The most recent effort to establish a community benefit district in Millbrae proved itself short-lived at a City Council meeting April 22, as councilmembers scrapped plans to fund sidewalks, safety and cleanliness via assessments on downtown property owners.
Anders Fung
Evolving federal trade policies and tariffs have created economic uncertainty across the globe, including for Millbrae businesses, Mayor Anders Fung said, noting the city’s reliance on travelers from the nearby San Francisco International Airport could also be negatively impacted.
“We want to ensure this will be a benefit to our downtown property owners, to our downtown businesses, and during a time of uncertainty, I think it just makes sense for us — it’s important for us — to be responsible and make this decision at the pace it needs to be made,” he said.
The additional financial burden of an assessment to facilitate downtown vitality would weigh most heavily on the city’s largest property owners, including hoteliers, housing developer Republic Urban and Millbrae itself.
“We need to make sure the economy is on strong footing and Pacific Rim trade is as vibrant as they need to be so that these hotels can benefit from a community benefit district assessment moving forward, rather than becoming a stress for them,” Fung said.
Previous city plans would have sent out petitions to property owners within the proposed community benefit district. If 30% of those property owners had submitted a petition, the City Council would have then been able to send out ballots for a formal vote and, if the vote passed, a board of directors composed of property owners could then be established to manage approximately $742,492 in assessments each year.
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Though the city is no longer moving forward with the plan at this time, Vice Mayor Reuben Holober assured residents that Millbrae is still supportive of the concept to fund additional sidewalks, safety and cleanliness services to revitalize downtown.
“It’s not ending the idea,” he said. “Myself and, I think, others on the council are still supportive of pursuing this, but at this time I think we are putting it on pause.”
The choice to indefinitely pause plans for such a district, which has long been a purported council goal, was met with frustration by former Mayor Ann Schneider, who spoke at public comment.
“We are in a time that is uniquely bad, but in my nine years, we went through several uniquely bad times. I hope, again, you do not delay this,” she said. “Some of you seemed to listen to a handful of people who don't want to see change and don't want to spend money.”
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