After the 2026 disaster at 815 Sea Spray Lane we went looking through our records and found this in the 1981-82 Foster City Chamber of Commerce Community Guide. The original advertisement features off 815 Sea Spray. Our collective hearts go out to the Spinnaker Cove Community.

See the guide from 1981-82 here: https://fostercitylife.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Foster-City-Community-Guide-1981-1982.pdf

Spinnaker Cove has long been a staple of the local community. Built in the early 1980s by Centex Homes, the complex was designed to maximize waterside living, featuring tree-lined walking paths that lead directly to the lagoon, alongside shared community spaces like tennis courts and clubhouses.

Built primarily between 1981 and 1984, the complex reflects the early-80s suburban architectural push to integrate everyday residential living closely with the unique geography of Foster City & San Mateo’s lagoon systems. The complex spans approximately 14.28 acres along Sea Spray Lane. The residences are mostly attached homes ranging from roughly 940 to 1,500 square feet, typically featuring 1- to 2-bedroom configurations. Designed to maximize privacy while fostering a neighborhood feel, top-floor end units were built to share minimal wall space with neighbors, allowing for a quieter, serene atmosphere with garden or lagoon views.

Centex Corporation and its homebuilding division, Centex Homes, played a major, and sometimes turbulent, role in the history and development of Foster City. In 1970, Centex West Inc. (a subsidiary of the Dallas-based Centex Corporation) bought the remaining developed and undeveloped vacant land from the city’s original founders, the Foster family.

The relationship faced significant financial strain during the city’s early years when Centex refused to pay taxes in 1975. This refusal stemmed from high taxes resulting from bond debt and led to a $12 million lawsuit. In 1977, Centex and the city reached an out-of-court settlement, which ultimately stabilized the local tax burden and marked the beginning of long-term financial stability for Foster City.

Following the settlement, Centex Homes served as the subdivision developer and architect for numerous residential communities as the city expanded. They built the waterfront Spinnaker Cove condominium complex on Sea Spray Lane. They also constructed various contemporary townhouse properties across the city, including developments featuring homes on Cabot Lane, Marquette Lane, and Magellan Lane. Centex was also involved with Winston Square and Plum Island in Foster City.

1980s architectural design of the Spinnaker Cove buildings carries a unique history. Like many Peninsula condominiums built during that era, Spinnaker Cove was constructed with shared wall cavities and horizontal attic spaces that run continuously across multiple units. These are called “interstitial” areas.

While this was standard in building codes at the time, it creates hidden “interstitial” pathways where fire can travel horizontally above and between apartments unseen by residents or first responders.

This is important because there is a historical perspective here dating back to 2016.

A family stopped by our Summer Days booth in 2026 and discussed with us how in 2016 there was another fire in the 700 block at Spinnaker Cove.

We found the reference to this fire in the 2016 San Mateo Consolidated Fire Annual Report.