Beekeeping ban lifted in Foster City

“I’m hopeful that my fellow councilmembers will be supporting this effort moving forward and will take that barrier from having Foster City residents be beekeepers,” Hindi said.

At its Aug. 16 meeting, Foster City voted 4-0 to introduce an ordinance deleting the subsection, with Councilmember Jon Froomin absent. The current municipal code under 6.04.320 makes it unlawful to keep bees in the city, with the rule adopted in 2005. In light of new threats to pollinator populations in North America and more backyard beekeeping best practices information available, the City Council discussed a proposed amendment to the ordinance. The new ordinance means there are no hive limitation, distance requirements or permits required. Bee populations have been in decline worldwide due to a combination of pollution, pesticides and climate change.

City staff proposed lifting the restriction and then doing more analysis and evaluation of what types should be in place rather than arbitrarily imposing restrictions. The city plans to monitor beekeeping for any safety concerns around stings and bee venom allergies, with the ability to revisit permitting or a regulatory process next year.

Joe O’Brien has owned a home in Foster City for 43 years and spent over 30 years as a beekeeper. However, he cannot keep bees due to the ban. He and his wife, Bonnie O’Brien, keep bees and have made it one of their lifelong hobbies. He keeps a beehive at his sister-in-law’s place in Hillsborough. O’Brien is part of The Beekeepers’ Guild of San Mateo County, a group educating beekeepers and the public and part of the push to remove the ban. He noted his daughter and granddaughters are involved in beekeeping, and his young granddaughters have no fear of interacting with bees despite being children.

“We have discovered over the years that kids really get it. They really understand the importance of pollinators,” Joe O’Brien said.

Bonnie O’Brien works with the local school district to talk with kids about honey bees and to teach them not to be afraid of the essential pollinators. One of her most important lessons is that hornets and yellowjackets are not honey bees.

“Honey bees like the nectar, the sweet stuff, but the yellowjackets and the wasps and the hornets are meat-eaters. They eat your hot dog, hamburger and you because they bite,” Bonnie O’Brien said.

Vice Mayor Richa Awasthi supported allowing beekeeping, and she asked due diligence questions about potential restrictions or issues that might come up in the future.

“I’m very thankful for all the speakers that are here in person and on Zoom. So we have definitely heard the positives, and I’m not opposed to it. I’m supportive,” Awasthi said.

Mayor Sanjay Gehani thanked avid beekeeper Ray Larios, also a Burlingame planning commissioner, for his efforts to bring the issue to the attention of the Foster City Council.

“To me, it’s pretty straightforward as far as what we are doing tonight. To pass this ordinance on to a second reading I think is long overdue,” Gehani said.

Councilmember Patrick Sullivan also supported the change.

“Birds do it, why not bees,” Sullivan said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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