THE MILLBRAE PLANNING GUIDE
See the plans behind the changing city.
Millbrae’s future is shaped by several overlapping documents—not one magic map. The General Plan sets the long view; specific plans focus the station and downtown; the Housing Element addresses housing policy; project review turns policy into individual decisions.
How to read this: A plan is a policy framework, not an automatic project approval. Current applications, hearings, conditions, and adopted decisions belong to the City’s planning and public-meeting records.
Four documents, four jobs
The planning stack in plain language.
The City’s Plans & Policies page is the maintained index for official versions and related documents.
MILLBRAE 2040 GENERAL PLAN
The citywide long view.
Adopted in 2022, the General Plan guides decisions, rules, and standards for development and city improvements through 2040. It covers land use, mobility, economic development, recreation, arts and culture, natural resources, and health and safety.
Open the General Plan ↗STATION AREA SPECIFIC PLAN
The transit-oriented district.
The MSASP guides public improvements and private development around the BART/Caltrain station. The City describes it as a framework for a compact, walkable, mixed-use economic center connected to regional transit and SFO.
Open the Station Area plan ↗DOWNTOWN & EL CAMINO REAL
The commercial and cultural spine.
Adopted in 2022, this specific plan sets a vision and development framework for downtown and the El Camino Real corridor, including mixed-use centers, housing, restaurants, retail, hotels, offices, and public life.
Read the adopted plan PDF ↗2023–2031 HOUSING ELEMENT
The housing policy and compliance layer.
The City’s Housing Element was adopted in February 2024 and certified by California HCD in March 2024. It identifies housing goals, programs, constraints, and sites suitable for housing; it is not itself an approval or guarantee that a project will be built.
Open the certified Housing Element ↗Why the station matters
Transit is infrastructure—and a land-use story.
Millbrae Station is a rare Peninsula interchange where BART, Caltrain, SamTrans, corporate shuttles, and SFO access meet. Planning documents treat the surrounding area as a place where mobility, housing, employment, retail, public space, and infrastructure have to be considered together.
The station links Millbrae to San Francisco, the South Bay, the wider Bay Area, and the airport.
The Station Area plan’s intent is a compact, mixed-use area that connects the station to downtown rather than functioning only as a parking and transfer point.
Specific plans establish standards and direction; individual development applications still require review, public notice, environmental analysis when applicable, and decisions by the appropriate body.
A practical research path
How to understand a proposed change.
Each step answers a different question. Do not treat a concept illustration as an adopted decision.
Official indexes: Plans & Policies · Planning Division · Environmental Review.
Keep exploring
Planning connects history, transit, housing, and neighborhoods.
Read the station guide for daily movement, neighborhoods for place-based orientation, how city government works for decision-making, and the civic desk for live public meetings and updates.
