Millbrae General Plan Update + El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan (Admin Draft)

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El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan Boundary

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Administrative Draft | October 2018

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DRAFT

Contents

1. Introduction..................................................................................................1.1 2. Plan Context.................................................................................................2.1 3. Vision and Guiding Principles..................................................................3.1 4. Planning Frameworks and Policies.........................................................4.1 5. Land Use Regulations and Development Standards...........................5.1 6. Circulation and Parking.............................................................................6.1 7. Implementation............................................................................................7.1

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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E l C amino Re al and Dow n t ow n Spe ci f i c Pl an , Ci t y o f Mi ll b ra e

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1. Introduction Purpose of the Document The El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan presents an opportunity for Millbrae to transform the city’s primary areas of business and commerce into vibrant and connected mixed-use centers of cultural and economic activity. This Specific Plan focuses on the area that will undergo the majority of change and development in the city over the next couple of decades. The overall objective of the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan is to enhance quality of life by providing a roadmap for future growth and investment to create an exciting place for people to live, work, shop, and visit. This plan emphasizes transit-oriented, mixed-use development to provide a purposeful mix of housing, restaurants, retail, hotels, offices, and entertainment uses.

Consistent with Government Code Section 65450, the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan establishes the vision for the El Camino Real corridor and Downtown district, and provides the overarching policy framework and development regulations that are necessary to achieve the plan’s vision.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan

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DRAFT

Significant Boundaries The City received a grant from the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) to prepare this specific plan for the Millbrae Priority Development Area (PDA). Priority Development Areas (PDAs) are areas identified by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) with the potential to accommodate growth as a part of the Bay Area’s regional land use and transportation plan, Plan Bay Area. For the purposes of this Specific Plan, the City of Millbrae created the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan boundary (Plan Area), which includes the PDA, but encompasses a slightly larger area (see Figure 1.1).

This Specific Plan covers the El Camino Real corridor (top) and Downtown (bottom).

The Plan Area is exceptional because it contains the Intermodal Station, which is the largest intermodal terminal west of the Mississippi. The station serves BART, Caltrain, SamTrans, and is a proposed station for the California High-Speed Rail. The station also connects to the San Francisco International Airport. The City adopted the Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan (MSASP) in 2016, and is in the process of developing a highamenity, dense, urban center in the Station Area, as guided by the MSASP. In addition to including the Intermodal Station, the Plan Area spans El Camino Real (State Route 82). El Camino Real is a key corridor for the Peninsula that stretches from Daly City to San Jose. El Camino Real has three traffic lanes in each direction that has created a challenging environment for pedestrians and cyclists. This regional linkage is at the heart of the Plan Area and presents the opportunity to create a local and regional destination that fosters a stronger city identity, public safety, and economic investment.

The Plan Area also encompasses Downtown, which spans from Victoria Avenue to the south and Meadow Glen Avenue to the north. The Downtown Core, between Victoria Avenue and Taylor Boulevard, is characterized by small storefronts, many of which are locally-owned. Downtown also includes large, national retailers and full-service grocery stores.

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What is a Priority Development Area (PDA)?

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This is a Specific Plan for the Millbrae Priority Development Area (PDA). PDAs are areas within existing communities that cities and counties throughout the Bay Area have identified as future infill development opportunity areas. These areas have high-quality public transit access and are near job centers, shopping districts, and other services. The integrated regional long-range transportation and land use plan for the Bay Area, entitled Plan Bay Area, projects that PDAs will collectively SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL accommodate approximately 77 percent of the Bay Area’s household growth and HIG 55 percent of its job growthAIRPORT through the year 2040. Emphasizing higher-density HW A growth in YPDAs 10 can reduce impacts to single-family residential neighborhoods and 1 development pressure on open space and agricultural lands.

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Figure 1.1: Overview of Significant Boundaries

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Millbrae City Limits El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan Boundary

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

Relationship to Other Plans The City prepared the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan concurrently with the 2040 General Plan and the Active Transportation Plan. This section describes the relationship between the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan and other plans that supported its development and also have a role in guiding development in the Plan Area.

2040 General Plan

Placeholder for 2040 General Plan

The 2040 General Plan is the overarching document that provides the policy framework that will guide citywide growth and development over the next 25 years. California State Law requires that every city adopt a general plan “for the physical development of the city and any land outside its boundaries that bears relation to its planning” (California Government Code Section 65300). A general plan serves as the jurisdiction’s “constitution” or “blueprint” for future decisions concerning a variety of issues, including land use, health and safety, and resource conservation. All specific plans, subdivisions, public works projects, and zoning decisions must be consistent with the local jurisdiction’s general plan.

In accordance with Government Code Section 65454, the City prepared the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan concurrently with the 2040 General Plan to ensure consistency. The 2040 General Plan provides the broad goals and policies for Downtown and the El Camino Real corridor, whereas the Specific Plan provides a focused analysis on the area and more specific policies and development standards related to land use, urban design, and circulation and parking.

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Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan The El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan builds upon the Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan (MSASP), which the City adopted in 2016 to establish land use regulations and development standards, design guidelines, and streetscape standards for the Station Area. The El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan includes the Station Area, which is the area in the southeastern corner of the city, adjacent to the city of Burlingame to the south; El Camino Real and Broadway to the west; and Victoria Avenue, the City’s Public Works storage, and Highline Canal to the north.

While the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan boundary encompasses the Station Area, the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan defers to the MSASP for development standards within the Station Area.

The 2015 Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan (MSASP) was adopted in February 2016, and is an update of the original 1998 plan. The goal of the MSASP is to guide the creation of Millbrae’s new economic center, including vibrant, diverse, and transit-oriented developments in and around the Intermodal Station.

There is a lot of momentum in the city for the development of the Station Area. Given the visibility of the Station Area and the scale of development planned around the Intermodal Station, it will quickly become the region’s image of Millbrae. The El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan builds off the momentum in the Station Area, and provides a comprehensive view and strategy for how all of these areas – the Station Area, El Camino, and Downtown – work together for the success of all three areas. Each district has a unique role to play in Millbrae’s future.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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The Active Transportation Plan (ATP) is the citywide bicycle and pedestrian master plan that will enhance circulation and connectivity. The purpose of ILLS the ATP is to assess the needs of pedestriansEMSand T A T Ecyclists in Millbrae; identify PA R K BURLINGAME SAN MATEO COUNTY improvements to infrastructure and programs; ensure eligibility for certain transportation funding sources; and coordinate pedestrian and bicycle local actions and regional projects. The El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan weaves the recommendations from the ATP into this plan as they relate Sa w MILLS C U ER N AVAC A CANYON PA R K to the Plan Area.

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Bike Route (Class 3) - Proposed, New Bike Route (Class 3) - Prior Plan

Separated (ClassInitiative 4) - Proposed The GrandBikeway Boulevard is a regional collaborative of 19 cities, counties, PA L O M A PA R K and localCity andLimits regional agencies, to improve the El Camino Real corridor from Millbrae northern Daly City to central San Jose. The vision of the Grand Boulevard Initiative is to transform Source: El Camino into aInc.more walkable, transit- and bicycle-friendly KittelsonReal & Associates, Map Date: 4/17/2017 boulevard with mixed-use development. The Grand Boulevard Initiative Task 0 with representation 0.5 1 City of Millbrae, adopted the Grand Boulevard Force, from the Mi Multimodal Transportation Corridor Plan on September 15, 2010. The Plan contains multimodal access strategies, street design guidelines, and prototypes for development along the corridor.

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Plan Bay Area Plan Bay Area is an integrated long-range transportation, land use, and housing plan for the San Francisco Bay Area that was jointly prepared by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). MTC and ABAG adopted Plan Bay Area 2040 in July 2017, which is an update of the original 2013 plan.

Plan Bay Area is a result of the California Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (SB 375), which requires each of the state’s 18 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to prepare a sustainable communities strategy (SCS) that integrates planning for transportation, land use, and housing with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To meet the goals of SB 375, Plan Bay Area projects that PDAs will collectively accommodate approximately 77 percent of the Bay Area’s household growth and 55 percent of its job growth through the year 2040. PDAs are neighborhoods and districts within walking distance of frequent transit service, offering a wide variety of housing options, and featuring amenities such as grocery stores, community centers, and restaurants.

MTC and ABAG designated the boundary of the Millbrae PDA, which includes El Camino Real and the Downtown area. Between 2010 and 2040, Plan Bay Area projects that the Millbrae PDA will grow by an additional 1,510 households (an increase from 590 households in 2010 to 2,100 households in 2040) and 5,200 jobs (from 2,900 jobs in 2010 to 8,100 jobs in 2040). While Plan Bay Area does not regulate development, the Millbrae PDA is eligible for transportation funds through MTC and ABAG that support and encourage residential and commercial development within the PDA.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Public Outreach Process The City began preparing the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan alongside the 2040 General Plan Update and Active Transportation Plan through a combination of technical analysis and public input. The City designed each step of the process to ensure the planning team gathered feedback from residents, business and property owners, decision-makers, and other stakeholders. This section describes the public outreach process.

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March 15, 2016 The City Council and Planning Commission held a Joint Study Session to kick-off the planning process and learn more about the need for and purpose of the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan, key steps in the process, and the outreach program.

March to April 2016 The Consultants conducted interviews with key stakeholders to learn about major issues and opportunities in Millbrae.

April 11, 2016 Over 65 people attended the first Community Workshop. During the workshop participants learned about the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan, General Plan, and Active Transportation Plan; discussed their views on the community’s major assets, issues, and opportunities; and shared their vision for the future of the city.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

September 6, 2016

November 1 to 7, 2016

The City Council and Planning Commission held a Joint Study Session on the draft vision and guiding principles that were used to guide the planning process. The City Council and Planning Commission also reviewed and discussed the Phase I Public Input Summary: Issues and Opportunities and Existing Conditions Report, which covers community engagement from March and April 2016.

The City hosted the Community Workshop Series to Shape the Future of Downtown and El Camino Real. The workshop series brought residents, business owners, and the project team together to explore options and provide “real time” input as the work unfolded for the Specific Plan.

Day 1: Kick-off Presentation | November 1, 2016 The project team kicked off the workshop series at the Chetcuti Room with a presentation to the community. The presentation included: • an overview of the project, • a summary of the outreach and project milestones completed to date, • an initial site assessment of the Plan Area, • a description of market conditions in Millbrae, and • an overview of the workshop series and forthcoming activities.

More than 60 community members attended this session.

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Day 2 (Morning): Walking Tour of Project Area | November 2, 2016 The project team conducted a walking tour of the Plan Area, which began and ended at the Project Headquarters at 439 Broadway. About 40 community members participated in the tour. During the walking tour, participants examined the positive and negative attributes of Downtown, the Station Area, and the El Camino Real corridor.

DRAFT

February 22, 2017

March 14, 2017

The Planning Commission held a study session to review the results of the Community Workshop Series and to discuss proposed concepts for the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan.

The City Council held a study session to provide direction on the preparation of the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan. The City Council reviewed the results of the Community Workshop Series and provided direction on the Planning Commission’s recommendations.

