Buzz over Foster City beekeeping ban

Despite his love for bees, he and his wife are not allowed to keep them, as Foster City has an ordinance that makes it unlawful. Due to the ban, he keeps a beehive at his sister-in-law’s place in Hillsborough. He believes a change would help the environment and agriculture in backyard gardens throughout Foster City, including bringing personal happiness.

“We are looking forward to the day that the bees return to Foster City,” O’Brien said.

According to O’Brien, residents began growing vegetables, increasing interest in backyard gardening. However, gardens need pollinators like honeybees.

“If you look at Foster City, people love their gardens. It will help the trees, flowers and crops,” O’Brien said.

The Beekeepers’ Guild of San Mateo County, a group that educates beekeepers and the public, argues honeybees play a critical role in the environment and agriculture production, pollinating more than 100 fruit and vegetables. O’Brien said as bees are struggling to survive, he and others are trying to restore a species to the environment. He noted there are many pathogens and viruses nowadays, and if it weren’t for hobby beekeepers, there would be no bees in the area.

“It’s restoring a natural pollinator back to Foster City. It’s just one more link in the ecology of Foster City,” O’Brien said.

Ray Larios is a member of the Burlingame Planning Commission and part of the Beekeepers’ Guild of San Mateo County. He joined to fulfill a childhood dream of being a beekeeper. He has two apiaries in his backyard, which produce honey for his friends and family. Late spring to summer is the optimal time to produce honey for microclimates of Burlingame and San Mateo. Winter is best for the coast. He touted honeybees as critical to help people pollinate vegetable gardens.

“Beekeeping brings a sense of community and at the same time brings economic empowerment for people who want to make and sell their own food,” Larios said.

Larios has been part of changing ordinances in other San Mateo County cities, like Pacifica. The Beekeepers’ Guild keeps updated information on which cities have bans and restrictions. Larios noted Foster City is the last holdout in the Peninsula with an outright ban.

“We want to allow beekeeping in Foster City since it is the very last city left in the Peninsula,” Larios said.

O’Brien is encouraged by the City Council’s progress and hopes everything goes well. If the ban is lifted, he will only get one hive in his backyard. Instead, he would focus on mentoring and teaching people in Foster City about where to put hives to be courteous of neighbors and avoid creating problems. He noted there were several techniques to prevent them from bothering neighbors. He has many younger family members interested in bees and hopes to pass on his knowledge to others in Foster City.

“That’s how I would help the city of Foster City, is advise people how to do it,” O’Brien said.

At its June 7 meeting, the council voted 4-1 to place a beekeeping ordinance on an upcoming agenda for consideration, with Councilmember Jon Froomin voting no.

Froomin pulled the item from the consent calendar for discussion, citing concerns the city didn’t produce food through agriculture in Foster City, one of the suggested benefits of bees in the city.

“I am at a loss for the benefit of a local community like ours necessitating a change in our beekeeping ordinance,” Froomin said.

Councilmember Patrick Sullivan favored moving forward with putting an ordinance on the agenda, saying he didn’t want to waste staff and council time.

“I think we should move forward with it, but that’s just my opinion,” Sullivan said.

City Manager Peter Pirnejad said it would take eight hours of staff work to create the ordinance, which doesn’t include calculations for community engagement. He noted extremely low staffing levels in the city manager’s office could affect when an ordinance could be put on the agenda.

“Once we are at full capacity, we would bring this on an available agenda. Our thought would be closer to the end of the year, probably September anyway,” Pirnejad said.

Councilmember Sam Hindi, who put the item on the city’s agenda, asked an item be brought forward as soon as staff could, saying the sooner, the better.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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