Millbrae News

Nicholas Mazzoni Daily Journal staff   Nov 21, 2022 After working for nine years on its general plan, Millbrae’s City Council pushed back its approval until it reflects information regarding airport noise, environmental issues, building height limits and grade separations that some said if left out could negatively affect future grant opportunities and the health of residents. The general plan  was last adopted in 1998, with amendments related to housing and circulation in 2006, 2009, 2103 and 2015. It is required to be updated regularly to comply with changing state law. It includes land use, circulation, housing, economic development, noise, safety and recreation and arts. The plan was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission in October, however, when it reached City Council for further review multiple councilmembers felt like it was missing vital information. Councilmember Ann Schneider raised concerns that noise mitigation coming from San Francisco International Air...

Public health a concern, city continues study on unregulated materials Nicholas Mazzoni Daily Journal Staff October 22, 2022 Artificial turf will be illegal to install in Millbrae for another year as the City Council awaits the results of a study regarding public health, specifically toxicity and water runoff. While the landscape material is often viewed as a low-water and low-maintenance alternative to real grass, the council approved a moratorium in October 2021 out of concern  its use was causing more harm than good. The council reapproved the moratorium in December 2021. The study was launched in September 2021. The ban comes amid a statewide drought leading many residents to seek alternate yard treatments that require less water. But according to numerous studies and an ongoing study by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment identified that artificial turf and synthetic grass contain a wide range of chemicals, depending on their source materials. Those...