San Mateo County pauses Foster City Human Services site purchase

The county’s Human Services Agency currently operates out of 550 Quarry Road in San Carlos and provides vocational rehabilitation services for county residents with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

For the last three years, the Human Services Agency has looked to relocate, and the county was eyeing a property located at 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd. in Foster City, through a purchase for $29 million.

Although board President Noelia Corzo said “it’s clear that the county needs to purchase this site,” she pulled the item to be considered at a later date, shortly after a Foster City Councilmember raised concerns during public comment.

“Those programs are wonderful programs. This has nothing to do with the programs. It has to do with the site,” Foster City Councilmember Suzy Niederhofer said, speaking on her own behalf. “I don’t believe the site in Foster City is the appropriate site to host these programs.”

Niederhofer said during public comment that the site’s proximity to the city’s civic center, library and community center makes it inappropriate to house the county’s Human Services Agency. She also raised concerns about traffic congestion on major streets and said the site would be more apt for future housing developments.

“I would like to think that the Board of Supervisors work in partnership with the cities in San Mateo County and look for properties that are a good fit for both the county and the city being impacted,” Niederhofer said.

A more industrial area of Foster City would be better suited to house the Human Services Agency, Niederhofer said.

With the new work requirements that Medi-Cal and CalFresh recipients are being held to, the property purchase could allow the county to “help people better meet those requirements,” Corzo said.

Still, Corzo said she chose to delay the purchase consideration in order to meet with the Foster City Council and answer any questions councilmembers and city staff may have.

“There’s starting to be some misinformation and opposition for this purchase and this site, but I feel really confident it could be a win-win in the long run,” Corzo said.

The disconnect between the city and county echoes a similar dynamic the county has recently gone through with the city of San Mateo over a controversially planned treatment facility initially proposed at 101 N. El Camino Real. The proposal garnered noteworthy opposition from residents and tensions exploded, leading the county to pivot and consider purchasing a separate property for $13 million as a possible alternative.

Corzo said her choice to stall the purchase in Foster City was made in hopes that the city and county can address any concerns or issues before a decision is made.

“I feel hopeful the outcome will be different, that we can get to a win-win and have this not be another divisive issue in the community,” Corzo said. “I care about Foster City, I care about San Mateo, I care about my district, so I pulled it to make sure we can slow down a little bit and have the right information.”

Although the Foster City site acquisition was placed on hold, the Board of Supervisors did proceed with two other property purchases, continuing the county’s efforts to get out of rental leases and acquire more property throughout the county to save costs.

The first property was a purchase for two vacant parcels on Carlos Street in Moss Beach for $500,000 which will allow for the county to improve transportation safety and operations near Cypress Point, a 71-unit affordable housing development.

The Moss Beach property acquisition was made to provide the right of way to advance the Moss Beach State Route 1 Congestion and Safety Improvements Project.

Since 2021, the county, in partnership with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and Caltrans, has worked to implement traffic mitigation improvements to address congestion and safety in the unincorporated coastside.

“We’re really trying to make it a better resource for cars, bicyclists and transit throughout that region there,” County Executive Mike Callagy said.

The project was approved with the intent to support access and mobility for both residents and visitors on the coast. The improvements are a part of the Connect the Coastside initiative, which focuses on improving access across Highway 1 from 14th Street in Montara to Marine Boulevard in Moss Beach.

The second property was a 12,698-square-foot parcel at 248 Redwood Ave. for the continued use as a crisis restoration facility serving clients with behavioral health needs. The purchase was for $2.1 million. It was previously run by the nonprofit Caminar.

The site was identified as an appropriate facility and location for the “continued operation of a crisis residential facility servicing clients with complex behavioral health needs.”

“[Behavioral Health and Recovery Services] believes the continued use of the facility as a crisis restoration facility serving clients with behavioral health is in the best interest of the county,” Callagy said. “These spots are very rare and difficult to find.”