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Woodside council approves High Road rezoning over neighborhood objections
Summary
The Woodside Town Council approved rezoning the High Road parcel from open space to a multifamily designation, with a 4–1 vote and one recusal after residents raised safety, grading and traffic concerns during a heated public comment period.
The Woodside Town Council on a second reading approved rezoning the High Road parcel (APN 069-170-450) from open-space preservation to a multifamily residential designation, a change council members said is required by the town’s adopted housing element. The motion passed 4 yes, 1 no and 1 recusal.
The vote followed more than an hour of public comment and council deliberation focused on safety, grading and process. Residents and nearby homeowners warned rezoning would permit significant grading and slope work and increase traffic; Kim Hansen, who lives near the site, asked whether the multifamily zoning would allow “site grading may exceed 1,500 cubic yards without planning commission approval” and noted the ordinance language that “multifamily residential may occur on slopes in excess of 35% without approval of a variance.”
Council member Gold, who announced he would vote against the High Road rezoning, said the primary objection was fairness of process and the site’s unsuitability. “This site is absurdly unsuitable for a small single-family home, let alone a 16-unit apartment building,” he said, arguing the council had not debated the merits of any particular development and had combined multiple major actions into a single hearing.
Town staff and outside counsel had previously explained that the rezoning is a zoning-map amendment required to implement the housing element and that future project-level approvals would trigger CEQA review and additional public hearings. Town attorney Jean and planning staff said council directed staff to research public-engagement options, including a citizen steering committee, and to explore second-access options for parcels where egress and evacuation could be a concern.
Council member Brown recused himself from the High Road discussion on advice from the town’s fair‑board/conflict process; Brown later rejoined the meeting after the vote. The council’s approval of the rezoning does not authorize construction; any future development proposals will require separate approvals, environmental review and project-level findings.
The council moved next to consider rezonings for other parcels, including overlays for Canada College and a Raymundo Drive parcel.
