Foster City seeks housing element community feedback

Foster City is updating its 2023-2031 Housing Element to accommodate a large increase in state-mandated housing units it must plan for, which has worried both the city and residents. A housing element lays out how Foster City will grow and develop and requires certification by the state. It includes a review of housing policies, housing goals for the city, and analysis of sites that can accommodate new housing at various income levels to meet the city’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment, or RHNA. The city’s state-mandated RHNA number this cycle is 1,896 units. The city held multiple workshops on the topics at the end of September and has engaged in a community engagement strategy to inform the public. The council is looking at land use options and potential changes to meet state housing requirements.

“Some of the things which we have heard is a lot of community members said we need to be looking at holistic solutions if we have to discuss the future and housing and how we can accommodate the state-mandated RHNA,” Community Development Director Marlene Subhashini said. “This is something we heard across the board across all the discussions.”

Subhashini said Foster City’s next step is to identify sites that can accommodate the future RHNA allocation. The first step would be looking at current zoning areas in its housing element and general plan to see what can accommodate the 1,896 units. It is unlikely to be sufficient, with the city looking at other options.

Gehani believed the city needed more community input and asked staff to consider working with the consultant to identify different engagement methods with the community. He noted communication was a challenge in other areas, not just housing.

“We are having a tough time at City Hall here getting more knowledge transferred and raising that awareness,” Gehani said.

Councilmember Sam Hindi praised the workshops for providing input and feedback, which the council wanted. While there were public comments or worries about getting rid of parks for housing or any other use, he stressed repurposing parks was never an option or discussion of the council.

“To my knowledge, this council has never discussed talking about converting our parks to any other use, whether it be housing or anything else. We have not discussed this in the past. We have not directed staff to even explore anything about our parks, in addition to the restrictions we have,” Hindi said.

Vice Mayor Richa Awasthi noted that land use designation projections do not allow for housing built on Foster City parks, protecting it from zoning changes. She stressed how vital community engagement was to keep up to date on the housing process to ensure more informed conversations and decision-making. She said the real problem was informing the community and getting them closer to the facts.

“There is misinformation, lack of information, limited understanding and people jump to conclusions, and so the decision-making and the job of city and staff becomes harder,” Awasthi said.

As the city plans its housing element update, it plans to start community engagement and discussion on the city-owned Mariners Point Golf Course and its future toward the end of the first quarter of 2022. The council in July committed to more public input following community outcry over discussions if it should be declared surplus land or be made exempt. It decided to work with a consultant to conduct environmental site constraints on the golf course site. It also suspended its survey on the golf course site until meaningful community engagement occurred. The debate about potential changes to the golf course has upset residents and users determined to save it. The lease renewal start date for the golf course is Jan. 1, 2022, for two years, until Dec. 31, 2023. Foster City has an option to extend the lease for a third year until the end of 2024.

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