Raising building heights up to 125 feet to reach housing goals, narrowing El Camino Real to provide safer roads for cyclists and pedestrians and using the intermodal station to allow for more community connectivity got one step closer to reality after the Millbrae City Council approved its general plan Dec. 1.
Its approval means a “reimagining” of the El Camino Real into a Grand Boulevard, including wider sidewalks, improved crosswalks, more trees and better lighting along the corridor. The street will scale down its six lanes to four through Millbrae, reducing safety concerns and allowing the city to become more pedestrian and cyclist friendly by adding protected bicycle lanes. Councilmember Ann Schneider previously said the wide lanes make it easier for drivers to speed.
El Camino Real is envisioned as a mixed-use commercial corridor with buildings at the ground level and residential units above. The city has increased the height limits reaching up to 125 feet immediately south of Center Street. It steps down to 85 feet between the intersections of Capuchino Drive and Victoria Avenue. On the west side of the BART station, the height allows 121 feet and across the street on the west side of El Camino Real, the massing steps down to 65 feet. On the west side of the train tracks along Murchison Drive, the height ranges from 85 feet to 100.
The raised height limits alleviate the city’s state-mandated housing goal requiring it to plan for 2,199 units in the next eight years. As a result, the city was able to plan for 3,861 housing units, 1,600 more than expected. Vice Mayor Gina Papan previously said the city doesn’t have a housing jobs imbalance because there are more places to live in the city than work. However, the city is doing its part to help with affordable housing, she said.
One of the issues that held up the decision to approve the plan during the last meeting was airport noise and sea-level rise. It was resolved by the decision to establish a line of communication with the San Francisco International Airport because the city cannot implement rules for another jurisdiction to follow.
Additionally, Chadbourne and Magnolia avenues were listed at a 65-foot limit in the previous draft. As a resolution, the parcels were altered to 85-foot limits and added to the Station Specific Plan because of its close proximity to the intermodal station that has BART and Caltrain with plans for high-speed rail.
To capitalize on the state’s largest intermodal station, with the possibility of the high-speed rail stopping in the city, the council aims to create a cohesive connection from the station to downtown. The plan includes creating walkable paths, narrower streets and adding grade separations for pedestrians to give the city the opportunity to become a destination location that will boost its commerce.
City Manager Tom Williams shared appreciation for everyone’s effort in the last few weeks to make the necessary adjustments.
“There was a lot of great work to get over the finish line,” Williams said.
In 2015, the city decided to initiate a comprehensive general plan update along with a downtown and El Camino Real specific plan and related environmental reports. It also includes multifamily residential design standards and the housing element update. It includes land use, circulation, housing, economic development, noise, safety and recreation and arts. The concepts of the plan set the stage for future development and other changes in the city through 2040.
The plan passed with a City Council vote of 5-0. The council will meet again on Dec. 13 for a second reading to finalize the plan.
