Planning commission approves conditional use permit for replacement of five culverts on Lawler Ranch Road

The Town of Woodside Planning Commission on Jan. 22 unanimously approved a conditional use permit permitting replacement of five failed culverts, roadway maintenance, and ditch repairs along Lawler Ranch Road, work the applicant says is necessary to restore emergency and maintenance access across parcels now owned by Stanford University.

Planning staff explained the project scope: replacement of five failed or failing culverts that cross Lawler Ranch Road and access roads; repair and concrete lining of an existing uphill ditch (approximately 680 square feet and 270 linear feet); and maintenance of about 1,231 linear feet of roadway to provide a minimum 12-foot travel width (portions up to 14 feet). Staff said grading for the roadway work would affect about 0.24 acres and that the project is located within a town-designated stream corridor, triggering the requirement for a conditional use permit under Woodside Municipal Code section 153.444. Staff also said the work is categorically exempt under stated CEQA guideline exemptions noted in the staff report and that state and federal permits from agencies including California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Regional Water Quality Control Board have been obtained.

Consultant Matt Smeltzer, presenting for the applicant team, described each culvert’s condition with photos and said the design uses reinforced concrete pipes sized to maximize hydraulic capacity and debris passage. He said Culvert 1 will be moved roughly 25 feet to avoid roots of a 29-inch valley oak, while culverts 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be replaced in or adjacent to their existing locations. Smeltzer said the project includes three staging areas outside the town’s designated stream corridor and that construction would require temporary closure of the segment of Lawler Ranch Road that serves as the sole access to the occupied parcel at 1 Lawler Ranch Road; the applicant proposed use of an existing 10-foot-wide access road to maintain temporary access during construction.

Staff noted the project proposes removal of nine trees, six of which are classified as significant under the municipal code; the applicant provided an arborist report and a riparian restoration and monitoring plan required by the state Streambed Alteration Agreement. To mitigate impacts to on-site waters, the applicant proposes a habitat mitigation area of 4,346 square feet along 220 linear feet of Atherton Creek and has committed to replacement plantings, watering, invasive species control and monitoring as specified in the submitted biological reports.

Commissioners asked technical questions about culvert bedding, materials and tree protection. The project engineer said culvert bedding will be crushed rock with specified compaction and that reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) was selected to meet agency requirements and improve longevity compared with plastic or metal culverts.

After commissioners discussed the project and noted the extensive agency review, a motion to approve the conditional use permit passed unanimously. Staff noted the project is subject to the town’s conditions of approval, to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife streambed-agreement terms and to a 10-day appeal period following the action.