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Council hears broad debate over paid parking plan and downtown garage feasibility
Summary
Staff briefed the council on a planned paid parking program, residential permits, and feasibility studies for three potential downtown garage sites; council and public raised enforcement, spillover to neighborhoods and financing concerns. Staff plans an ordinance package in June and expects an operator RFP in July.
City staff on May 12 updated Millbrae City Council on the city’s proposed paid parking program and preliminary feasibility work for downtown parking garages, prompting extensive council discussion and public comment about enforcement and financing.
"This is just an informational item and we’re not seeking any direction or action from the council," said Harry Burroughs, the city’s contract project manager, summarizing outreach (a farmers‑market kiosk, an April 27 residential permit open house) and the consultant work to date. Burroughs described the program roadmap: an ordinance package in June to establish on‑ and off‑street paid parking and a parking enterprise fund, an RFP for an operator in July and contract approval targeted for September.
The presentation also described preliminary yield and feasibility work on three city‑owned parcels for a garage. Staff flagged technical constraints: two parcels are bisected by an alley and utilities requiring bridging or undergrounding, and the Magnolia lot is adjacent to single‑family homes and has height limitations.
Council members pressed staff on enforcement and equity. Several said they want “boots on the ground” enforcement to complement license‑plate reader technology, and asked staff to limit permit counts per household to avoid permit hoarding. Council members and the city manager acknowledged the likelihood that a garage will require multiple funding sources. Staff’s ballpark revenue estimate for the paid program was between $1.5 million and $2.0 million; council members noted that a hypothetical $40 million garage could carry annual debt service of roughly $2.3 million at 4% over 30 years, creating a shortfall if the garage debt were expected to be fully covered by meter revenue.
Public commenters urged caution: Ken Smith recommended increased enforcement presence rather than immediate reliance on automated systems; Ann Schneider warned that paid downtown parking could push airport and long‑term parkers into nearby residential streets unless mitigation measures are in place; Vernon Bruce suggested a garage could also provide permit parking for employees to free curb spaces for short‑term customers.
Next steps: staff will bring an ordinance package in June, continue garage feasibility and financing scenarios (including public‑private partnership and BID options) with the consultant, and return with recommendations later this year.
