Foster City was once an island

After searching Central California for a desirable spot, Foster discovered Brewer's Island in San Mateo County. The island had been used as a dairy farm by a man named Frank M. Brewer since before 1890. Hay was grown there, possibly for feeding the cows. It had three or four sloughs and was very marshy. It had protective levees since those early days and was attached to the Peninsula by a drawbridge. The west end of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge was anchored nearby.

Foster saw the potential of a city with easy access to highways and the entire Bay Area. A few engineering problems were involved in creating a city out of 2,600 acres of mud. Drainage was the major concern, and the design had to be made to withstand major storms and earthquakes. A key to Foster City today is the esthetic appeal of a town built around lagoons. Those lagoons are an integral part of the system that controls the water.

The homes were intended to be of diverse types, so different builders were used for each neighborhood. Buildings were to include some custom homes, single family homes, townhouses and apartments. Nine elementary schools, two intermediate schools and one high school were planned. Each of nine neighborhoods was to be self contained with a school and connected by walkways and parks. In fact, 230 acres were set aside for recreational use as parks and lagoons. Churches were to occupy 40 acres reserved for them. Land at the edge of the community was for commercial and industrial use. For various reasons, not all of these original plans became reality. No project is ever completed without changes.

Foster was ahead of his time. Foster City in many ways resembles the "transit-oriented villages" now making their appearances around the Bay Area.

For the first 10 years, the community was essentially run by the Foster family. Then, in 1971, Foster City incorporated and officially adopted that name. The alternative name, "Brewer's Island," was the second choice.

After over 30 years, Foster City shows that the early planning was not in vain. It is clean and well maintained. Around 29,000 people now call it home. It is nice and efficient even though it has no quaint old "historic" district. It does have canoes and small sailboats, but the more objectionable jet skis and motor boats are prohibited. There are 20 parks and "pooper scooper" laws help keep them tidy. A Bayside trail encourages walking, running and biking.

Around 600 businesses are located in Foster City. Office parks cluster around the State Route 92 corridor, and the biotech industry is a notable presence. Alongside the San Mateo Bridge approach, the 22-story Metro Center helps to mark Foster City's presence on the Bay.

Rediscovering the Peninsula appears in the Monday edition of the Daily Journal. For more information on this or related topics, visit the San Mateo County History Museum, 777 Hamilton St., Redwood City.