Day 2 (Evening): Visioning Session November 2, 2016 The visioning session was held at the Project Headquarters, and approximately 50 people attended. The goal of this session was to encourage the community to visualize and articulate the changes they would like to see in the Plan Area. The session was organized around two exercises. The first exercise focused on describing an ideal experience in the Plan Area. The second activity was a visual preference exercise in which community members identified select images of design ideas that they would like to see implemented in the Plan Area.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Day page 3: Concepts Exploration Session

November 3, 2016

The project team held a concepts exploration session at the Project Headquarters, and nearly 40 community members attended. The session included a brief presentation on land development economics and financial feasibility. The project team then introduced the evening’s exercise, a “board game” in which each team was given an aerial plan of the Plan Area (the “game board”) and asked to create a conceptual land use plan using “game cards” marked with specific land use colors and areas, streetscape elements, symbols related to pedestrian safety, and special land uses. The cards also had a plus or minus sign to indicate land uses or infrastructure improvements where capital investment is required from the City or land uses that could bring economic growth.

Day 4: Final Presentation | November 7, 2016 The project team concluded the workshop series with a fInal presentation in the Chetcuti Room and nearly 80 people attended.

The project team brought together the six design concepts developed by the community during the concepts exploration session and translated them into two preliminary land use concepts. The project team also provided a summary of the various events and public input received.

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2. Plan Context This section describes the existing conditions within the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan boundary. It covers demographics, existing land uses and zoning, ownership patterns, site character, and connectivity and safety challenges.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Demographic Profile A snapshot of demographics in the Plan Area, and a comparison to citywide statistics, provides context on existing conditions and who this plan was designed for. Data in te Demographic Profile is from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey (five-year estimates).

The Plan Area was home to 3,685 of the city’s 22,416 residents in 2015. The population within the area has increased by over 1,200 residents (34 percent) since 2000, compared to 8 percent growth citywide. Most of this population growth can be attributed to new multifamily housing along El Camino Real.

Total Citywide Population: 22,416 Plan Area Population 3,685

City Population Outside of the Plan Area 18,731

This area differs from the city in terms of ethnic diversity, with higher proportions of Hispanic and Asian residents (24 percent and 52 percent) and lower proportions of white residents (18 percent). In terms of age, this area contains a slightly younger population than citywide, with only 19 percent of the Plan Area’s population being 60 years or older compared to 25 percent citywide. Most of this area is comprised of renters, with homeowners making up 29 percent, which is much lower than the homeownership rate citywide (62 percent).

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Households in this area generally have lower incomes than the city as a whole, with a median income of $68,664, compared to citywide at $93,777. However, this area also has a higher proportion of households who make between $100,000 and $149,999 (26 percent) compared to citywide (19 percent).

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Existing Land Use The Plan Area encompasses approximately 165 net acres and contains a wide variety of land uses, as shown in Figure 2.1 and Table 2.1. The Downtown district is between Magnolia Street and El Camino Real, bounded by Victoria Ave. to the south and Meadow Glen Ave. to the north.

Downtown is characterized by small-format retail along Broadway, with occasional residential uses. The two blocks between Taylor Boulevard and Meadow Glen Avenue contain larger blocks with major retailers, including Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Living Spaces, and Office Depot.

The Plan Area is also home to many of the City’s public facilities. The Intermodal Station is on the eastern end of the Plan Area, between Millbrae Avenue and El Camino Real. There is also a parking garage and surface parking on site for transit riders. The San Francisco Water Department also has a large facility water treatment facility located east of El Camino Real.

There is a U.S. Post Office in the eastern portion of Downtown. There are City-owned parking lots for public use.

Table 2.1 to the right shows land uses in the Plan Area compared to citywide. There are several apartments, duplexes, and triplexes on Broadway, between Victoria Avenue and Murchison Drive, that are within walking distance to grocery stores and other retail locations. The majority of uses along El Camino Real are commercial and mixed-use with residential above ground floor commercial. There is a concentration of multifamily and mixed-use developments along the southern end of El Camino Real past Victoria Avenue. East of Magnolia Avenue, Palmito Drive, and El Camino Real, there is single family residential bordering the Plan Area.

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Small-format retail in Downtown Core

A large block of retail in Downtown

The Intermodal Station is located on the eastern end of the Plan Area

Single family homes are around the edge of the Plan Area

Table 2.1: Existing Land Uses in the Plan Area 2016

Existing Land Use Single Family Duplex/Triplex/Fourplex Apartment Mixed Use General Commercial Office Industrial Public/Quasi-Public/Utility Vacant Total Source: City of Millbrae, 2016.

Plan Area Percent of Acreage Total Acreage 7.7 2.1 16.7 7.1 63.7 4.1 12.7 50.9 0.1 165.1

5% 1% 10% 4% 39% 2% 8% 31% 0% 100.0%

Citywide Percent of Acreage Total Acreage 943.5 32.3 65.0 5.6 75.8 5.0 12.7 223.5 3.6 1,367.0

69% 2% 5% 0% 6% 0% 1% 16% 0% 100.0%

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Ownership Pattern Property ownership in the Plan Area is fragmented, particularly in Downtown. As shown in Figure 2.2, there is a large number of landowners in the Plan Area, particularly along Broadway between Victoria Ave. and Taylor Blvd. The fragmented ownership pattern presents a major challenge for implementing the Specific Plan because of the sheer number of stakeholders. However, despite the general fragmentation of ownership, there are several large parcels, as well as City-owned parcels, that could serve as catalyst sites for redevelopment in the Plan Area.

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Millbrae City Limits

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Each color represents a different property owner.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Site Character The site character of the Plan Area varies between each sub-area: Downtown, El Camino Real, and the Station Area. Downtown, between Victoria Avenue and Taylor Boulevard has a consistent built edge of one- to two-story buildings. The street trees occur at regular intervals and set a visual rhythm. This segment of Downtown has a cohesive character and identity, which stops two blocks north of Taylor Street. The blocks between Taylor Boulevard and Meadow Glen Avenue have buildings with large footprints, many of which lack articulation and overall architectural character. These blocks also have surface parking lots resulting in poorer street definition and pedestrian experience.

The El Camino Real corridor exhibits a discontinuous frontage because of the prevalence of underutilized parcels, contrasting building setbacks, and surface parking lots interfacing with the street. A few blocks contain mature trees in the medians and along the sidewalks that add definition to the street and make it more pedestrian-friendly. However, the lack of consistent street trees and defined landscape lessens the visual quality of the corridor.

The Station Area contains the Intermodal Station and a five-story parking garage. The Intermodal Station is the point of arrival and departure for residents and visitors that take transit. It serves as a major activity node with a large concentration of people, especially during peak travel times. In addition to these buildings, the Station Area is characterized by bus stops, surface parking lots, and one-to two-story light industrial buildings. The landscape treatment in this district is underdeveloped and does not contribute to the overall character of the area.

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View at Braodway and Taylor Avenue looking North

Broadway between La Cruz Avenue and Hillcrest Boulevard

El Camino Real between Meadow Glen Avenue and Mateo Avenues

New mixed-use development on El Camino Real

The Intermodal Station

Frontage street on El Camino Real

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2.9 Lack of Street Definition

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

Surface Parking

DRAFT

Connectivity and Safety Challenges Figure 2.4 illustrates the level of safety at major intersections in the Plan Area in relation to pedestrian crossings at those intersections. El Camino Real is a high conflict zone where many collisions occurred from 2010 to 2014.

Similarly, Hillcrest Boulevard, the other east-west connector street that passes through Downtown, and Millbrae Avenue, a major east-west connector from the Station Area to residential neighborhoods, are also high-conflicts zones with pedestrian crossings on three sides.

Connectivity between the neighborhoods to the east compared to the west of El Camino Real is limited to two streets: Millbrae Avenue and Hillcrest Avenue. Meadow Glen Avenue, a major street that runs east-west, stops at El Camino Real and does not provide access to the east side of the corridor.

There are several other segments along El Camino Real with reportedly high numbers of collisions and inadequate pedestrian crossings, which add to the challenges of east-west connectivity and lack of access to Downtown. In addition, many of the sidewalks along El Camino Real and in Downtown are unsafe for pedestrians because there are areas where the concrete has lifted or is cracked.

The two activity nodes – the Intermodal Station and Downtown – do not have direct access to each other. Without a defined and safe pedestrian path, people are either discouraged from going to Downtown from the Station Area or end up taking a circuitous path.

An example of current El Camino Real pedestrian crossing

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The shared bicycle lane on El Camino Real

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

Opportunity Sites As shown in Figure 2.5, the community has many opportunity sites for future redevelopment. A parcel is identified as an opportunity site if the building footprint is onsiderably less than the potential development that the parcel can accommodate based on the allowable floor area ratio (FAR). Surface parking lots are a prime example of underutilized development, which occur frequently along El Camino Real and Broadway.

Other notable opportunity sites are publicly-owned properties where the building or structure is largely surrouned by undeveloped land, such as the San Francisco Water building on El Camino Real, which spans over 15 acres (see photo to the right). Because of the parcel size and location, many of these sites are prime opportunities for the community to realize the potential of these central corridors.

An example of underutilized development along El Camino Real near Meadow Glen Avenue

A City-owned parking lot located between El Camino Real and Broadway, and La Cruz and Victoria Avenues to the north and south

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3. Vision and Policies This section describes the vision, planning concepts, big ideas for the area, and the policy framework for implementing the vision.

The Specific Plan vision is aligned with the vision and guiding principles for the plan area set forth in the General Plan.

Exerpt from the General Plan vision: ‘Residents continue to be proud to call Millbrae “home” because of its... charming and lively downtown. Millbrae is an international destination because of its access to transit, vibrancy of El Camino Real, diversity of retail and restaurants, and charming atmosphere.’

General Plan Guiding Principle for El Camino Real: ‘Promote the revitalization of El Camino Real into a “grand boulevard” that creates a welcoming gateway into Millbrae. Improve mobility and enhance the streetscape along the corridor to create an inviting pedestrian environment. Encourage transit-oriented, mixed-use developments along El Camino Real that create an exciting place for people to live, work, shop, and play.’

General Plan Guiding Principle for Downtown: “Cultivate a vibrant downtown. Encourage a mix of businesses that serve the range of resident needs and attract visitors. Foster investments in public spaces that elevate the prominence of downtown into a hub of community activity.”

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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The Vision In the next 10-15 years the Specific Plan Area will be a series of vibrant districts, each with a unique character and function, but woven cohesively by a seamless circulation and public space network. It will offer a mix of land uses that serve regional and local needs encouraging an active public life. The Plan Area will boast of highquality buildings that are sensitive to the context but cutting edge in their performance. The public realm will be designed with great attention to detail to provide safe, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environments for residents and visitors.

The Specific Plan Area that includes the station area, El Camino Real corridor and the downtown is the economic heart of Millbrae. The Plan Area offers a tremendous opportunity for the City of Millbrae to address future needs in housing, diversified economy, multi-modal transportation choices and expanded community amenities. Since the Plan area includes the downtown and the primary points of arrival into the city, it also offers an opportunity to create a strong sense of place and identity for Millbrae.

The Specific Plan will ensure that this goal is met by exploring development potential of vacant and underutilized parcels, and planning for well-scaled higher density development balanced with adequate community amenities.

The Specific Plan envisions five districts that are defined by the function they serve due to allowed land uses, transportation infrastructure, economic activity, immediate adjacencies, and potential future development opportunities they present.

