Woodside ASRB forwards 115 Glenwood conceptual design; requires arborist review

The Woodside Architectural Site Review Board on May 19 reviewed a conceptual design for a near‑complete demolition of the existing single‑family residence at 115 Glenwood Avenue and voted to forward the project to staff for formal design review with a condition requiring an arborist evaluation of trees adjacent to shared property lines.

Assistant Planner Jillian Nagley told the board the proposal includes a one‑story main residence with a basement, a mixed material palette and darker color palette changes made to align with the town's residential design guidelines. "The proposed main residence is a single story home with a basement located in approximately at the same location as the existing main residence," Nagley said. She said the project footprint is approximately 0.259 acres in the Woodside Glen subdivision and that preliminary floor area calculations place the new structure at about 1,848 square feet.

The nut graf: board members generally found the one‑story replacement and the darker color palette compatible with the neighborhood but sought additional details at the formal design review stage, including clarified materials, final parking dimensions and a required arborist evaluation if construction will affect adjacent trees.

In discussion, staff explained the site contains a joint tenancy easement with 117 Glenwood Avenue that prevents development in the easement area but, under the town's lot area definition, the easement still counts toward lot area for floor‑area and lot‑area calculations. Nagley also noted the applicant did not propose tree removal at this time; she said, "if for any reason, trees do need to be touched or removed as part of the project's scope of work once we get to formal design review, that should be shown in the formal design review application."

Neighbors raised concerns during public comment about perceived increases in roof height and potential impacts to mature trees and an existing fence. Resident Don Pugh said the adjoining property has mature trees that "add so much to both our property and... 115" and asked that an arborist be engaged to ensure trees are not damaged during construction. Pugh also asked that contractors avoid damaging a fence he has maintained along the shared line.

Applicants and their design team answered questions about parking, roof pitch and plate height. Staff explained the site currently shows compliance with the town's four‑space minimum for on‑site parking but that one or more spaces were slightly short of the 20‑foot standard and would need to be lengthened by about one foot to meet code. The applicant's representative said the proposed roof pitches are 6.5:12 and that the interior ceiling plate height will increase from roughly 7 feet 10 inches to 9 feet, while the town’s method of measuring plate height can show a greater exterior wall height (staff noted a town measurement closer to 13 feet at certain wall intersections but said the increases were reflected in the project's massing calculations and remain within code limits).

On utilities and trees, staff said public works and the public works section of the town code control undergrounding requirements and that replacing electrical service often triggers a requirement to underground. Staff also said tree protections and an arborist evaluation could be required as a condition of approval or by fire‑district requirements where construction is close to a property line.

After discussion, the board made and seconded a motion to forward the project to staff for formal design review and to ensure an arborist reviews construction effects on nearby trees; the motion passed unanimously. The board chair said a letter outlining the decision would be sent to participants and the applicant within a day or two.

The board did not take final design approval; the action forwards the item to the staff and the formal design review process, where applicants must submit full materials, color samples, final floor‑area calculations and any entitlement requests for review.