Housing advocates, labor urge commission to advance Baylands plan to restore compliance and generate jobs

Multiple speakers urged the Planning Commission to recommend approval of the Baylands specific plan and final EIR to address the region’s housing shortage and to restore the city’s compliance with state housing law. Ally Sacerman of the Housing Action Coalition warned that the Department of Housing and Community Development had revoked Brisbane’s housing element finding and that delays risked the builder’s remedy, loss of funding and other penalties. "Brisbane must adopt the Baylands specific plan and zoning," she said, urging the commission to act given the urgency of the housing crisis.

Labor representatives (Darren Clark and Arturo Saenz) told commissioners the scale of the project would provide multigenerational employment, apprenticeships and jobs that support families if awarded to contractors that pay prevailing wages and employ accredited apprenticeship programs. Greenbelt Alliance and other environmental organizations also testified in support of the project’s regional GHG benefits and infill housing objectives, saying the Baylands could reduce regional emissions by concentrating growth near transit.