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Regional Anchor (Station Area)

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Downtown District

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Community Anchor

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North El Camino Real Neighborhood

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Neighborhood Anchor

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Guiding Principles El Camino Real: Promote the revitalization of El Camino Real into a “grand boulevard” that creates a welcoming gateway into Millbrae. Improve mobility and enhance the streetscape along the corridor to create an inviting pedestrian environment. Encourage transit-oriented, mixed-use developments along El Camino Real that create an exciting place for people to live, work, shop, and play.

Downtown: Cultivate a vibrant downtown. Encourage a mix of businesses that serve the range of resident needs and attract visitors. Foster investments in public spaces that elevate the prominence of downtown into a hub of community activity.

Station Area: Transform the Station Area into a walkable, mixed-use district reinforcing its role as the most significant transit hub in the Bay Area providing connections between Caltrain, BART, and San Francisco International Airport.

Encourage development of amenities; connectivity to downtown and neighborhoods; and diversity of retail, restaurants, offices, hotels, and the provision of diverse housing types for all income groups.

Neighborhoods: Preserve and enhance neighborhoods. Support the preservation and enhancement of the existing housing stock, augmentation of the tree canopy, and protection of Bay views.

City Services: Provide all residents with excellent City services. Protect the health and safety of residents and support a high-quality living environment by maintaining infrastructure, services, and programs that meet the needs of the community.

Mobility: Provide a safe and complete transportation network that meets the needs of all users. Focus on transportation improvements that reduce traffic, encourage walkability and bikeability, and increase accessibility between neighborhoods, downtown, and the intermodal station.

Economic Development: Promote a robust local economy. Foster economic growth by cultivating a diversity of businesses based on innovation, technology, and local entrepreneurship that provide high-paying jobs and increase the tax base.

Emphasize the highest and best use of land for economic development.

City Identity: Enhance Millbrae’s identity by creating vibrant places that bring community members together and draw visitors from the region. Encourage Millbrae to remain an inclusive community with strong civic pride by improving public spaces through public art, safety measures, and park improvements.

Sustainability: Nurture a sustainable urban environment. Encourage walking and biking to reduce automobile dependence and harmful air pollutants. Strive to achieve zero solid waste and promote the efficient use of natural resources including water, energy, and land, to reduce impacts on regional watersheds.

Healthy Community: Promote a healthy community.

Encourage healthy lifestyles for all residents by increasing access to physical activity, nutritious foods, excellent education, housing choices, living wages, affordable healthcare, clean air and water, and a safe environment that promotes walking and biking.

Recreation: Increase and expand recreation opportunities. Encourage active living by elevating recreation programming for persons of all ages and abilities, enhance parks and recreation facilities, and improve bike and pedestrian connections throughout the City and into neighboring cities.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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4. Planning Frameworks and Policies The three planning frameworks that function as organizing elements for the Specific Plan Area are: • Urban Design Framework • Circulation Framework • Public Space Framework They three frameworks work together to achieve the goals and guiding principles for the Specific Plan and inform the type and character of future development within the Specific Plan Area.

Urban Design Framework The Urban Design Framework introduces the vision and concepts for each of the five districts described in Chapter 3: Vision and Guiding Principles.

The District Character diagram and the Building Heights diagram guide the form and intensity of future development.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT Regional Anchor (Station Area) The Station Area which is a multi-modal transit hub connecting Millbrae with the San Francisco Peninsula and the East Bay serves as the Regional Anchor. It is the only transit hub that serves as a direct transfer point for BART and Caltrain, strategically connecting to nearby San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Additionally, it serves as a hub for SamTrans, corporate shuttles, and a proposed High-Speed Rail connection. Future development in the Station Area will be guided by the vision of Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan (MSASP) adopted by the city in February 2016, to include a diversity and mix of transit supportive land uses that encourages a 24/7 environment with a high-quality public realm. The large parcel sizes in the station area allow for higher intensity land uses such hotels, offices, large format retail and high-density residential. This mix of land uses, and easy regional accessibility make the station area a Regional Anchor.

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A rendering of the Stations Area as a high-quality public realm that serves residents and draws visitors

DRAFT Vision for Regional Anchor and Gateway Plaza at Intermodal Station

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

4.5

DRAFT Downtown District The Downtown District is bookended by the Regional Anchor to the south and Community Anchor to the north. This district will have carefully curated infill development that has a distinctly different character than the two anchor districts that flank it on either side.

The Specific Plan seeks to build on the existing fine-grain fabric of the Downtown core and bring an appeal that will establish it as a vibrant activity node.

It will be a thriving walkable and pedestrian-friendly district that includes a healthy mix of uses that serve the Millbrae community and connected to the anchor uses on either end with safe and easy circulation paths.

Downtown will be thriving with diverse uses ranging from restaurants, small shops, community serving retail, cultural activities, community gathering and small event spaces, small offices, and residences on the upper floors to support daytime and evening activity. Temporary programs such as farmer’s market, pop-up music events, street fairs, performing arts, community theatre, etc., will make downtown a social and cultural anchor. Building on the strength of the existing elements, the Downtown streetscape will be further enhanced to create a cohesive, clean, and vibrant district with gateway elements, trees, landscaping, lighting, furnishings, paving, and public art, which will define the unique identity and brand

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of the community. There will be a new network of outdoor public spaces including small parks, plazas, and parklets that allow for spontaneous social interaction and bring the community together.

Development will be low to medium intensity, with Broadway serving as the main shopping street. Along Broadway and El Camino Real, between Victoria and Meadow Glen Avenues, the ground floor will have active uses, such as community serving retail, small format grocery stores, specialty shopping, cafes, bakeries, and variety of restaurants, while the upper floors may have residential or office commercial.

Other land uses in this district might include small cultural venues, community event spaces, multifamily residential, townhomes, and small-lot single family homes.

A community gathering space is envisioned, which could take the form of a small park or a plaza integrated with other uses. It will serve as a place for the community to come together, fostering the idea of a Downtown district for all ages, from 8 to 80 years old. Improved circulation focusing on pedestrian linkages and crossing improvements at El Camino Real and safe, clear pedestrian connections to the Intermodal Station are a priority.

Enhanced public realm treatments will distinguish Downtown from surrounding areas with directional signage, gateway markers, and public art to give Downtown its own unique identity.

Vision for enhanced downtown experience

DRAFT Vision for Downtown District

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

4.7

DRAFT Community Anchor District The Community Anchor is envisioned as a destination that will draw people from the Regional Anchor, through the Downtown district. It will complement the Downtown district with uses that expand the Downtown experience but need a larger footprint than what Downtown can offer. A mix of uses that will give this district a unique identity includes: large format specialty retail, grocery stores, lifestyle stores, medium to high density residential, a cultural venue, a boutique hotel, and a vibrant public space that can provide a platform for a variety of social and cultural activities for the city.

The character of the overall district will simultaneously respond to El Camino Real and to Broadway for the parcels that front those respective streets. There will be clearly defined and safe pedestrian circulation paths that connect this district with the adjacent streets.

Examples of development that fulfill the vision for the Community Anchor.

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DRAFT Vision for a Community Anchor District

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

4.9

DRAFT North El Camino Real Neighborhood

Neighborhood Anchor

The North El Camino Real Neighborhood, just north of the Community Anchor, is a predominantly residential district with ground floor retail at key intersections. This area serves as a transition zone between the Community Anchor and the Neighborhood Anchor.

The Neighborhood Anchor is a compact concentration of neighborhood-serving uses such as retail, cafes, restaurants, small offices, and other neighborhood services. In the future, the district will build on the existing character, with some dense residential uses planned to complement the commercial areas. Small public spaces in the form of courtyards, parklets, and widened sidewalks will encourage more pedestrian activity and provide community gathering space for nearby neighborhoods.

The western side of El Camino Real lends itself to fine grain low- to medium-intensity infill development, such as townhomes and three- to five-story multifamily residential that is compatible with adjacent single-family residential neighborhoods.

The eastern side of El Camino Real can accommodate larger footprints and is suitable for medium- to highintensity development, such as hotels, mixed-use residential, or office commercial. Active ground floor uses such as small offices and other neighborhoodserving uses including co-working spaces, a gym, and coffee shops are appropriate for this district.

Broadway is a designated pedestrian priority route that links the North El Camino Real Neighborhood with Downtown and regional transit connections, giving residents easy access to the Intermodal Station.

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DRAFT Vision for Northern El Camino Real Neighborhood

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

4.11

DRAFT El Camino Real El Camino Real will be a multi-modal corridor with well-managed traffic flow that provides a safe environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. The corridor will have a mix of new development, including multifamily residential, offices, hotels, conference/meeting spaces, cultural amenities, retail, and restaurants that create a human-scaled environment. It will be a vibrant district with active ground floor uses, safe sidewalks, highquality public realm, an enhanced streetscape, and a cohesive built form.

Transportation improvements within the Plan Area will support the needs of the youngest to the oldest community members, by offering multi-modal transportation choices. The ease of connectivity between existing neighborhoods, Downtown, the El Camino Real corridor, and the Station Area will be a distinguishing characteristic of Millbrae. The city exemplifies high quality of life and ensures safety for all.

Active Frontage An important aspect of creating a pedestrian friendly, vibrant corridor is to provide opportunities for active ground floor uses, which are not limited to retail and food services. Non-retail active uses include gallery spaces, building lobbies, stoops, indoor community gathering spaces, performance spaces, multi-purpose spaces, indoor landscaped areas, and displays.

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DRAFT Fig 4.x: Map showing recommendations for active frontage within the Specific Plan Area Downtown Mixed Use Downtown Mixed Use Office Emphasis Mixed Use Office Emphasis Mixed Use Mixed Use Neighborhood Commercial Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Residen�al Emphasis Mixed UseUse Residen�al Emphasis Commercial Mixed Mixed Use Use

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Policies The policies set forth in this Specific Plan work in parallel with the 2040 General Plan. Many of the policies in the 2040 General Plan are applicable to the Plan Area. These documents collectively establish the policy framework for the community to realize its vision for Downtown and the El Camino Real corridor.

Land Use Goal: Cultivate a pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use environment along El Camino Real and Downtown that supports vibrant commercial activity, maximizes transit use, enhances quality of life, and protects the positive qualities of surrounding neighborhoods.

LU-1: Infill Development. Support infill development that provides a rich mix of businesses, housing types, and community-serving uses to encourage transit use, walking, and biking.

LU-2: Mixed-Use Development. Encourage mixeduse development with active ground floor uses, and residential and office uses on the upper floors.

LU-3: El Camino Real. Promote development of El Camino Real as a vibrant and attractive boulevard, lined with a diverse mix of uses that creates an inviting pedestrian environment.

LU-4: Downtown. Encourage a mix of small- scale, infill development that serves residents and

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attracts visitors, while complementing the charming character of Downtown.

LU-5: Business Mix. Cultivate an urban fabric with distinct character by enabling a mix of businesses that includes small, locally-owned businesses as well as large, national retailers.

LU-6: Community Anchor. Create a community anchor on the northern end of Downtown to draw pedestrian traffic from the Intermodal Station along El Camino Real and through Downtown. The community anchor should include larger public spaces, such as a cultural venue, a boutique hotel, a park, or a plaza.

LU-7: Neighborhood Anchor. Create a neighborhood anchor on the northern end of El Camino Real to provide a compact concentration of neighborhoodserving uses, including retail, a grocery store, cafes, restaurants, entertainment, and small offices. The neighborhood anchor should include small public spaces, such as a courtyard or parklet.

