Woodside ASRB sends 5 Woodview Lane remodel to formal review after debate over sports court, trees and drainage

The Architectural and Site Review Board voted 3-0 to forward a conceptual design review for a remodel and rebuild at 5 Woodview Lane to formal design review with staff after members raised concerns about a proposed sports court in a setback, the removal of 24 trees and neighbor drainage complaints.

The project, presented by architect Ken Linstead for the property owners, would demolish the existing single-family residence and construct a new single-family residence, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), an expanded pool-house pergola, a new sports court and associated site improvements on a 5.54-acre parcel at the southern edge of the town of Woodside. Linstead said the new main-house footprint is smaller than the existing footprint but has a more vertical massing to capture views and light. "My clients...they are not necessarily in love with the aesthetics of this house, but we did go through an exercise to see if we could remodel this in a way that could achieve the goals of really reaching a little bit more out to the views," Linstead said.

Board members focused discussion on four issues: (1) the sports court, which staff said is located within a required side setback and is not a regulation-size tennis court; (2) tree removal and replacement; (3) drainage concerns raised in a desk item from a downhill neighbor on Possum Lane; and (4) relocation of an existing solar array that would require removing a large oak.

Staff planner Sage (staff) told the board that drainage plans are not required at the conceptual stage but that formal design…