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Millbrae and California High-Speed Rail reach settlement clearing way for west‑side station planning
Summary
Millbrae officials said a settlement with the California High-Speed Rail Authority resolves the city's CEQA lawsuit, restores local land‑use control on the station's west side and includes a $225,000 payment to the city; staff called it an informational milestone with no council action required.
Millbrae City officials announced an agreement April 22 that settles the city’s lawsuit under the California Environmental Quality Act challenging the environmental review for the California High‑Speed Rail segment through Millbrae.
City Manager Tom Williams said the settlement “provides the pathway forward for Millbrae and the property owners on the west side of the transit station to move forward.” He said the settlement also includes $225,000 from the rail authority to the city.
The agreement, Williams and other speakers said, clears legal uncertainty so the rail authority can continue detailed station design on the footprint of the existing BART station and allows Millbrae to coordinate land‑use planning and transit‑oriented development west of the station. City officials described the outcome as a mutual accommodation that gives the rail authority the space it needs for platforms and station elements while preserving the city’s ability to guide future development.
Mayor Fung called the settlement “a monumental milestone for the city,” saying it will allow Millbrae to regain control of the west‑side properties and pursue housing and economic development opportunities. Council members and city staff thanked the city’s negotiating team, including outside consultants Harry Burrows and attorney Tom McMorrow, and acknowledged meetings with the rail authority’s leadership.
City staff said the settlement will also allow future coordination among multiple transit agencies — BART, Caltrain and SamTrans — as the intermodal design advances. Staff clarified that the city and the rail authority will now work together on station access for pedestrians, vehicles and other modes.
City staff also said the settlement will preserve the local train museum. According to staff, the museum will be relocated within the project footprint but will remain adjacent to the rail tracks so that its railroad context is retained.
The council received the staff report as information; no council vote or binding action was required at the meeting. City staff said they will continue coordination with the rail authority, property owners and other transit agencies as design work proceeds.
Officials said the settlement ends a multi‑year dispute and is intended to enable both the rail project and local redevelopment to move forward in parallel. The council did not take a formal vote on the settlement during the meeting because the item was presented as an informational update.