LU-8: Land Assemblage. Encourage property owners to collaborate and assemble their parcels to facilitate an integrated development project that advances the community’s goals for Downtown and El Camino Real to be a destination for residents and visitors.

LU-9: Public Benefits Program. Consider adopting a Public Benefits program that requires projects

within the Specific Plan Area to provide public benefits in exchange for project approval or building concessions, such as a greater height limits or density/intensity allowance. Public benefits might include the provision of new affordable and special needs housing, upgrades to City infrastructure, publicly-accessible parking, publicly-accessible open space or recreation centers, contributions to community facilities, and other types of improvements that improve quality of life and advance implementation of the Specific Plan.

LU-10: Active Alley. Consider improving the alley between Broadway and El Camino Real from Taylor Boulevard to Victoria Avenue to make it a visually attractive and vibrant space for people and businesses. Improvements may include an alley name, wayfinding signage, pavement improvements, landscaping, and public art. The City shall consider reviewing its development standards to allow for businesses and housing to front on the alley.

LU-11: Prohibit New Auto-Oriented Establishments.

Prohibit new auto-oriented establishments along El Camino Real and allow existing auto-oriented establishments along El Camino Real to remain, but not expand.

LU-12: Office Space Needs. Encourage the renovation and upgrading of existing office space and development of new office space along El Camino Real to support local jobs and increase the tax base.

DRAFT LU-13: Airport Safety. Regulate land uses and building height within the Airport Influence Area of the San Francisco International Airport in compliance with FAR Part 77 height restriction standards, in accordance with Airport Land Use Commission guidelines to assure safety of aircraft, persons, and property near the Airport.

Urban Design Goal: Establish a sense of place in Millbrae commercial districts that contributes to city identity.

UD-1: Building Orientation. Require projects to orient entrances and frontages toward major roads, intersections, and public spaces.

UD-2: Visually Engaging Façades. Encourage projects to include varying and visually engaging façades to create an interesting and distinctive sense of place.

UD-3: Active Use Frontage. Require projects with an Active Ground Floor Use and Ground Floor Retail, as shown on Figure X-X, to contribute to a high-level of pedestrian activity by having customer-oriented uses on the ground floors with design features that engage passersby and draw clientele in from the street.

UD-4: Integrate New Development. Integrate new development with the existing fabric of the surrounding neighborhoods to contribute to a cohesive community.

UD-5: Transition in Scale. Ensure new development has an appropriate transition in scale between highdensity, mixed-use development along El Camino Real and adjacent neighborhoods through use of setbacks and step-backs as new development gets closer to the property line.

Housing Goal: Support a wide range of affordable and accessible housing near transit.

H-1: Prevent Displacement. Prevent housing displacement by prohibiting discrimination and requiring projects to provide a variety of affordable housing types to support a stable and secure community.

H-2: Affordable Housing Requirement. Require projects with residential units to provide at least 15 percent of units affordable to lower-income households, of which at least 5 percent of units affordable to very-low income households or 10 percent affordable to low-income households.

projects with residential units to provide at least 10 percent of units accessible to persons with disabilities.

City Image and Programming Goal: Enhance Downtown and El Camino Real sense of place to attract economic investment, improve quality of life, and promote the city as an ideal place to live.

CIP-1: Street Cleanliness. Improve and maintain the cleanliness of Downtown, including controlling litter, providing additional trash receptacles, and increasing frequency of waste pickup.

CIP-2: Consistent Branding Features. Support the development of consistent branding features in Downtown and along El Camino Real that define Millbrae’s image.

CIP-3: Festivals and Events. Support festivals and events Downtown that draw residents, attract visitors, benefit local businesses, and invoke civic pride.

H-3: Relocation Assistance. Encourage developers to provide relocation assistance to residents who are displaced by the redevelopment of their residence, including active support finding a new place of residence and the right of first return in the new development.

H-4: Accessible Housing Requirement. Require

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

4.15

DRAFT

Circulation Framework El Camino Real, Broadway, and Millbrae Avenue are the primary circulation paths within the Plan Area. The Specific Plan identifies them as key transportation and streetscape enhancement projects. El Camino Real is envisioned as a multimodal complete street with a modified configuration to accommodate separated bike lanes in each direction, as well as improved sidewalks and crossings for pedestrian safety. Millbrae Avenue will also have new bike lanes and shared bicycle and pedestrian paths that connect with the Bay Trail. Broadway, as the main Downtown street, is envisioned to have an enhanced streetscape, reconfigured on-street parking, and parklets for outdoor cafés or other recreational uses.

El Camino Real, Broadway, and Millbrae Avenue are the primary vehicular circulation paths within the Plan Area. The Specific Plan identifies them as key transportation and streetscape enhancement projects. El Camino Real is envisioned as a multimodal complete street with a modified configuration to accommodate separated bike lanes in each direction, as well as improved sidewalks and crossings for pedestrian safety. Millbrae Avenue will also have new bike lanes and shared bicycle and pedestrian paths that connect with the Bay Trail. Broadway, as the main Downtown street,

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is envisioned to have an enhanced streetscape, reconfigured on-street parking, and parklets for outdoor cafés or other recreational uses. The Specific Plan envisions a a new pedestrian crossing across El Camino Real at Chadbourne to facilitate easy and direct access to the Intermodal station and improved connectivity between the Regional Anchor and Downtown.

Circulation and Parking Policies Goal: Provide a safe and well-connected circulation network that promotes transportation mode choices, reduces vehicle traffic, and promotes healthy lifestyles.

CP-1: Parking Requirements. Review and update parking standards to reduce parking demand and encourage alternative transportation modes.

CP-2: Parallel Parking on Broadway. Redesign Broadway to include parallel parking and widened sidewalks.

CP-3: New Parking Facilities. Encourage structured, underground, or tuck-under parking in new development, and discourage new or expanded surface parking lots.

CP-4: Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities. Create an accessible circulation network, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that provides

safe and accessible paths of travel for persons with disabilities between the Intermodal Station, El Camino Real, and Downtown.

CP-5: Wayfinding Signage. Provide wayfinding signage along El Camino Real and in Downtown and the Station Area, particularly at major intersections.

CP-6: Pedestrian Crossings. Work with Caltrans to improve pedestrian crossings on El Camino Real to increase the predictability and visibility of pedestrians by providing complete sidewalk coverage, controlled crosswalks, minimizing the intersection footprint, reducing pedestrian crossing distances, shortening traffic signal cycle lengths, and using high-visibility treatments. These improvements shall focus on the intersection crossings along El Camino Real, and at Millbrae Avenue and the U.S. Highway 101 onramps.

CP-7: Bicycle Lanes on El Camino Real. Work with Caltrans to add separated bicycle lanes on El Camino Real to increase cyclist safety, enhance connectivity, reduce automobile reliance, and encourage active lifestyle choices.

CP-7: Bicycle Route Alternatives to El Camino Real.

Add bicycle routes along Magnolia Avenue and Hemlock Avenue to provide lower volume and lower speed route alternatives to El Camino Real.

DRAFT Regional Connector Street Streetscape Enhancements Shared-Use Path Proposed PotenƟal Pedestrian Connectors Park

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

4.17

DRAFT CP-8: Bicycle Parking. Require new development to provide safe and secure bicycle parking facilities, such as bike lockers and bike racks that allow for proper two-point locking.

CP-9: Bus Stops. Work with partner agencies to encourage improvements to bus stops and addition of amenities along El Camino Real (e.g., shelters, trash receptacles) that encourage transit use, contribute to sense of place, and improve the public realm.

Public Space Framework The Plan Area will have a network of public open spaces in the form of a gateway plaza in the Station Area, a park in Downtown, parklets, and an alleyway that are connected by safe pedestrian paths not only along the key circulation routes, but also along other streets identified as key connectors. The Plan Area will have a well-designed, cohesive public realm with functional and safe street furniture, lighting, consistent street planting, and other landscape elements.

The Plan Area will have a network of public open spaces in the form of a gateway plaza in the Station Area, and a park, a plaza and/or parklets in Downtown that are connected by safe pedestrian paths not only along the key circulation routes, but also along other streets identified as key connectors.

The Plan Area will have a well-designed, cohesive public realm with functional and safe street furniture, lighting, consistent street planting, and other landscape elements.

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DRAFT Pedestrian Priority Route

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Figure 3.4: Open Space and Public Realm Diagram Source: City of Millbrae, 2017; ABAG, 2017; Mintier Harnish, 2018. Map Date: 03/08/2018 0

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

4.19

DRAFT Gateway Plaza: The outdoor Plaza in the Regional Anchor District serves as the gateway feature to the City, for residents and visitors and commuters arriving at the Intermodal Transit Station. It will be scaled proportionately to the size of the buildings that enclose it and lead pedestrians to a safe crossing across El Camino Real to reach the downtown. The Plaza is envisioned as a thriving social space for people to meet informally,

take a rest stop or pass through to get to the their next destination. Comfortable outdoor furniture, good lighting, shade-giving trees, visually appealing landscape treatments, public art, and active ground floor uses in the enclosing buildings with a seamless outdoor-indoor connection will be key elements of a successful design. The Plaza will also function as a venue for temporary programming such as art exhibits, festivals, music events or other community oriented activities.

Downtown Plaza: A plaza in the heart of Downtown would be a vibrant public place that offers the community a smaller, more intimate space for social gathering. It will also serve as a place for Downtown employees, shoppers, and visitors to take a break, enjoy an outdoor lunch, and other passive recreational uses. It will showcase Millbrae’s unique spirit and be the pride of the community.

Parklets: Parklets will be concentrated along Broadway and at pedestrian areas on El Camino Real. They will typically replace up to two on-street parking spaces. Parklets are suited for mixed-use zones in front of cafes, restaurants, and small-format retail and will help activate businesses creating outdoor areas for commercial, retail, and restaurant-centric programming.

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DRAFT Paseos The downtown and the Community Anchor district provide the most opportunity for including paseos to serve as pedestrian linkages between various uses, improving walkability. Paseos will also serve as outdoor dining spaces and hang-out spots, protected from the elements. Features such as public art, interesting lighting and creative landscape can enliven the paseos and create a unique experience.

Festivals and Markets •

Weekly Farmers Market

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Millbrae Wine and Music Festival

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Millbrae Cultural Celebration

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

4.21

DRAFT Open Space and Public Realm Policies Goal: Establish a pedestrian-oriented public realm that includes a network of public open spaces that are connected by safe pedestrian paths.

OS-1: Pedestrian-Oriented Public Realm. Enhance the public realm to promote an engaging, safe, and comfortable pedestrian experience.

Improvements should include the addition of plazas, parklets, outdoor seating, consistent street planting and other landscape elements, wide sidewalks, sidewalk furniture, and public art.

OS-2: Network of Public Open Spaces. Provide a network of public open spaces, including outdoor plazas, parks, and parklets, that is connected by safe pedestrian paths.

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E l C amino Re al and Dow n t ow n Spe ci f i c Pl an , Ci t y o f Mi ll b ra e

OS-3: Sustainable Open Space and Parks. Require open spaces and parks to incorporate sustainability measures, such as including native plant species and drought tolerant plants that require minimal irrigation, permeable paving, solar-powered lighting, and other similar features.

OS-4: Parkland Dedication. Require new residential development to provide a parkland dedication of 5 acres per 1,000 persons or payment of a development impact fee.

OS-5: Public Art. Integrate public art into the public realm consistent with the City Public Art Policy.

