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Council introduces ordinance to require underground utilities for new developments; first reading waived
Summary
Staff presented an ordinance amending Millbrae Municipal Code Chapter 8.30 to require utilities and associated equipment be placed below grade for new developments where feasible. Council discussed coordination with PG&E, maintenance responsibility and design/accessibility concerns, and voted 5–0 to introduce and waive first reading, with staff finding a CEQA exemption.
Millbrae City staff presented an ordinance amendment on March 10 to revise Municipal Code Chapter 8.30 so utilities and associated equipment for new developments and qualifying projects are located below grade when feasible. The council introduced the ordinance and voted 5–0 to waive the first reading.
Community Development Director Brad Meisner said the amendment is intended to align the Municipal Code with recently adopted General Plan land‑use policies that call for high‑quality urban design and undergrounding of utilities wherever feasible. Meisner said the ordinance would clarify applicability, redefine ‘‘new construction projects’’ and provide flexibility for projects that demonstrate undergrounding is infeasible.
Councilmembers raised implementation and coordination questions. Council Member Fung asked whether PG&E is on board and how developers would reconcile Pacific Gas & Electric's standards; Meisner said staff had encountered some project‑specific pushback from PG&E and that a clear ordinance would help set expectations. The Director of Public Works and a city engineer representative said PG&E installs and maintains vaults and subsurface equipment and that routine maintenance response times should not materially differ from aboveground equipment.
Public commenter Ann Schneider asked about surface material safety for vault covers and how undergrounding may affect utility‑box art and groundwater/fuel‑leak precautions; staff responded that covers would be anti‑slip and that design review would address groundwater protection, pumps and maintenance.
Staff recommended the council find the introduction and waiver of the first reading exempt from CEQA under the general rule (CEQA Guidelines —715061(b)(3) was cited in staff materials) and to introduce the ordinance; the council approved the motion by roll call vote. Next steps include formal ordinance adoption on a future agenda and implementation details to be addressed in plan review and design review processes.
