San Mateo County buys property for Pride Center, sobering station: Burlingame site could be considered for Horizon's treatment center over proposed San Mateo location

The property of more than 2 acres at 818-828 Mahler Road was the former site of First Chance, a 14-bed sobering center operated by since-closed nonprofit StarVista. To County Executive Mike Callagy, getting a sobering station up and running again as soon as possible is critical. 

Since First Chance closed, individuals who get arrested for driving under the influence are brought to county jail, rather than a station that promotes wellness and provides offenders with resources and opportunities to rehabilitate. 

“The thing about going to the main jail is you don’t get the services, you don’t get the information [Alcoholics Anonymous], or other programs available that they may utilize to deal with substance abuse or substance issues,” Callagy said. 

It costs double the amount to house a DUI offender in a county correctional facility than a sobering center.

“There’s a monetary cost, but it’s really about the human cost,” Callagy said. 

The site’s former use also flagged the property as apt to house a controversially planned treatment facility, Horizon Recovery Center, operated by nonprofit Horizon Treatment Services. 

The recovery center, which would include a sobering station, residential treatment services and detox beds, was proposed at 101 N. El Camino Real in San Mateo, but garnered noteworthy opposition from residents who felt the facility and its clients would negatively affect the neighborhood.

Shortly after tensions exploded, the county considered purchasing the Mahler Road property, and vaguely proposing it as an alternative site for Horizon’s facility. There has been no commitment from the nonprofit of moving its facility. 

Regardless if Horizon looks to relocate its development proposal to the Burlingame location from the hotly contested San Mateo one, the location will still work well for a sobering center and the county will look to other providers if necessary, Callagy said. 

Supervisor Ray Mueller said it’s “not a bad thing” to purchase a space at a discount that will allow for creative utilization. 

“Irrespective of what the future may hold with respect to Horizon, I think it’s a good purchase and gives us the flexibility to do some amazing things for the community,” Mueller said. 

Supervisor Jackie Speier said she hopes Horizon considers the move, believing the proposed location in San Mateo is a “bad site for a lot of reasons.” 

“I thought this had great value for Horizon, they seem disinclined to look positively on it at all, and I regret that they have taken that kind of approach,” Speier said. 

Still, the purchase of the site is worthwhile, Speier said, describing it as a valuable asset that can be used in innovative ways. 

Board President Noelia Corzo expressed her appreciation for Horizon’s difficult choice it must make in coming weeks. She said purchasing the site gives the provider an option, but could be useful for the county either way. 

“I think it’s our responsibility to not throw a nonprofit, that provides really necessary and difficult services to very vulnerable people, under the bus,” Corzo said. “If you were considering buying a home and then you had to rethink that within a couple of weeks, it wouldn’t be a decision that you make likely and that you would commit to quickly.” 

Beyond a sobering station, the location was also proposed to house the county’s Pride Center, which, since August 2025, does not have office space or permanent location after StarVista’s closure. 

Representatives from the Pride Center toured the facility Monday and expressed interest in moving in as soon as possible to return services back in person, Callagy said. 

Other ideas for the space were proposed at a whim by supervisors and Callagy, including proposals for an arts community hub, housing for first-responders, an administrative county building or short-term homes for nonprofits. 

Corzo agreed to purchase the site, but noted that the purchasing process was abnormal. Typically when the county looks to buy a property, there is significant planning, relevant departments provide input and their plans to move in, and calculations are done, Corzo said.

“Objectively, it can be a good investment,” Corzo said. “I’m just naming that we don’t have those plans in place like we would have otherwise.” 

The $13 million will be sourced from the interest the county has accumulated on the sale of the old Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, originally sold for $80 million, Callagy said. The county has earned approximately $40 million in interest on the sale, he said.