Foster City General Plan Update – Parks & Open Space Element and Conservation Element
Summary
SCH Number
2025110121
Public Agency
City of Foster City
Document Title
Foster City General Plan Update – Parks & Open Space Element and Conservation Element
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/5/2025
Document Description
The project involves updating two elements of the Foster City General Plan, the Parks and Open Space Element and the Conservation Element, to comply with recent State legislation. Senate Bill (SB) 1425, adopted in 2022, requires that the Open Space Element be updated by January 1, 2026, and that it include expanded policies related to climate resilience and rewilding opportunities. Assembly Bill (AB) 1889, signed into law in 2024, requires that the Conservation Element analyze wildlife movement, habitat connectivity, and the effects of development on natural systems beginning with the next applicable update occurring on or after January 1, 2028. The City updated both Elements concurrently to address these mandates in a timely and comprehensive manner. The updated Elements will revise goals, policies, and implementation strategies related to park and recreation resources, open space preservation, waterfront and habitat protection, climate adaptation, natural resource conservation, and wildlife movement. The project is limited to policy updates within the General Plan and does not include any physical development or construction. The updates will help ensure continued compliance with State law while supporting community priorities related to environmental stewardship, recreational access, sustainability, and long-term climate resilience.
Contact Information
Name
Vanessa Brannon
Agency Name
Foster City
Job Title
Senior Management Analyst
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Foster City
Counties
San Mateo
Regions
Citywide
Zip
94404
Other Information
Citywide – City of Foster City. Foster City is in San Mateo County, midway between the cities of San Francisco and San Jose. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay to the north and east, the cities of Belmont and Redwood City to the south, and the City of San Mateo to the west.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), also known as the “general rule” or “common sense” exemption, CEQA exempts activities that can be seen with certainty to have no possibility for causing a significant effect on the environment. CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) states that “A project is exempt from CEQA if…[t]he activity is covered by a common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.” The project involve the adoption of policy documents to establish the City’s vision, goals, policies, and programs for the provisioning and management of natural and recreational areas within the city, as well as the protection of natural and cultural resources. These policy documents, in and of themselves, do not include any proposed projects or development. The Updates do not propose or approve any physical development and will not result in changes to the physical environment, nor will they result in potential environmental impacts. To the extent that the Updates identify potential future projects or development, those would be analyzed if and when the City approves those projects in accordance with CEQA. The Updates meet the criteria for the common sense exemption as identified above.
County Clerk
San Mateo
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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