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The Opening of the Foster City Upgraded Levee – History Now, Even More in Coming Years!

The Opening of the Foster City Upgraded Levee – History Now, Even More in Coming Years!

I had the great pleasure of attending the ceremony, at Foster City’s Shorebird Park, officially opening the upgraded levee back on February 21, 2024. This event marked the culmination of a major project initiated back in 2014 when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) notified the city that the current levee system did not meet the minimum requirements for flood protection. From this the city launched a Levee Protection Planning Study in 2014 eventually resulting with the city a project…

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The 1990 Parks & Recreation Master Plan

The 1990 Parks & Recreation Master Plan

Foster City is a master planned community. Therefore, master plans are made and carried out to fulfill the long term goals of the community. Part of that are the Master Plans associated with the Parks and Recreation Department in Foster City.

Today, in 2024 Foster City is entering into a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan Process. Read more about that process here: https://www.fostercity.org/parksrec/page/request-proposalqualifications-foster-city-parks-master-plan-consultant

We hope the people of Foster City & Foster City government will learn from past master plans for Foster City. See what was desired, planned for, and accomplished but also what was not accomplished. The dream of master planning is both a guided process that maintains flexibility to change over time.

Foster City Recreation Center Construction (photos) (1974-1976)

Foster City Recreation Center Construction (photos) (1974-1976)

The original 1970’s Foster City recreation center was an indoor/outdoor space connected by outdoor patios. It had large wind enclosed areas for childcare and pottery uses. The architectural style inside was to be ‘Polynesian’ and to this day you will see that style mirrored in homes across Foster City, but the city has more or less given up on that style and theme for Foster City civic buildings. It was eventually re-done in the 1990’s and now, again, in the 2020’s.

Opening of Foster City Recreation Center (1974)

Opening of Foster City Recreation Center (1974)

Opened February 9th, 1974, the original Foster City Recreation Center was created as part of the “City Recreation Plan” created by Ellis Arndt and Truesdell, Inc in 1971. It included a three phase plan that would have included an integrated Recreation Center, a Pre-School, and Arts & Craft Wing, Teen Center with 1970’s ‘conversation pit’ with fireplace, and eventually a 11,000sf Gymnasium complex & a recreation pool indoors. The different “wings” were connected by covered walkways. Foster City’s quarterly Recreation…

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Foster City Home Owners’ Landscape Planting and Maintenance Guide (1960’s ?)

Foster City Home Owners’ Landscape Planting and Maintenance Guide (1960’s ?)

Happy to share with the community another gem of landscaping Foster City. This item was found in a garage and we believe it to be original. It is the Foster City Home Owners’ Landscape Planting and Maintenance Guide and it goes through some of the original planting guidelines in Foster City. The documents are not dated but due to the thick high quality paper, typeface and oxidation on the pages we suspect his is from the 1960’s.

1993 Recreation Center Feasibility Study

1993 Recreation Center Feasibility Study

Today we are happy to share with the community the 1993 Foster City Recreation Center Feasibility Study. As Foster City launches into a new $40+ Million Dollar Recreation Center project plan it is informative to show the last major change to the recreation center. (William Walker Recreation Center) This is a 50+ page report with many details. It may be informative to current projects to understand where Foster City came from and how the recreation center has evolved over many decades.

Foster City Tree Inventory 2000

Foster City Tree Inventory 2000

This is the Foster City Tree Inventory from 2000. Foster City has seen many trees die recently. Why? Many trees are non native and they haven’t thrived. Also many trees have slowly failed. Did you know Foster City’s salt water table is only a few feet deep? So trees that have deep roots don’t thrive in Foster City due to the salt water. YET, trees with shallow roots infiltrate pipes, homes, and do damage to streets and crosswalks. It is a careful balance.