Board Approves $29M Foster City Purchase Over Community Opposition

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors pushed through its biggest real estate move in years — a $29 million acquisition of a Foster City office building to consolidate social services — despite a parade of residents, business owners, and two city council members who called the process rushed and opaque. The special meeting also confirmed a new HR director and drew advocates pressing for stronger oversight of the Sheriff's Office.

• $29M Foster City office building approved 4-0 to become a consolidated Human Services Agency client center, over objections from seven public speakers
• Foster City council members and residents call the process a failure of transparency, demanding traffic studies and community engagement the county says will come later
• Board President Corzo fires back, saying the city misinformed residents about the timeline and proposes a formal county notification process for future property deals
• Michelle Kuka confirmed as HR Director after 18 years rising through county ranks
• Democratic Party leaders press for a permanent Inspector General for the Sheriff's Office, citing $48M in county liability

The board's unanimous vote to buy 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd. in Foster City was never really in doubt. What was in doubt — and what consumed most of a 75-minute special meeting — was whether the county had given Foster City residents any real say in a decision that will reshape a visible stretch of their downtown.