DRAFT This page is intentionally left blank.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

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DRAFT

5. Land Use Regulations, Development Standards and Design Guidelines This chapter sets forth land use regulations and development standards to ensure that all future development is in alignment with the vision and guiding principles of the Specific Plan. The land use regulations along with development standards and design guidelines, establish a clear regulatory framework for reviewing future development applications and prioritizing capital improvement projects.

The regulations and standards also ensure that future development is compatible with the existing scale and character of adjacent development and are contributing to the overall placemaking. While the development standards regulate the form and intensity of future development, there is flexibility in the corresponding uses to provide the ability to respond to changing market demands. Existing uses that do not conform to these designations, shall be allowed to continue for the structural life of the building or structure.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

Land Use designations The land use designations allow for a wide variety of uses to create mixed use districts within the Plan Area.

The land use designations describe the appropriate mix of uses to achieve the intended character in specific districts. The Land Use designations along with development standards will be the primary tool for regulating the form and character of future development.

• Downtown Mixed Use • Office Emphasis Mixed Use • Residential Emphasis Mixed Use • Commercial Mixed Use • Neighborhood Commercial /Mixed Use

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Development Standards and Design Guidelines Development Standards and Design Guidelines establish the baseline for the desired quality of future development that the City seeks to achieve.

It will provide Staff a basis to evaluate design and development issues during the design review and approval process.

Development Standards shape the overall urban form by regulating building placement, size and height. Design Guidelines aim to address finer details of building and public realm design for an overall enhanced urban experience.

New development will be required to adhere to the applicable Development Standards, while consistency with Design guidelines will be subject to discretionary approval by the Design Review Board.

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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n small and less expensive open space iso interventions will take the form of parklets. This Specific Plan strongly recommends preparation of a Public Realm Improvements Plan for the Downtownvdistrict e to A e ensure consistent design of streetafurniture, planting, r b landscape elements, lighting,illidentity banners, M gateway features and other streetscape elements and to distinguish downtown from rest of the city.

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This area will significantly benefit from investment in public realm to foster a sense of community and elevate the experience of downtown. A community gathering space in the downtown in vethe form of a A plaza or a pocket park will serve ae as a place for the r b community to come together, ill fostering the idea of a M Downtown district for all ages, from 8 to 80 years old.

There is an opportunity for one of the two city-owned parking lots to be transformed into a plaza. Other

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The intensity and form of any infill development in this designation should be compatible with the existing fine grain fabric of the downtown, by maintaining smaller footprints, appropriately scaled buildings, and pedestrian friendly building design (refer development standards). Buildings shall range from minimum 2 stories (25 feet) to 3 stories (45 feet). The ground floor shall have a minimum interior height of 14’ from finished floor to finished ceiling.

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This designation is limited m toothe center of Downtown, Civic h c from Victoria Avenue toRiTaylor Boulevard along Center Broadway. (Fig x.x Land Use Plan for Downtown MU le a d designation). ns All development in this area shall have active ground Central floor uses, predominantly retail but non-retail Park space, entertainment uses such as banks, gallery or community gathering space may be allowed.

This designation shall allow vertical mixed-use development with residential and office uses on upper floors to encourage increased customer base for the restaurant and retail businesses as well as after-hours activity that residential uses bring.

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DRAFT Development Standards The following development standards are applicable to buildings within the Downtown Core designation: Density/Intensity Building Height (a)

• Min. 25 feet • Max. 45 feet

Building Height Exception

• Corner building treatments may exceed maximum height requirements up to 10 feet

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Setbacks Street Setback

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Rear Setback

• No minimum or maximum requirement

Side Setbacks

• No minimum required – Maximum 5 feet • Corner lots will have 0 feet street setback

Other Ground Floor Use

• Retail, restaurants, community gathering space, galleries, entertainment

Interior Ground Floor Height

• Minimum 14 feet from finished floor to finished ceiling

Parking Location

• Structured parking must be on-parcel with entrances prohibited on Broadway, and shall be wrapped with active uses • Surface parking lots shall neither front nor have entrances on Broadway

Note: (a) Building heights shown are without exceptions for architectural features, mechanical units, or rooftop amenities. Projects shall strictly comply with overall height limits and number of stories.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

5.5

DRAFT

5.6

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DRAFT Design Guidelines for Downtown Mixed Use • Buildings should maintain a continuous frontage along Broadway with well-articulated building façades that create a rich and visually engaging pedestrian environment.

• Blank façades (without windows, doors, or other visually transparent elements) are strongly discouraged along Broadway.

• Majority of the ground floor façades along Broadway should be transparent for seamless indoor-outdoor visual connection to enliven the street. Clear windows fulfill this requirement.

Dark tinted window films, screens, reflective glass, and similar materials that are not visually transparent are strongly discouraged.

• Shopfronts should have primary entrances along Broadway.

• A frontage where a portion of the façade is set back to create an entry plaza or outdoor dining area is encouraged.

• Buildings with the ground floor set back to accommodate outdoor dining, should design the outdoor space consistent with the overall building design as well as outside public realm.

• Awnings are encouraged but should not obstruct or prevent the placement of street trees or other improvements within the public right-of-way.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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range from 3 stories (35 feet) to 5 stories (55 feet) to maintain compatibility of scale and intensity of development on adjacent parcels within the Downtown Core. Buildings on the east of El Camino len Real shall range from 4 stories (45 feet) He to 6 stories (65 feet).

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DRAFT Development Standards The following development standards are applicable to buildings within the Office Emphasis Mixed Use designation: Density/Intensity Building Height (a)

• Min. 35 feet • Max. 65 feet

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• Corner building treatments may exceed maximum height requirements up to 10 feet

F.A.R.

• Max 2.25

Setbacks Street Setback

• 0 feet (built to property line)

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• Min. 5 feet • Max. 10 feet

Side Setbacks

• F or buildings 45 feet tall: min. 10 feet • For buildings over 45 feet tall: min. 20 feet • Corner lots will have 0 feet street setback

Other Ground Floor Use

• Retail, restaurants, community gathering space, galleries, entertainment, commercial office, hotel lobbies

Interior Ground Floor Height

• Minimum 14 feet from finished floor to finished ceiling

Parking Location

• Structured parking must be on-parcel with and shall be wrapped with active uses • Entrances should be avoided on Broadway and El Camino Real when alternative street access is available • Surface parking lots shall not front on Broadway or El Camino Real and entrance to parking should be avoided from these

Note: (a) Building heights shown are without exceptions for architectural features, mechanical units, or rooftop amenities.

Projects shall strictly comply with overall height limits and number of stories.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT Design Guidelines for Office Emphasis Mixed Use Designation • Buildings should maintain a consistent and well-articulated frontage along El Camino Real and Broadway, with primary building entrances located on these streets.

• Buildings at intersections of El Camino Real and Millbrae Avenue, Victoria Avenue, Hillcrest Boulevard, Taylor and Meadow Glen Avenues should have architectural treatments that emphasize the corners and create a landmark feature.

• Majority of the ground floor façade along El Camino Real should be transparent for seamless indoor-outdoor visual connection to enliven the street. Clear windows fulfill this requirement. Dark tinted window films, screens, reflective glass, and similar materials that are not visually transparent are strongly discouraged.

• A frontage where a portion of the façade is set back to create an entry plaza or outdoor dining area is encouraged.

• Canopies and awnings should occur at regular intervals to mark retail uses and entrances to buildings.

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DRAFT

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Map Date: 03/08/2018

E l C amino Re al and Dow n t ow n Spe ci f i c Pl an , Ci t y o f Mi ll b ra e

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Buildings range from 4 stories (45 feet) to 8 stories (85 feet) along El Camino Real; and 2 stories (25 feet) to 5 stories (55 feet) along Broadway Avenue.

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Vertical mixed-use development is strongly encouraged at the intersection of El Camino Real and Center St, Mateo Avenue, and Meadow Glen Avenue, where ground floor uses can include restaurants, cafes, specialty retail, galleries, entertainment, entrance lobby, or fitness center.

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The Community Mixed Use designation applies tount o ram most of the parcels within the Community Anchor Pa district. This designation permits a wide range of n uses that will potentially serve the function of a udema L “Community Anchor”. The permitted uses within this designation are hotels, conference and meeting facilities, entertainment, cultural venues, performing arts center, specialty retail, light manufacturing such as maker spaces, high-density residential, office, and senior care and senior living facilities.

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DRAFT Development Standards The following development standards are applicable to buildings under the Commercial Mixed Use designation: Density/Intensity Building Height (a)

• Min. 45 feet • Max. 85 feet

Building Height Exception

• Corner building treatments may exceed maximum height requirements up to 10 feet

F.A.R.

• Max 1.75

Setbacks Street Setback (El Camino Real)

• 0 feet (built to property line)

Street Setback (other than El Camino Real)

• Min. 5 feet • Max. 10 feet

Rear and Side Setbacks

• For buildings under 45 feet tall: min. 8 feet. For buildings over 45 feet tall: min. 15 feet

Stepbacks Stepbacks on Broadway, Magnolia and parcels adjacent to single family residential

• Min. 10 feet stepback above 35 feet height

Other Ground Floor Use

• Retail, restaurants, community gathering space, galleries, entertainment, commercial office, hotel lobbies

Interior Ground Floor Height

• Minimum 14 feet from finished floor to finished ceiling

Parking Location

• Structured parking must be on-parcel with and shall be wrapped with active uses • Surface parking lots shall not front on El Camino Real • Entrances to both structured and surface parking shall be prohibited on El Camino Real

Note: (a) Building heights shown are without exceptions for architectural features, mechanical units or rooftop amenities. Projects shall strictly comply with overall height limits and number of stories.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

5.15

DRAFT

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DRAFT

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

5.17

DRAFT Design Guidelines for Commercial Mixed Use Designation: • Buildings should maintain a consistent and well-articulated frontage along El Camino Real and Broadway, with primary building entrances located on these streets.

• At least 60 percent of the ground floor façade should be transparent to contribute to street activation. Where façades are not transparent, architectural features such as building entrances, porches, stoops, and bay windows should be used to activate the street.

• A frontage where a portion of the façade is set back to create an entry plaza or outdoor dining area is encouraged.

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The Residential Emphasis Mixed-use designation predominantly permits medium to high-density multi-family residential use such as town homes, stacked flats and senior housing. Other permitted uses are live-work units, co-working spaces, maker spaces, or community serving amenities. While most of this designation is within the North El Camino Real Neighborhood district, some parcels within the Community Anchor district and the Regional Anchor District have this designation to maintain compatibility with adjacent residential development.

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Buildings shall range from minimum 2 stories (25 feet) to 5 stories (55 feet) depending on the location of the development.

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Vertical mixed-use development is encouraged at key intersections, with ground floor uses such as cafes, neighborhood serving retail, community gathering space, galleries or service-oriented businesses.

