Planning commission recommends Kenyatta Corners parking expansion to council, with strict screening and security conditions

The Woodside Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended that the Town Council approve a package of entitlements to expand parking and permit two permanent outdoor dining parklets at Kenyatta Corners, contingent on a set of detailed mitigation measures addressing neighbors’ concerns.

Staff and the applicant said the proposal would bring the site into conformance with parking requirements while formalizing outdoor dining introduced during the COVID period. Sage, the town planner, told commissioners the project would create a total of 109 parking spaces, add two parklets and change timing and seat-count limits for the Village Bakery and Bucks to reflect the proposed outdoor seating.

Why it matters: The rear parcel at Kenyatta Corners has been subject to an open‑space easement and a long‑standing parking deficit. Measure A, a voter-approved ordinance cited by staff, allowed surface parking at the rear parcel to accommodate permanent outdoor dining but required approvals before construction. Neighbors and several town committees told commissioners they worried the proposal would remove open space, increase noise and reduce privacy for adjacent homes.

At the…