Woodside ASRB sends 75 Roberta Way design to formal review, asks for fencing and basement fixes

May 5, 2025 — The Woodside Architectural and Site Review Board on Monday moved the conceptual design for 75 Roberta Way to formal review after finding several code and neighborhood‑outreach issues that the applicant must address.

Planning staff introduced the project as a proposal to demolish an existing single‑family house, pool and accessory structures on an approximately 3.049‑acre lot in the town's Rural Residential (RR) zoning district and construct a new one‑story residence with a basement, two detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs), a pool, vehicle gates and associated site and landscape work. Planning staff told the board the proposed basement excavation exceeds the limit in the Woodside Municipal Code and will need to be reduced.

Keigo, Planning staff, said the code limits basement grading for the site to 2,666.67 cubic yards and that the applicant’s grading calculations showed 4,105 cubic yards. "No exceptions can be permitted for the maximum permitted basement grading. Therefore, the applicant will need to reduce the size and or depth of all proposed spaces and update the grading calculations to meet the Woodside Municipal Code requirements," Keigo said.

Architect Ross Padlock of Kligerman Architecture and Design, who led the applicant presentation, told the board the team would revise the plans to bring excavation into compliance and that louvers on the ADUs would be fixed and at least 50% open. "We understand the issue with the basement. It was a misunderstanding on our part, and we're working with the design team to resolve that, to bring the total excavation into compliance," Padlock said.

Board members reviewed site plans and elevations and pressed for more detail on fence locations, gates and setbacks, generator enclosures, story‑pole placement and tree removal. Staff noted that the proposed 16‑foot entry gates are typical and that the local fire district requires a minimum 12‑foot clear opening in the open position. Staff also said setbacks must be measured from easement lines rather than property lines and that vaults located completely below grade can be sited within setbacks.

Public commenters and several board members raised wildlife and neighborhood concerns. Thalia Lubin, identified in the meeting as a former ASRB chair and author of the design guidelines, urged the applicants to preserve open vistas and wildlife passage and recommended early outreach to surrounding neighbors: "I would encourage the applicant to consider all of these ideas as they move forward," Lubin said.

The applicant’s team described materials and details they intend to use, including Alaskan yellow cedar siding on a rainscreen, auberge limestone paving and a slate roof. The applicant said they have already removed one diseased tree on the site, proposed several new trees and will refine the planting plan to reduce lawn area and improve drainage.

Board members generally praised the design but said the application needs follow‑up on three items before formal design review: (1) reduce and recalculate basement excavation to meet Woodside Municipal Code section 151.22(c), Table 1; (2) provide a detailed landscaping and fencing plan that shows fence location, breaks or openness to allow wildlife passage and the relationship to easements and setbacks; and (3) complete neighborhood outreach prior to the formal submittal. The board voted to require the fencing/landscaping plan be returned to staff while forwarding the remainder of the project to formal design review.

At the meeting’s close, staff said story poles had been installed at the site at least 10 days before the hearing and reminded neighbors that mailed notices for hearings are sent out 10 days before meetings. The board’s formal motion on May 5 passed unanimously among the members present with the condition described above.