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El Camino Real and D0.5 owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae Miles

5.19

DRAFT Development Standards The following development standards are applicable to buildings under the Residential Emphasis Mixed Use designation: Density/Intensity Building Height (a)

• Min. 25 feet • Max. 55 feet

Building Height Exception

• Corner building treatments may exceed maximum height requirements up to 5 feet

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• Max 1.0

Setbacks Street Setback (El Camino Real)

• Max. 6 feet

Street Setback (Broadway)

• 0 ft. (built-to-line)

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• Min. 5 feet • Max. 10 feet

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• Min 5 feet max 15 feet

Stepbacks Stepbacks on Broadway, Magnolia and parcels adjacent to single family residential

• Min. 5 ft stepback above 25 feet height

Other

5.20

Ground Floor Use

• Cafes, neighborhood serving retail, community gathering space, galleries, serviceoriented businesses

Interior Ground Floor Height

• Minimum 14 feet from finished floor to finished ceiling for retail use • Minimum 10 feet for residential use

Note:

Parking Location

• Structured parking must be on-parcel with and shall be wrapped with active uses • Surface parking lots shall not front on El Camino Real and Broadway where alternative street access is available • Entrances to both structured and surface parking shall be prohibited on El Camino Real and Broadway

(a) Building heights shown are without exceptions for architectural features, mechanical units, or rooftop amenities. Projects shall strictly comply with overall height limits and number of stories.

E l C amino Re al and Dow n t ow n Spe ci f i c Pl an , Ci t y o f Mi ll b ra e

DRAFT

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

5.22

E l C amino Re al and Dow n t ow n Spe ci f i c Pl an , Ci t y o f Mi ll b ra e

DRAFT Design Guidelines for Residential Emphasis Mixed Use Designation: • Buildings should maintain a consistent and well-articulated frontage along El Camino Real and Broadway, with primary building entrances located on these streets. Balconies and bay windows are encouraged.

• At least 60 percent of the ground floor façade should be transparent to contribute to street activation. Where façades are not transparent, architectural features such as building entrances, porches, stoops, and bay windows should be used, to activate the street.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

5.23

DRAFT Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use The Neighborhood Commercial Mixed-use designation allows small offices for serviceoriented businesses, along with retail, to strengthen its neighborhood serving function, within the Neighborhood Anchor district.

Buildings shall range from 2 stories (25 feet) to 3 stories (45 feet).

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DRAFT

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

Other Overarching Design Guidelines The design guidelines ensure that every future development project contributes to the overall vision, quality, and experience of the Specific Plan Area.

While there are design elements that are specific and distinctive to each land use designation, there are some elements that are relevant to the entire Plan Area. Buildings are a key element of the urban form, as they define and shape the outdoor spaces and create unique experiences as they interact with the public realm. Most memorable cities have buildings that achieve a harmonious balance of the following elements to create a rich visual experience.

Building Articulation: The building façades,

especially along primary circulation routes such as Broadway Avenue, Millbrae Avenue, and El Camino Real, shall be articulated to create a rhythm and variety to achieve a fine-grained urban fabric. This can be achieved with façade projections, recesses, windows, balconies and terraces, roof articulation, overhangs, and step backs.

Vertical Articulation: The ground floor should be distinguished from the upper floors with the use of minor projections, minor step-backs, architectural details, or variation in building materials and architectural features such as arcades, columns, and window designs.

Horizontal Articulation: Building façades that are more than 125 feet long should break the monotony with use of at least one massing break, architectural details, variation in building materials or architectural features such as entrances, porches, and stoops.

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E l C amino Re al and Dow n t ow n Spe ci f i c Pl an , Ci t y o f Mi ll b ra e

Building Corners: Building corners are important architectural elements that offer interesting visual cues in the experience of the built environment and can serve as landmark features. Therefore building corners at street intersections should be emphasized by incorporating prominent entrances, articulated window details, projections, and setbacks combined with increased building height and active interior use that animates the street outside.

DRAFT

Ground Floor Treatment: Building façades shall be appropriately transparent at the ground level for uses such as retail, commercial, or community uses to be visible from the street and activate the street.

Fenestration: Fenestration refers to the window patterns on a building façade. The windows should be well-proportioned to the building, well-detailed, varied in design, and recessed to achieve articulation of the façade for creating visual interest. They should also ensure adequate light and air to the building interiors.

Building Entrances: Entrances to buildings should be well-designed, appropriately-scaled, easy to find, and serve as a special architectural feature.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

Blank Façades: Blank walls without doors, windows, or other pedestrian-friendly features should be minimized. When they need to occur they should not be more than 25 feet long and should have visually interesting features such as murals, art installations, or landscape treatments.

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Canopies and Awnings: Canopies and awnings, on the ground floor should occur at regular intervals to identify shopfronts or mark entries and lobbies.

Canopies and awnings within a single block should be of consistent design and projection depth, and serve as an accent to the building design.

Porches, Stoops, and Bay Windows: Porches, stoops, overhangs, bay windows, and balconies are encouraged to animate the streetscape and provide human-scaled articulation to the building façade.

They should be integrated in the overall design of the building and landscape.

DRAFT

Building Materials: Materials should be high quality with textures and colors that further accentuate building design. Material changes should relate to building massing.

Signage: Signage should complement building design in the choice of materials, colors, scale, lettering, and lighting, and enhance the public realm.

Parking: Private parking must be on-parcel with entrances prohibited on primary streets. Podium or structured parking should be wrapped with active uses and not exposed to the street. Parking garage entrances should be designed to minimize visual disruption of the overall built environment, by recessing them from the main building line and tastefully integrating them in the overall building design.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

Land Use Regulations Table 4.1 indicates the land uses that are permitted, conditionally permitted, and prohibited within each land use designation. Other uses not identified in Table 4.1 that are deemed inconsistent with the spirit and intent of the land use designation shall be given consideration by the Community Development Director or will be deferred to the Planning Commission.

• Permitted (P) • Conditionally Permitted (C) • Not Allowed (—) • Permitted when part of a Mixed-use Building (*)

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Table 4.1: Permitted and Conditionally Permitted Land Uses Low Medium High Intensity Intensity Intensity Downtown Core Mixed Use Mixed Use Mixed Use Residential Single-family Detached Single-family Attached Duplexes Live/Work Units Multiple-Family Dwellings Public and Quasi-Public Uses Adult Education Community Centers1a Library Public Parks and Recreational Facilities1a Public Parking Structures Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station2 Eating and Drinking Establishments Restaurants Bars Commercial Services Banks and Financial Services Business Support Services Child Care Services1b Health and Exercise Clubs (no more than 3,000 square feet if on ground floor) Medical Offices Offices Personal Services Light Industrial Research and Development Facility (R&D)1c

— — — P P*

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DRAFT Table 4.1: Permitted and Conditionally Permitted Land Uses Low Medium High Intensity Intensity Intensity Downtown Core Mixed Use Mixed Use Mixed Use Retail Drive-In and Drive-Through Facilities — P Food and Beverage Sales (less than 15,000 sq. ft.)

Gas and Service Stations — Liquor Stores C Retail Sales P Other Commercial Uses Commercial Lodging C 1a C Conference Center Museum C Theater P Indoor Commercial Recreation P Transportation, Communication, and Utilities Uses Off-Site Construction Staging — Wireless Communications Facilities — Cogeneration Facility — Transit Facilities — 1d — Utility Services

— P* — C* P*

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— — — — —

Notes: Any use that requires a Conditional Use Permit (C) must go to the Planning Commission for approval.

An asterisk (*) indicates that the use is allowed only when it is part of a mixed-use building.

Projects within SFO Safety Compatibility Zones 1, 2, and 3 must comply with the ALUCP policies and criteria as described in Policy SP-2, Safety Compatibility Land Use Criteria; Table IV-2, Safety Compatibility Criteria; and Policy SP-3, Hazardous Uses (see pages IV-27 through IV-34 of the SFO ALUCP, November 2012, or the latest adopted ALUCP).

1a Theaters, meeting halls, conference centers, and other places of assembly seating more than 300 people are prohibited in SFO Safety Compatibility Zone 2.

1b Large child day care centers, which are commercial facilities defined in accordance with Health and Safety Code, Section 1596.70, et seq., and licensed to serve 15 or more children, are prohibited in SFO Safety Compatibility Zones 2 and 3.

1c Light Industrial facilities in Safety Compatibility Zone 2 of ALUCP shall not include hazardous uses as defined by the SFO ALUCP, Policy SP-3 on pages IV-33 and IV-34.

1d Utility services in Safety Compatibility Zones 1, 2, or 3 of ALUCP shall not include critical public utilities that, if disabled by an aircraft accident, could lead to public safety or health emergencies. These critical public utilities include electrical power generation plants, electrical substations, wastewater treatment plants, and public water treatment facilities.

2 Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations are not permitted as a primary use, but projects may integrate them with a public parking facility.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

6. Circulation and Parking This chapter describes circulation and parking within the Plan Area, with an emphasis on improvements to bicycle and pedestrian connectivity. This Specific Plan proposes improvements to El Camino Real and Broadway for enhancing the streetscape to create a pedestrian-oriented atmosphere that encourages multi-modal travel. This Specific Plan was developed alongside the Active Transportation Plan, which provides greater detail on improvements for citywide bicycle and pedestrian mobility.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

5.1

DRAFT

Roadway Network The recommended roadway network for the plan area is made up of three types of facilities. These facility types are shown in Figure 5.1 and are described below:

Regional Connector Streets Millbrae Avenue and El Camino Real both provide regional access and connections to and from the Plan Area. Millbrae Avenue provides connections to U.S. Highway 101 on the east side of the Plan Area and Interstate 280 to the west. El Camino Real links the Peninsula communities along the east side of San Mateo County, extending from Daly City to the north and San Jose to the south. These roadways are important regional travel corridors that need to balance a diversity of road users and land uses.

Designing these connectors to efficiently operate for motor vehicles and transit service while providing safe, convenient, and connected accommodations for walking, biking, and crossings is a key focus for these roadways.

Commercial Corridors Broadway and El Camino Real between Millbrae Avenue and Meadow Glen Avenue are the two primary commercial corridors within the Plan Area and the city of Millbrae, and are the heart of local

5.2

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economic and social activity. Additionally, these roadway corridors serve a broad range of users from drivers using El Camino Real for regional connections to pedestrians accessing shopping and services.

Under the Specific Plan, these two corridors have been identified for key streetscape enhancements to reorient the roadways from emphasizing motor vehicle operations to enhancing the walking and biking environment with improvements, including wider sidewalks, street trees, curb extensions, and sidewalk dining areas to provide a more appealing environment that invites people to walk, shop, and stay in these central districts of the city.

Local Roadways The majority of the roadways within the Plan Area primarily serve local traffic. These roadways are currently designed to encourage slow-moving traffic through short blocks and narrow lanes.

Some of these roadways, such as Magnolia Avenue and Hemlock Avenue, are recommended as key bikeway facilities. Aside from signing and striping improvements along these corridors to identify them as bike routes, these corridors will operate similarly to all other local roadways within the city.

Improvements to these roadways should be focused on maintenance, speed management, and enhancing the local character of the neighborhoods.

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As new transit-oriented development occurs on the west side of the Intermodal Station, these projects should accommodate the extension of California Drive to meet Victoria Avenue at El Camino Real and connect with Hemlock Avenue. Given the proximity to the Intermodal Station, the extension should be developed to provide SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL quality facilities for people walking, biking, driving, or AIRPORT taking transit to or from the Station Area.

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El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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5.3

DRAFT

Transit MTC and ABAG identified the Millbrae Priority Development Area for future growth based on its accessibility to the Intermodal Station and to highfrequency transit service along El Camino Real. As shown in Figure 5.2 (Transit Service), transit in the plan area is focused on El Camino Real and regional connections from U.S. Highway 101 and Old Bayshore Highway via Millbrae Avenue. Maintaining transit service along these two corridors is of primary importance.

