Community Development

The Planning Commission of the City of Foster City held a Public Hearing on August 15, 2019 to discuss the project and provide direction regarding the general acceptability of the project concept and site plan — APN: 094-522-350 — UP2019-0006, EA2019-0001 and RZ2019-0002. 

Click on this link to view the Agenda and Staff Reports for the August 15, 2019 Study Session

The Planning Commission of the City of Foster City held a Public Hearing on April 18, 2019 to identify topics appropriate for review under the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and analysis in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) regarding the proposed development of a new hotel regarding the proposed development of a new hotel on the vacant lot at the southwest corner of Metro Center Boulevard and Shell Boulevard (EA2019-0001).   

The City Council of the City of Foster City held a preliminary review at the January 22, 2019 Public Hearing to discuss, and provide feedback, regarding the conceptual site plan submitted for a Use Permit/Specific Development Plan request to allow a new, approximately 77,479 square-foot, six-story hotel and associated site improvements at the vacant, approximately 59,327-square-foot (1.36-acre) lot situated at the southwest corner of Metro Center Boulevard and Shell Boulevard.  As proposed, the hotel would feature 155 guest rooms and include a restaurant, meeting space, and rooftop terrace

The City of Foster City Invites You to Engage, Listen, and Learn

Community Conversation
April 21, 2020 I 6:30PM
Lagoon Room
Recreation Center (650 Shell Blvd)

2025 Updates

Over the past several years, the California State Legislature has adopted numerous bills intended to address California’s housing crisis by limiting local government discretion over housing development projects in an effort to increase housing supply. In 2024, this trend continued in Sacramento. Some of the bills affecting housing are noted below.

In Foster City there is a broad mix up housing options including Single Family Homes, Duplexes & Townhomes, Apartments and Condos.

The Planning Division of the Community Development Department administers the City’s housing programs. This includes monitoring affordable housing units throughout the City, working to create more affordable housing opportunities, and implementing the City’s affordable housing regulations.  The Housing Coordinator is available for counter appointments or walk-ins on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. 

Guided by Foster City's Housing Element of the General Plan (H-E-2) Foster City's Inclusionary Housing Program (also known as "Below-Market-Rate Program") aims to create housing affordable to very low, low, and moderate income households in new buildings. 

Shared housing, or home sharing, brings together two or more unrelated individuals. Homeowners or renters with excess space (home providers) are matched with people in need of an affordable place to live (home seekers). Typically a home provider is matched with a home seeker who pays rent.  The rent is typically less than it would be if the home seeker rented a separate unit.  Shared housing enables home providers to offset their housing costs by receiving rent and home seekers to offset their rent expense by paying more affordable rent. 

In 2016 Foster City Council passed a resolution to established an Affordable Housing Linkage Fee and ab Affordable Housing Fund.  The purpose of the Affordable Housing Linkage Fee is to enhance the public welfare by imposing a fee whereby developers of commercial development projects will mitigate the impacts of their projects on the need for affordable housing by contribution to the supply of housing for households with very low, low, and moderate incomes.  The Affordable Housing Fund will provide benefits to the community from new commercial development in the form of affordable housing,