Millbrae council adopts parking management plan, directs outreach and code changes

The Millbrae City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 25 to adopt a citywide parking management plan that recommends paid on‑street parking, a residential permit program and a long-term strategy for additional parking supply, including potential parking structures.

The plan, presented by the city’s parking consultant and Public Works staff, recommends an initial on‑street hourly rate roughly in line with neighboring cities (consultant baseline $1.50 per hour) with a short-term rate option of about $0.75 for 30 minutes and an enterprise approach that would channel parking revenue into downtown improvements rather than the general fund. The consultant’s financial model projected a baseline net income on the order of about $1.1 million per year under one scenario; however, the consultant and city manager also presented a first-year, up-front equipment and installation cost that would produce a net negative impact in year one (staff noted an estimated first-year cost near $850,000 to be recovered over time).

Consultant Frederick Venter described the goals this way: “There’s always this fine line between do we have the correct number of spaces, are people driving around too much looking for a space Versus, you know, how do we manage it and get best options for our community and help them find parking.” That analysis was based on a windshield survey, license-plate duration sweeps and public outreach (an online survey plus a public meeting). The consultant recommended a pay-by-plate system with modern kiosks and ParkMobile-style app payment, license-plate enforcement, and a 12-month implementation timeline to ordinance, procurement, installation and a one-month grace-rollout period.

Nut graf: The council adopted the plan but asked staff to expand outreach and return with specifics before any meters are installed: adoption directs code amendments and design work but does not select a vendor or start enforcement immediately. Councilmembers and many members of the public emphasized the need to protect nearby businesses, minimize impacts on the Millbrae Square private lot, provide affordable employee and resident parking options, and ensure machines and payment choices are accessible to seniors.

Public comment was mixed. Business owners and property managers said paid curb meters would push customers into free private lots and increase enforcement burdens on private property; other residents urged paid parking to increase turnover and make spaces more available. The Millbrae Chamber member and multiple residents asked the council to proceed cautiously and to examine how neighboring cities’ programs affected business revenue.

Council action and amendments: Councilmember Rinaldi made the motion to adopt the plan and to direct staff to pursue municipal-code amendments, prepare procurement/RFP documents and study parking-structure feasibility; the motion passed 5-0 with an explicit amendment — added at council direction — to require “robust community outreach” to downtown businesses, property owners and residents in affected districts (council requested special outreach to downtown and neighborhood stakeholders, and staff noted a $300,000 Metropolitan Transportation Commission technical-assistance grant would fund the near-term analyses).

Ending: Staff will return with ordinance language, a design for pay equipment, a vendor RFP and follow-up community engagement. The council emphasized many future decision points (exact hours, locations, rates and enforcement) will require further hearings before any meters are installed.