In the case of El Camino Real, transit stop improvements should be considered in concert with the streetscape enhancements. These could include bus pull-outs and transit islands to reduce boarding and alighting times, as well as transit signal priority to ensure that buses along the El Camino Real and Millbrae Avenue corridors are given priority when waiting for a signal. Concurrent with the effort to improve the streetscape for pedestrians, providing improved bus stop waiting areas with shelters and benches will contribute to the sense of place along El Camino Real and make transit use more comfortable.

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E l C amino Re al and Dow n t ow n Spe ci f i c Pl an , Ci t y o f Mi ll b ra e

Sources (clockwise from top left): National Association of City Transportation Officials; City of West Sacramento; Austin Transportation Department; Green Lanes Project

DRAFT

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5.5

DRAFT

Design Concepts

Figure 6.3: Existing Conditions on El Camino Real

In line with the City’s 2040 General Plan and Active Transportation Plan, a number of design concepts have been developed for key street improvements within the Plan Area. These concepts focus on transforming the streets and crossings within the Plan Area to better support livable places and multimodal access. Each of these concepts is described below.

El Camino Real Corridor El Camino Real currently has three lanes in each direction with high traffic speeds and volume. The improvement concept for El Camino Real reflects the objectives of the Grand Boulevard Initiative, which focuses on making the corridor more comfortable for all road users from motorists and bus riders to bicyclists and pedestrians.

Figure 6.4: Proposed Improvements to El Camino Real

A key element of the Specific Plan is implementing comfortable bike routes for both experienced and novice bicyclists. For more experienced cyclists, a protected bike lane (Class IV facility) will replace existing underutilized curbside parking along El Camino Real and provide a higher-speed route, but will still require navigating a number of high-trafficvolume intersections.

Proposed improvements include a median refuge for pedestrians, a protected bike lane, wider sidewalks with pedestrian-oriented street lights, street trees, and other amenities.

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E l C amino Re al and Dow n t ow n Spe ci f i c Pl an , Ci t y o f Mi ll b ra e

DRAFT

Frontage Roads In addition to bicycle-oriented improvements, entrances and exits for frontage roads along the west side of El Camino Real should be reconfigured to allow for direct access to and from El Camino Real, rather than from side streets. This will make intersections safer by reducing the potential number of conflict points for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. It also allows for shorter crossing distances for pedestrians crossing El Camino Real, as the existing frontage road driveways are replaced with large curb extensions. Landscaping and other amenities can be added to provide a more comfortable walking and shopping environment.

Finally, this adjustment also allows for bus pullouts with transit islands to be provided along the corridor, allowing a comfortable and efficient place for passenger boarding and alighting. Throughout the corridor, wider sidewalks would be provided as new development occurs.

Figure 6.5: Existing Conditions on El Camino Real at Hillcrest

El Camino Real currently has three lanes in each direction of high traffic speeds and volume. This creates a significant barrier for bicyclists and pedestrians between the Intermodal Station and Downtown.

Figure 6.6: Proposed Improvements to El Camino Real at Hillcrest

Proposed intersection improvements shift frontage road entrances and exits to El Camino Real, reducing potential conflict points between vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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El Camino Real and Murchison Avenue The concept for the Murchison Avenue intersection focuses on improving safety for bicyclists by making left turns from the conceptual southbound and northbound El Camino Real separated bike lane to connect with California Drive or Magnolia Avenue via Murchison Avenue. More assertive cyclists can choose to use the left-turn lane with motor vehicles, while allowing other cyclists to make two-stage left turns using the bike boxes (see Figure 5.7). Intersection crossing markings have been added to indicate to motorists the presence of bicyclists and to guide bicyclists through the intersection. From a pedestrian perspective, the frontage road access points have been moved away from the intersection to clarify vehicle turn movements and reduce pedestrian crossing exposure through fewer and shorter crossing distances. Curb extensions surrounding nearby access points also increase the available sight distance to entering and exiting motor vehicles while also increasing bicyclist and pedestrian visibility.

Figure 6.7: El Camino Real and Murchison Avenue Concept

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DRAFT

El Camino Real and Hillcrest Avenue The Hillcrest Avenue concept is similar to the Murchison Avenue concept in that it seeks to clarify expected movements for all users at the intersection and increase overall visibility. The frontage road access points have been connected directly to El Camino Real ahead of and just after the intersection to avoid conflicting movements from the existing side street exits and entrances. Following the Murchison Avenue approach, bicycle and pedestrian crossings have been improved by shortening crossing distances, providing two-stage turns via bike boxes, and providing tracking markings through the intersection.

Figure 6.8: El Camino Real and Hillcrest Avenue Concept An example of a two-stage bike turn box and tracking markings through the intersection.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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El Camino Real and Park Place/Santa Inez Avenue The concept for the Park Place/Santa Inez Avenue intersection continues to emphasize the concepts used in the prior concept designs: shortened pedestrian crossings, tracking markings and twostage turn bike boxes for bicyclists, and improved pavement markings to clarify user movements.

The Park Place approach to the intersection has been straightened to slow approaching vehicles into the intersection and provide improved sightlines. A curbed median has been provided to allow for a pedestrian refuge island while also preventing approaching or entering vehicles from drifting onto the wrong side of the road because of the skewed approach.

Figure 6.9a: El Camino Real and Park Place/Santa Inez Avenue Concept – No Lane Reduction

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DRAFT An additional concept has also been developed that illustrates an improved separated bike lane concept with parallel parking added along the corridor via the reduction of one vehicle through lane in each direction (Figure 5.9b).

Figure 6.9b: El Camino Real and Park Place/Santa Inez Avenue Concept – With Lane Reduction

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT Figure 6.10: Existing Conditions on El Camino Real at Chadbourne and Linden Avenues

El Camino Real and Chadbourne Pedestrian Crossing The concept for the Chadbourne Avenue intersection addresses the desire of pedestrians for a more direct route to cross El Camino Real to and from the Intermodal Station via Linden Avenue. The improvement concept includes a two-stage Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon at Chadbourne Avenue to allow for a protected pedestrian crossing between Downtown and the Intermodal Station.

Figure 6.11:Proposed Improvements to El Camino Real at Chadbourne and Linden Avenues

The project would include reconstruction of the median island near Chadbourne Avenue to accommodate a pedestrian refuge for the two-stage crossing, and to extend the outer left-turn storage lane as needed for adequate storage for vehicles turning left at Millbrae Avenue. This project would require further study to understand design and operational impacts, as well as close coordination with Caltrans who owns and maintains the El Camino Real right-of-way.

Chadbourne Avenue is shown at lower left, Linden Avenue at upper right. In addition to a new pedestrian crossing at Chadbourne, the concept includes a pedestrian plaza connection to the Intermodal Station along Linden, and frontage streetscape improvements along El Camino Real.

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DRAFT

Figure 6.12: El Camino Real and Chadbourne Avenue Concept

An example of enhanced pedestrian crossing with beacon.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

Broadway

Figure 6.13: Existing Conditions on Broadway

The design concept for Broadway focuses on creating a more walkable environment and sense of place, with increased interaction between the stores and service-oriented businesses and people walking throughout the district. Recommendations include widening the existing sidewalk to create space for sidewalk dining, parklets, and landscaping. This enhanced streetscape would support a “park once” environment where drivers are more likely to walk rather than drive and repark their vehicles to visit multiple destinations.

Existing angled parking would need to be reconfigured to parallel parking to accommodate sidewalk widening, reducing the supply of onstreet parking. However, the experience of nearby Burlingame indicates that the effect of the tradeoff on local businesses will be very positive. The wider sidewalk allows for canopy street trees, pedestrianoriented lighting, a landscaped buffer to separate pedestrians and shoppers from the street, curb extensions to shorten crossing distances across side streets, and comfortable side-by-side or bi-directional pedestrian travel on the sidewalk. High visibility crosswalks, raised crossings, and other elements could be incorporated to emphasize the multi-modal and multi-purpose nature of the corridor.

Figure 6.14: Proposed Improvements to Broadway

Proposed improvements along Broadway include widened sidewalks, parallel parking, pedestrian-oriented street lights, canopy street trees, and other amenities.

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DRAFT Figure 6.15: Existing Conditions on Broadway

Figure 6.16 Proposed Improvements to Broadway

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT

East Millbrae Avenue Concept Millbrae Avenue is a key roadway linking Downtown with the Intermodal Station and the Bay Trail. The existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities along the corridor are limited. However, with incoming transit-oriented development, the City has the opportunity to remake the corridor into a central bicycle and pedestrian route.

Buffered bike lanes between El Camino Real and Rollins Avenue could be added to connect Downtown to the Intermodal Station by removing one vehicle lane in each direction. To the east, a two-way shared use path could be implemented to connect the Bay Trail to the Intermodal Station. Interchange ramp crossings should be shortened to reduce vehicle turning speeds and crossing distances for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Two-way separated bicycle lane.

(Photo credit: Paul Krueger)

Figure 5.17: Placeholder for Figure (East Millbrae Avenue)

Note to Staff: This entire concept depends on the approach the City wants to take with Millbrae Avenue.

We will update once it is confirmed

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DRAFT

7. Implementation While the preceding sections of the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan provide the regulatory framework for Millbrae to realize its vision for the city’s central districts, this section of the plan focuses on implementation measures. Implementation of this Specific Plan requires persistent action by numerous parties including residents, elected and appointed City officials, City staff, property owners, the development community, and other partners.

This section provides direction on specific actions to achieve the vision and policies of the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan. It also describes potential funding mechanisms and financing tools that could be used to implement needed improvements.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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The Software of Place Starting in the 1970s and for decades after, many communities took a “bricks and mortar” approach to downtown revitalization. We have learned that there are certain physical fundamentals to making downtowns work – attractive storefronts, wide sidewalks, shade and texture from landscape, and good lighting. This is what has become to be known as the “hardware” of place. The basic premise behind the bricks and mortar approach to revitalization is that with new and improved hardware, struggling business districts would be attractive again, gain renewed economic relevance, and attract new shoppers and workers.

The City is strategically developing the hardware of its commercial districts through this Specific Plan and the MSASP. This Specific Plan is a foundational step in this process because it establishes the allowable land uses and development standards to ensure projects within the Plan Area advance the community’s cohesive vision for the built environment.

Hardware is only part of the answer. Without an enduring, and well-funded commitment to “software,” the shiny newness of hardware will quickly fade and the revitalization will not be sustainable.

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In communities where success has evolved and grown over time, its because investments in hardware have been balanced with a corresponding mechanism to fund and continually update the “software.” Software includes such basics as ensuring the improvements are kept clean and patrons feel safe in the neighborhood. As foot traffic improves, there is a need to pick up trash more frequently and steam clean the sidewalks. Because public works departments in most communities cannot staff or supplement their downtown’s needs sufficiently, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have risen as a critical tool for revitalizing downtowns. BIDs bring the kind of focused and more intensive attention to the needs and unique issues of downtowns and main streets.

Successful BIDs evolve to go beyond the basics of “clean and safe.” Taking a cue from shopping malls and retail centers, BIDs step in to provide a holistic view of the retail mix, helping to strategize and find tenants that will be synergistic – rather than competitive – with existing businesses. They also take on the role of programming, funding, and operating events and campaigns that draw new patrons and build brand and identity for the downtown while keeping it fresh and interesting. Crowds attract crowds, and vibrant commercial districts require a

combination of active uses with engaging frontages and continual “foot traffic” – shoppers, people walking home or to work, and people eating at sidewalk cafes or strolling down the main street.

