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Millbrae residents urge SFPUC to pause Millbrae campus plan, warn loss of hardware store and jobs
Summary
Residents and former local officials urged the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to pause a Millbrae campus project that they say would displace Outdoor Supply Hardware and other businesses, threaten about 50 jobs and was advanced without adequate local engagement.
Millbrae residents and business representatives urged the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 9 to pause planning for a proposed Millbrae campus on SFPUC-owned land, saying the department’s process has been opaque and risks displacing a long-standing hardware store that supplies jobs and tax revenue.
Speakers at the commission’s public-comment period named Outdoor Supply Hardware (OSH) as a tenant that could be demolished to make room for SFPUC office space. Anne Schneider, a former Millbrae mayor and a Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BOSCA) board member, said the city has “limited commercial land” and that losing OSH would remove property and sales tax that support Millbrae’s general fund. “Millbrae deserves a seat at the table,” Schneider said.
Why it matters: Commenters said the timing compounds local strain after recent water rate increases and that replacing a functioning retail anchor with office space is questionable given high vacancy rates across San Francisco and the Peninsula. Multiple callers, including current and former Millbrae officials, said an RFP issued in 2023 was kept confidential during early procurement steps, leaving the city and ratepayers with little information.
SFPUC staff and officials responded that they have engaged Millbrae staff in multiple meetings over recent years and noted an RFP issued in September 2024 targeted construction contractors (CMGC). Steve Ritchie, assistant general manager for water, said he will appear before the Millbrae City Council on Jan. 13 to discuss the project and is preparing a detailed written response to an assemblymember’s letter that raised local concerns.
Residents gave concrete numbers and requests: they said OSH supports about 50 jobs, provides sales tax and rent revenue to the city, and urged the SFPUC to consider existing vacant office space before displacing local businesses. Several residents requested an immediate pause and more direct collaboration with Millbrae officials before any further approvals.
The next steps: SFPUC staff said the project remains subject to agency approvals and that staff will respond in writing to the state assemblymember and meet with Millbrae leadership. Ritchie told commissioners he will present to the Millbrae council on Jan. 13.
Ending: The public outcry during the SFPUC meeting did not produce a formal vote on the Millbrae campus; commissioners and staff acknowledged the concerns and signaled follow-up engagement with Millbrae city leaders.
