HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem No. 9 - Handan Cirit 10-7-2020_Blood Bank 10-07-2020_RedactedOctober 5, 2020
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members of the City of San Bernardino
Subject: City Council Meeting October 7, 2020 Agenda Item 9, Appeal 20-01 Conditional Use
Permit (CUP 20-08) Biolife Plasma Donation Facility 2065 E Highland Avenue (Ward 7)
Honorable Mayor and City Council Members:
For the protection of this Community and the State resources, I urge the City Council to take
the following actions:
1. DENY CUP 20-08
2. REJECT Planning Commission’s decision finding the project “BLOOD BANK” subject to
Categorical Exemption
CUP 20-08 has major health and financial impacts to the City which are not disclosed by the
Applicant and fails to meet the City’s disclosure requirement and the State laws for protection
of the Public. Following are some facts as to the impact of this for PROFIT BLOOD BANK to the
Public Health and Services of the City:
1. BIOLIFE, the stated operator for the PROFIT BLOOD BANK, is owned by a Japanese
Pharmaceutical Company (Takeda) operating in 70 countries worldwide. Currently
BIOLIFE is NOT licensed in the State. BIOLIFE will harvest local blood supply by paying $25
for each blood donation and selling it worldwide after processing at a substantial markup
for $350 to $575. State Licensing requirements or the City CUP has no requirements
restricting where the harvested blood can be sold by BIOLIFE.
2. BIOLIFE will become a competitor to the non-profit blood bank of the American Red Cross
and LifeStream, each of which is located in San Bernardino. LifeStream provides blood to
80 California Hospitals and Medical Facilities in six Counties. Their website states local
blood supply is very low, and they are in desperate need for blood. BIOLIFE will become
a competitor to Red Cross and LifeStream, with the ability to “Pay”, fiercely harvesting
blood locally and selling it for PROFIT worldwide. BIOLIFE must provide a study of their
impacts to existing NON PROFIT BLOOD BANKS and to the local blood supply critical to
this Community and the State. Approval of this CUP has major health impacts to the
Community by reducing blood availability.
3. BIOLIFE is a big and FOR PROFIT business. Currently BLOOD BANKS such as BIOLIFE are
EXEMPT from paying SALES TAXES to the City and the State. Sales Tax provides revenue
for City services, community schools etc. benefiting the Community. As a business in the
City, BIOLIFE will receive City services including Police, Fire, Code Enforcement etc.
without paying for any of these services and will not contribute to any Community
facilities for betterment of the Community including schools, parks, street maintenance,
etc. Local TAXPAYERS will be subsidizing BIOLIFE. This financial burden and impact should
be reviewed by BIOLIOFE. CUP does not address these impacts.
4. BIOLIFE states that they will be providing jobs and donor compensation of $ 3 million
annually. After processing the blood at an unspecified facility, BIOLIFE would generate a
sale of $42 million to $69 million annually from selling the blood that is harvested for $3
million at the City. NO SALES TAX will be paid to the City from the sale of the processed
blood. How does this substantial profit benefit the Community?
5. CUP Applicant is not BIOLIFE. There is no guarantee that this BLOOD BANK will be
operated by BIOLIFE. Applicants are the property owner and a construction company
from Wisconsin. Once this CUP is approved this space can be marketed to anyone to
operate as a BLOOD BANK. Many Communities do not want for PROFIT BLOOD BANKS
due to their competition with NON-PROFIT blood banks for scarce resources which will
be sold outside of their community and the financial burdens they bring that would be
borne by the Community. FOR PROFIT BLOOD BANKS are free to stipulate what they
would pay to donors to buy the blood and can decrease or increase the payment as they
see fit to maximize their profits. With an approved CUP this space can be marketed to
anyone for an extensive profit.
IN SUMMARY, this CUP for a BLOOD BANK has major impacts to the Community. None of the
impacts had been studied and disclosed to the City and to the Public. We request the following:
• Require BLOOD BANK to study and disclose all impacts and have them provide for
impacts. Don’t let them get away with a “categorical exemption” “no impact” report.
• Make these for PROFIT BLOOD BANKS contribute their share proportional to their sales
of blood to the City.
• Do not let blood harvested in the Community to leave the Community, State and
possibly USA.
• Support NON PROFIT BLOOD BANKS in the City for them to be able to compete with
PROFIT BLOOD BANKS.
• These NON PROFIT BLOOD BANKS are on the move to mostly disadvantaged
communities under the disguise of creating jobs and revenue.
Deny this CUP 20-08.
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Handan Cirit