Built along the edges of several canals in Foster City, California, the Island J complex has been compared to Santorini, Greece, for its flat roofs and linear patterns, as well as its quaint cobblestone streets. When the city was developed 60 years ago, the architect insisted on having design freedom over what is now the Island J complex, making it unique from surrounding neighborhoods. However, over time, its once beautiful streets have been through numerous repair projects aimed at replacing broken cobblestones at the lowest possible cost.
The result was a patchwork of stone, concrete and asphalt that not only detracted from Island Jโs overall aesthetic and equity, but also created flooding and safety concerns for its residents. The Island J Homeownerโs Association (HOA) recently underwent a $2 million project to replace all 100,000 square feet of its roadways with Belgardโs Cambridge Cobble in Tuscana color. As a result, the community has seen the return of its timeless aesthetic and an increase in overall equity.
โResidents have always asked if we could return to pavers instead of asphalt, but all previous estimates we received just put that dream out of reach,โ explains Bart Besseling, Island J HOA president. โSo, we saved for 10 years to have enough money to replace the roads with asphalt and then spoke with several contractors.โ
Among the companies Besseling contacted was Modern Paving; the companyโs Vice President, David Tetrault, explained they didnโt work on asphalt projects. However, after discussing the parameters of the project he provided an estimate for using pavers. โAfter talking to him, we were surprised and thrilled to find out we actually could afford to restore the beautiful look of pavers to the community for less than weโd saved for the asphalt,โ said Besseling.
The commercial-thickness (80mm) pavers are a special order, manufactured in Belgardโs facility in nearby Stockton, California. The fact that Belgard could deliver them within four to six weeks, more quickly than other companies who bid on the project, was also a key selling feature. โWe could start work within the desired timeframe because we didnโt have to wait for material,โ said Tetrault.
Foster City, California, was an engineering feat, developedโor, more literally, was filled, formed, and constructedโin 1958. The Cityโs concept was considered so unique and futuristic at the time that models and artistsโ renderings of it were displayed at the Modern Art Museum in San Francisco. Developer T. Jack Foster and his sons purchased four square-miles of land known as Brewerโs Island and set out to build a new city from scratch over the mud flats of the San Francisco Bay. The island was situated at mean sea level, so surface elevation needed to be raised four to five feet. To accomplish this, 14 million cubic yards of sand was pumped from San Francisco Bay onto Brewerโs Island over the course of six years (24 hours a day, seven days a week). A central drainage basin from which water could be pumped back into the Bay was also created. This now serves as Foster Cityโs beautiful lagoon, a centerpiece on which residents and visitors alike enjoy numerous recreational activities.
As the cityโs original streets eroded and were replaced with large, flat asphalt surfaces, the struggle against water resurfaced. After significant rainfall, several homes in the community would have large puddles in the front yard for weeks until the ground could soak it back up. โThe streets had become bumpy over time, so this new project gave us a chance to level everything out and also correct the slopes for better drainage,โ said Besseling.
The streets of Island J were in fact long overdue for maintenance and repair; previous HOA boards had neglected to do reserve studies to schedule and pay for it. โWhen this board came in during the early 2000s, we found we were five million dollars behind in maintenance for all components,โ explained Besseling. We spent several years mitigating other issues, and the streets are the last of these overdue projects weโre tackling.โ
Tetrault and his team provided a very comprehensive presentation for the HOA that laid out how they would install the paver system. Besseling notes, โThe quality of their work and work ethic of their personnel was very clear from that presentation and we were happy to move forward with them.โ
The HOA chose Belgardโs Cambridge Cobble in Tuscana color because it complemented the Islandsโ bright color scheme of white, blue and yellow properties. โThe homes are the equity, so we didnโt want to draw attention away from them, but rather to blend nicely with them,โ said Besseling.
Although choosing the design aesthetic for the roadways was easy enough, there were many structural considerations. Tetrault recommended using geotextile fabric between the soil and the paver system โto keep the system independent of whatโs going on beneath it,โ he said. He also specified the commercial-grade pavers because of The Islandsโ resident traffic, as well as a lot of heavy truck traffic. The area is comprised of several, narrow and curvy streets that Foster City fire and police use as a monthly training route, and garbage and recycling trucks come through twice a week.
To minimize negative impact on The Islandsโ residents during installation, Modern Paving and the HOA came up with a well-organized plan. Modern Paving worked on a small stretch of street at a time, including one of several parking lots. Work began after people left for the workday and stopped at five oโclock.ย Even mail was rescheduled to be delivered after five. A ramp would allow people to drive over the work area to their homes. โWe say itโs a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement,โ said Besseling.
With more than half the installation complete, the new roads look better, provide better drainage and even improve residentsโ safety. โThe asphalt roads felt like a freeway, so people drove at freeway speeds,โ explained Besseling. โWe have a lot of young families in this community and kids play in the streets, so it became a concern. Pavers automatically make people drive more slowly.โ
The project also offers a good return on investment, with increased property values. On average, the units in The Islands sell for approximately $1.2 million. โHaving new, sturdy and good-looking roads increased the equity of the entire HOA, which will also positively impact the value of each unit,โ said Besseling.
Additionally, future Island J HOA boards wonโt have to set aside money for road maintenance. โWith the engineering behind pavers, theyโll never have to replace that entire roadway again,โ said Tetrault. โIf you look at the roads the Romans built, theyโre still there and these will be, too.โ Island J now has a road system that reflects its timeless beauty and truly benefits its residents.
About Belgardยฎย ย
Belgard, part of Oldcastle APG, offers a complete collection of paver and wall products for outdoor living spaces, walkways, driveways, parking areas and retaining walls. Available in a range of styles, premium Belgard products have been found in Americaโs finest homes and award-winning commercial and retail properties since 1995. For more information, visitย Belgard.comย or call 1-877-Belgard (235-4273).
Oldcastle APG is part of CRHโs Building Products division. CRH is a leading global diversified building materials group, employing c.85,000 people at c.3,600 operating locations in 32 countries worldwide. CRH is the largest building materials company in North America and the second largest worldwide.