Foster City boasts 24 parks and over 200 acres of
park and open space, which has a value of approximately $93 million. Foster City has the luxury of being situated
on San Francisco Bay Trail, a planned 500-mile walking and cycling path around
the entire San Francisco Bay running through all nine Bay Area counties, 47
cities, and across the region’s seven toll bridges. Foster City has invested in its parks
infrastructure which has brought increased property values, enhanced quality of
life, and social connection to our community.
The Parks and Recreation Department maintains a
schedule of regular infrastructure maintenance related projects. For example, play structures are scheduled
for replacement every 15 years and courts are scheduled for resurfacing
approximately every eight years. This scheduling
ensures the infrastructure in which the City has invested is properly
maintained to provide for the excellent space the Parks and Recreation Department
is committed to providing to this community.
In addition to regularly scheduled maintenance, the
Parks and Recreation Department also works to evolve the Park System to reflect
the social landscape. Our parks provide
the space where residents create community, finding opportunities to connect. The Parks and Recreation Department will
bring new park elements to the community over the years as landscape is
converted to drought tolerant alternatives (as recently completed at Boat
Park), play structures are replaced (as recently completed at Catamaran Park),
and new recreational trends emerge (as the City plans for tennis courts resurfacing projects
to include pickleball).
Capital Improvement Projects come in many forms,
most of which require multiple levels of City Council authorization. As an example, the City was fortunate to receive
community input on a recent project to convert lawn to drought tolerant
alternatives and add picnic areas and bocce ball courts in Leo Ryan Park (CIP 655). The City is excited to have achieved a conceptual
design that meets the interests of park users that participate in activities
located in this area of the park.
In the midst of the design stages of CIP 655, a
new project, located on the same site emerged; the study to build a new
Recreation Center will take place in the coming months. And while the study to build a new Recreation
Center and the associated delay in CIP 655, understandably brings
disappointment to this invested segment of the community, the City is very
excited to undergo a process to possibly add to our legacy and tradition of
excellence to build a new Recreation Center which will take our community
through the next 50 years. There will be
many opportunities for the public to provide input into the study to build a
new Recreation Center. The Recreation
Center belongs to the residents of Foster City, so get ready and plan to participate in this dynamic moment of City history.
