Foster City By King of Hearts (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia CommonsIn our day-to-day life as a roofing company, we provide work to a variety of communities surrounding South San Francisco. As we continue to work in and explore these cities, towns, and neighborhoods, we document what we love about each one. We hope to provide a little history where we can, too. We’ve already focused on Redwood City, Colma, Atherton, and Portola Valley. Today, we’re casting the spotlight on Foster City. Located about 25 miles South of San Francisco, Foster City’s population hovers around 30,000 people. It’s a planned community that maintains a relatively small town feeling.  Both its government and residents are committed to water conservation, sustainability, and high environmental standards.

Strict Building Codes and High Livability

When we take on a roofing job in Foster City, we have to observe strenuous building codes. That comes as no surprise to us, since it’s a planned community that values its own high livability standards. The Community Development Department strenuously plans the city’s growth, and they also make sure both new and existing structures maintain the appearance of the community. Before we install a new roof, we have to make sure it lives up to Foster City’s aesthetic standards-- homes and commercial buildings alike need to enhance the community. What does that mean for us? Each roof we install looks great and fits in with surrounding structures. We take pride in a job well done in Foster City, where we know the community approves of our work and we’re adding to its overall beauty. Neighborhoods age well and maintain high property value over the years. All that planning and all those guidelines mean Foster City is extremely livable. It regularly wins awards for environmental sustainability, and regularly ranks as one of California (and the nation)’s best and safest places to live. Foster City is also full of beautiful parks, has plenty of great restaurants, and offers plenty of art, culture, and music. Because it’s a planned community, Foster City is an easy place to relax and an easy place to get around.

From the city’s website:

“The planned nature of population growth allows neighborhoods to develop intact and purposefully avoids the commercial thoroughfares that commonly divide neighborhoods in other cities.  Industrial and commercial development is kept away from the neighborhoods, resulting in a quality of life that is difficult to achieve in unplanned communities.”

The Foster City Lagoon

We can’t mention Foster City without mentioning its lagoon. Its man-made residential islands are surrounded by 16.5 miles of navigable canals, and there are 212 acres of water. The lagoon makes the city a more fun and scenic place, but it also serves an important purpose. The Foster City Lagoon functions as a highly-effective drainage basin. During the ultra-severe El Niño storms of 1997-98, Foster City suffered no flooding. Surrounding cities experiences flooding and drainage problems, but Foster City remains dry even in heavy storms, thanks to its lagoon system. There’s more to the lagoon than drainage, though. It features walkways, waterways, and plenty of recreational facilities. Windsurfers, kayakers, paddle boaters, and hydrobikers are all common sites. Many people enjoy electric boats on the lagoon, too. The paved trails and boardwalk are excellent for cyclists and hikers, too and we’ve taken our share of walks around the lagoon. We always see plenty of people enjoying the trails. The fishing and birdwatching are great, too, and Foster City is always a sensible place for a family picnic. We love working in Foster City. As a roofing company, we get the experience of helping to build and beautify a thriving planned community with each job we take. It’s no surprise that so many Silicon Valley workers call Foster City home. Whenever we chat with a Foster City homeowner, we know they love their community. We’re falling in love with it, too. ~Mr. Roofing San Francisco’s residential & commercial roofing experts