As demographics continue to shift, Millbrae is ideally positioned to have a great Downtown for young and old residents and visitors. It has incredible “bones” because of Broadway. The size of its buildings and storefronts, the walkable length and varied architecture of Downtown streets, provide a great platform for long-term success.

Street improvements made two decades ago have endured, providing a sense of identity without looking dated. Broadway already has much of the hardware needed for long-term success. However, the district lacks is an individual or entity that can curate the tenant mix, manage the cleanliness and sense of vitality of the street, and bring both vision and focus to the collective sum of all the businesses in Downtown. There is a need to fill the gaps in many of the existing storefronts or vacant lots. This cannot be done ad hoc. Many of the policies in this Specific Plan address infill and mixed-use development to fill the holes in the urban fabric. Additional policies begin to lay the groundwork for an entity that act as the “vision keeper” or “software developer” for Downtown Millbrae.

DRAFT

Implementation Measures Implementation of the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan will require action by several different City departments working in partnership with the community and private sector. Table 6.1 contains a summary of the actions, responsible department or public agency, and the timeframes for completion.

Table 6.1: Implementation Measures

City Department or Public Agency

Action

Timeframe

Planning Zoning and Financing Strategies 1. Zoning Ordinance Update Amend the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map for consistency with the land uses and development standards established in the 2040 General Plan and El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan.

Community Development

2019-2020

2. Study City-Owned Properties Conduct a study of opportunities for development of City-owned properties.

Community Development

2019-2020

3. Update Impact Fees Conduct a comprehensive update of development impact fees to ensure that new development pays its fair share of providing new public facilities and services and/or the costs necessary to improve or expand infrastructure to serve them, including street improvements, parks, water, wastewater, stormwater drainage, and other public services.

Community Development

2019-2020

4. Business Improvement District Work with Downtown business owners to encourage the formation of a Business Improvement District to evaluate, manage, and curate Downtown programming, improvements, and maintenance.

Community Development

2020-2023

Community 5. Public Benefits Program Development Conduct a study to evaluate the feasibility of a Public Benefits Program to require projects within the Specific Plan area to provide public benefits in exchange for project approval or building concessions, such as a greater height limits or density/intensity allowance. The study will consider the following public benefits: provision of new affordable and special needs housing, upgrades to City infrastructure, publicly-accessible parking, publicly-accessible open space or recreation centers, contributions to community facilities, and other types of improvements that improve quality of life and advance implementation of the Specific Plan.

2020-2023

Placemaking Strategies 6. Active Programming Endorse active programming and events in the Downtown, such as festivals, community races, parades, fairs, and block parties.

7. Branding and Wayfinding Program Develop a Branding and Wayfinding Program to establish the type and location of improvements, including wayfinding signage along El Camino Real and in Downtown and the Station Area, particularly at major intersections, that is geared toward all travel modes.

Community Development

Ongoing

2020-2023 Community Development; Public Works

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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DRAFT Table 6.1: Implementation Measures Action Streetscape, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Improvements 8. Coordination with Caltrans on Improvements to El Camino Real Work with Caltrans on pedestrian, bicycle, and streetscape improvements along El Camino Real including the following:

City Department or Public Agency

Timeframe

Public Works

2020-2023

Public Works

2020-2023

Pedestrian Crossings Coordinate with Caltrans to improve pedestrian crossings on El Camino Real consistent with the Circulation Concept (Figure -2). These pedestrian crossings include: • Multi-lane uncontrolled crossing enhancements: • El Camino Real & Chadbourne Avenue • El Camino Real & Santa Helena Avenue • Signalized intersection crossing improvements: • El Camino Real & Hillcrest Avenue • El Camino Real & Millwood Avenue • El Camino Real & Santa Inez Avenue • El Camino Real & Silva Avenue • El Camino Real & Victoria Avenue • El Camino Real & Murchison Avenue Class IV Bicycle Lane Coordinate with Caltrans and neighboring jurisdictions to develop a separated bicycle lane (Class IV facility) by replacing existing underutilized curbside parking and reconfiguring the existing frontage roads along El Camino Real.

Landscaping and Other Streetscape Improvements Coordinate with Caltrans to provide improvements that enhance the public realm along El Camino Real, including landscaping, canopy street trees, sidewalk furniture, and pedestrian-oriented lighting.

9. Bicycle Routes on Magnolia and Hemlocks Avenues Install shared bicycle routes (Class III facilities) along the entire stretch of Magnolia and Hemlock Avenues within City limits.

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DRAFT Table 6.1: Implementation Measures Action 10. Frontage Road Improvements Reconfigure entrances and exits for frontage roads along the west side of El Camino Real to allow for direct access to and from El Camino Real, rather than from side streets.

City Department or Timeframe Public Agency Public Works 2020-2023

11. Parallel Parking and Widen Sidewalks on Broadway Redesign Broadway to have parallel parking and widened sidewalks that create space for sidewalk dining, parklets, canopy street trees, pedestrian-oriented lighting, and landscaping.

Public Works

2023-2030

12. ADA Accessible Network Conduct a study to identify barriers and plan improvements to address accessibility for persons with disabilities between the Intermodal Station, El Camino Real, and Downtown, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Public Works

2020-2023

13. Bus Stops Coordinate with SamTrans to improve bus stops along El Camino Real to provide each stop with an attractive shelter and trash receptacle.

Public Works

2020-2023

Recreation—Parks Department

2020-2023

Parking TBD (Based on Parking Study) Parks and Public Spaces 14. Downtown Park Develop a Downtown park that offers the community a smaller, more intimate space for social gathering.

15. Parklet Program Add at least one new parklet along Broadway in Downtown as part of the widening of sidewalks on Broadway.

2020-2023 Community Development; Public Works Community 2023-2030 16. Expand Outdoor Seating Downtown Work with the business community to expand outdoor seating options Downtown following the widening of sidewalks Development on Broadway.

17. Activate Alley Explore options for improving the alley between Broadway and El Camino Real from Taylor Boulevard to Victoria Avenue. Consider implementing the following improvements: alley name, wayfinding signage, pavement improvements, landscaping, lighting, and public art.

Community Development

2023-2030

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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Potential Funding Sources and Financing Mechanisms There are a variety of mechanisms used to fund capital improvements. This section describes potential approaches to funding necessary public improvements identified in this Specific Plan. In some cases multiple sources may be needed to pay for specific projects.

General Fund General Fund revenues include property tax, sales tax, transient occupancy tax, and other revenues that are primarily used to pay for ongoing municipal services and operations. There are no restrictions on the types of capital projects that can be funded with General Fund revenues.

Development Impact Fees The City of Millbrae collects impact fees to cover the cost of processing development requests and providing public facilities and services to new development. The fees are used to fund the cost of roadways, intersections, public buildings, public safety improvements, water and sewer infrastructure, and parks. The Millbrae School District also collects a school impact fee.

Developer Contributions As a condition of project approval, the City can require developers to directly fund the construction of public improvements because the project will

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affect existing residents and increase the demand on existing public infrastructure. The City can also offer project concessions, such as increased densities or height limits, in exchange for developments that contribute a community benefit.

Special Assessment Districts Individuals and businesses can cooperate to create special assessment districts in which they tax themselves or collect fees in order to fund specific benefits, such as landscaping, infrastructure improvements, and parking facilities.

Mello-Roos Community Facilities District. A Mello-Roos Community Facilities District (CFD) is a financing tool that can be used by the City or through creation of a special district to raise money. The CFD requires two-thirds of voter approval to assess a special tax on property owners within the district to fund infrastructure improvements and services within the district. The CFD secures the taxes through a continuing lien, which is levied annually against the property owners within the district.

Business Improvement District (BID). Business owners can create a business improvement district (BID). BIDs are a community development tool, in which its members self-impose an additional tax to fund projects within the district’s boundaries.

The BID would establish district boundaries and assess funding to address a range of issues including streetscape improvements, litter, and programming as decided upon collectively by members of the BID. The BID can develop a financing strategy, such as assessing a tax on members based on parcel size or a flat per parcel basis. The BID can hire staff members and establish an advisory board with leaders from key businesses, developers, elected and appointed City officials, and members of the community.

The Millbrae City Council demonstrated support of a Downtown BID by adopting a Resolution in 2014 to support business owners in forming the BID. The Downtown BID can address numerous issues including maintain cleanliness of downtown public spaces, investing in improvements that contribute to the district’s sense of place such as sidewalk furniture and public art, and hosting festivals or events to draw patrons to the area to support businesses, invoke civic pride, and cultivate the area’s sense of place.

DRAFT Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD). On January 1, 2015, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 628 Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EIFDs) into law, which allows for a separate government entity to be created by a city or county within a defined area to finance infrastructure projects with community-wide benefits. When formed through a Joint Powers Authority (JPA), an EIFD can be established without voter approval. However, voter approval is needed to issue bonds. EIFDs can finance public infrastructure projects, as well as private child care centers, affordable housing and parking facilities. The primary source of funding for an EIFD is property tax increment, meaning that the local government would need to agree to forego future property taxes that would otherwise go to the General Fund.

Landscaping and Lighting District. Local governments may form a Landscaping and Lighting District to finance elements such as the landscaping and lighting public areas (e.g. parks and plazas). As a form of benefit assessment, it is based on the concept of assessing only those properties that benefit from improvements financed, either directly, or indirectly through increased property values.

Parking District and In-Lieu Fee. Local governments may form a special district to finance parkingrelated activities, including acquisition of land for parking facilities, construction of parking lots and

garages, funding of operating costs, and issuance of bonds to fund similar activities. The majority of affected property owners must vote in favor of the district formation. A possible approach to funding is imposition of an in-lieu fee, whereby developers pay the fee instead of providing on-site parking, thereby reducing the cost of development and potentially increasing the efficient use of development sites.

One Bay Area Grant Program The One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) Program provides grants for local streets and roads preservation, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and streetscape improvements. At least 70 percent of OBAG funds must be spent in Priority Development Areas (PDAs); as a PDA, the El Camino Real and Downtown Specific Plan Area would be eligible for this funding. The City/ County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) administers the OBAG capital grant program in San Mateo County.

Other Transportation Grant Programs In addition to the OBAG Program, State and regional agencies periodically offer other competitive grants for pedestrian, bicycle, streetscape, road, and other transportation-related improvements. These programs change over time depending on funding availability. Recent examples include the California

Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) Safe Routes to School program; the Transportation Fund for Clean Air program, administered jointly by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and C/ CAG; the San Mateo County Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and Smart Corridors Program, administered by C/CAG; and the San Mateo County Measure A Bicycle and Pedestrian Program: Grants for bicycle and pedestrian facilities in San Mateo County, administered by San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA).

Other Funds Other funds include the State gas tax and San Mateo County’s $10 Vehicle Registration Fee (Measure M), a portion of which is allocated based on population and road miles to cities and the County of San Mateo and can be used for congestion mitigation and stormwater pollution mitigation programs, including projects such as road restriping, signal timing/coordination, signage, and street runoff treatment. Most local governments use state gas tax funds for ongoing street maintenance, which may limit the availability of these funds for major capital improvements.

El Camino Real and D owntown S p ecif ic Plan, City of Millbrae

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