Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 12

85 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 MI LLBRAE , CAL I FORNI A transportation network, Millbrae truly is as the intersection of conveyance, providing easy and direct access to the San Francisco and South Bay region by rail and freeway, as well as foreign and domestic destinations via the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). “Geographically, we are a key municipality in the success of the Bay Area,” acknowledges City Manager Tom Williams. “We have the largest intermodal transit terminal west of the Mississippi that serves Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Caltrain. And, of course, there’s our proximity to SFO. Our area is so ideally suited that you can work in San Francisco, you can work in Silicon Valley, San Jose. You can work in the East Bay over in Oakland, or right here in San Mateo County.” It’s true that Millbrae trades on its location in a big way. Its scenic setting, cradled amidst hills that separate the Pacific Ocean from the San Francisco Bay, promises even more qualities that make it a uniquely charming place to live. “It’s not just the great weather and the great connectivity,” offers Community Development Director Darcy Smith. “We have a lot of interest in housing development here because we have really excellent schools, parks, and trails. Those are important factors in the decision about where to live but also where to work, because when you work, you like to get out in the fresh air. We also have a sizeable daytime population that frequents our downtown restaurants and uses our recreation facilities.” She adds that the new Millbrae Recreation Center, scheduled to open in Spring 2022, was sized to accommodate growth in the city’s workforce, and they just opened their Fitness Court. The roughly 0.2-square-mile area surrounding the BART and Caltrain station is being envisioned as a hub of daytime and evening activity. New housing, hotels, and office space are