Applicant trims 773 Canada parcel to 1 acre; council allows rezoning path with conditions

The owner's representative for 773 Canada Road told the Town Council July 30 they would accept reducing the rezoned area for the site from roughly 1.61 acres to 1.0 acre. Staff told the council the smaller exhibit still falls within what was analyzed for the housing element and related EIR, and that the revised 1-acre shape would be incorporated as the exhibit for any rezoning action.

Councilmembers pressed staff on allowable heights and setbacks and whether lowering height limits would jeopardize the ability to deliver the assigned unit count. Planning staff said a reduced height (suggested 30 feet) could still allow development but would require closer building placement or smaller footprints; the town manager and planner said those details would be addressed at the design/tentative map and building permit stages. Town engineering staff said the town's sewer system has available capacity (town engineer cited current flows and remaining allocation) and that the specific plan map could be modified to allow sewer service to the rezoned parcel; any sewer extension and permit work would be undertaken at the time of project design and finance.

Neighbors urged lower heights, stepped setbacks and review of the objective design standards. Architects in the audience recommended sloping height limits and more site-specific objective standards to reduce visual impact and better match Woodside's residential character. Council and staff agreed to the reduced 1.0-acre exhibit and indicated objective design standards and rezoning text would reference the parcel-specific standards before final adoption.