Since 1895, a quarry nestled below the windswept ridge of San Bruno Mountain has supplied stone for construction projects such as San Francisco International Airport, Highway 101 and Crocker Industrial Park — and sometimes frustrated locals who complain about noise and dust. Operations have slowed in recent years, but there’s enough rock for 20 more years of mining.
Soon, though, the quarry could close altogether and be transformed into an immense warehouse with a footprint larger than 15 football fields .
Prospective developer Orchard Partners LLC touts the project as a way to create more than 1,000 jobs, raise tax revenue for Brisbane, and fill a critical need for warehouse space on the densely populated Peninsula. Environmentalists, however, fear harm to the mountain, a home to endangered butterflies and a rare swath of undeveloped green space…