the last seven weeks; used report from M. Costa and D. Morten as a guideline for crafting content from document, “Biotech, How?” sent to Task Force. Had discussion re major issues not brought to table yet—community issues around jobs, displacement of businesses, gentrification, environmental concerns, community education and bioscience ethics.

  Making recommendations and members are taking responsibility for different issues:  My Do and Peter Cohen will take up housing and displacement; Terry Feeley will include information on jobs and training. 

Dr. Bhatia:  prepared, “Biotech, How?”  Organized all issues coming up, benefits vs. concerns around set of shared values.  Biotech can benefit economic health; but there are concerns that it may not. He and Peter Cohen looking at zoning controls achieving some kind of mitigation.; looking at where safety and ethics  issues can be addressed. 

Ms. Pierce:  with precautionary principle in place, and part of that is to ensure public participation to determine what issues are important to citizens.  Should be included in these considerations.  Should not shy away from consideration of ethics.

Discussion re range of report to Board of Supervisors, e.g., what issues are involved in code considerations. Mr. Cohen suggested that the ultimate product need not be a report but a listing of topics of concern.  Report may be a series of recommendation.

Mr. Costa: think TF has to make some uniform recommendations relating to zoning.

Individual members are taking responsibility for writing different sections. Members agreed that written sections be sent to the clerk by October 25^th.  Ms. Pierce agreed to assist the clerk in collating the material.  Mr. Morten agreed to participate with Ms. Pierce to serve as an editorial committee.

4.         ADJOURNMENT

Prior to adjournment, members requested that because the next regular meeting falls on November 2, Election Day, that the meeting be moved to the following Tuesday.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.