| San Mateo County, CA | November 6, 2001 Election |
 |
Public Private PartnershipsBy Marland W. TownsendCandidate for Councilmember; City of Foster City; 4 Year Term |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
A Public Private Partnership in which Foster City leases land to the PJCC and the Episcopal School of the Peninsula will provide facilities that are otherwise unaffordable.Foster City is approaching buildout - in other words all of our available land is committed to productive use. Our city is fortunate to have a history of exemplary Public Private Partnerships that have provided homes and businesses that could not have been built by Foster City alone. From its' inception by Jack Foster as a planned community, all land development was subject to approval . In the beginning, that approval was by the Foster Company. After the city was incorporated in 1971, land use approval was the responsibility of the Planning Commission and the City Council. Foster City approved the land use; private capital built the buildings, both residential and business; revenue from those buildings provided property tax revenue. Property tax is the largest source of revenue used to provide public services in Foster City. In the early 1980's Foster City became a landowner for the first time when the City Council agreed to let the San Mateo Union High School District sell part of their land on Shell Boulevard to a developer and gave the remaining 27 acres of that site to Foster City. In the 1992 City Manager Rick Wykoff urged the City to exercise foreclosure on 35 acres of Vintage Park that was in default if no private party chose to take over the property. As there was no private interest in this property, the City became the landowner and took over development bond payments that were in default. As a land owner, Foster City was able to create a new paradigm for Public Private Partnership. The 35 acres in Vintage Park was a challenge. Initial use planned for these 35 acres was part residential, part commercial. I opposed this zoning for social and financial reasons. First, residential use was intended to be mainly affordable high rise apartments. This would have created a potential ghetto in Foster City. Second, the highest and best use was a Corporate Campus that added necessary property tax revenue. I calculated the long term property tax revenue needed from this land after development, and that set a minimum price for the 35 acres. EFII purchased the 35 acres for $25 Million and we have a resident owned Corporate Center in Foster City. Development of the 27 acre Shell Boulevard site was more controversial. Controversy was eliminated by leasing this land to non profit enterprises. A Triad Plan based on a land lease to the PJCC and the Episcopal Deosoeses School enabled private investment of over $70 Million for facilities not affordable from city revenues. This private investment is the source of the swimming pools, the gymnasiums, the performing arts center, the auditorium, and classrooms which will be available on a scheduled basis to Foster City residents. There is one more Public Private Partnership project needed - this one to provide a Learning Center/Adult Education Facility. I believe that this is feasible. In the near future I hope to be able to present a draft plan to the City Council for such a facility. Although all California Cities are now required by to have a General Plan for their development, Foster City is a leader in use of Public Private Partnerships to achieve both social and economic goals in our General Plan. Marland Townsend City Councilmember |
Candidate Page
|| Feedback to Candidate
|| This Contest
November 2001 Home (Ballot Lookup)
|| About Smart Voter
ca/sm Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 8, 2001 16:44
Smart Voter 2000 <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © 2000 League of Women Voters of California Education Fund.
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.