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Woodside council approves abandoning 100-foot building setback on four Mission Trail lots
Summary
After a public hearing, the Woodside Town Council voted to remove a 100-foot building setback easement on four lots along Mission Trail, with staff confirming equestrian trail easements and minimum zoning setbacks will remain in place.
The Woodside Town Council on March 24 approved a resolution to abandon a 100-foot building setback easement on four lots along Mission Trail following a public hearing and staff presentations.
Planning staff introduced the proposal, describing the local code history that once required a 200-foot setback along Interstate 280 and noting a 2017 municipal-code amendment removed the 200-foot requirement for smaller parcels. The staff presentation said the Planning Commission reviewed the matter in December and recommended that abandoning the 100-foot easement would still leave the underlying zoning district setbacks in place. "The minimum setback for the zoning district would apply, which is 25 feet from the rear property line," staff said.
During public comment, Kim Hanson asked whether abandoning the 100-foot easement would effectively allow buildings up to the equestrian easement or even a "0 foot setback," and whether the equestrian trail easements would remain passable. Staff replied that the applicant was not seeking removal of equestrian easements and that such easements "would need to remain open and clear" for equestrian uses. Staff noted most equestrian easements in town are 15 feet wide, though a wider 45-foot strip was shown on a portion of one lot and would remain protected.
Council members debated whether removing an obsolete code requirement was consistent with housing goals and the general plan. One council member said the change "can improve the feasibility and help our housing goals," and several members urged factual language be added to the annual progress report documenting prior actions taken on small open-space parcels so the record matches earlier decisions.
A motion to approve the abandonment passed on a roll-call vote. The council instructed staff to record the easement removal with the county and to reflect the factual history of the actions taken in the annual progress report and related maps.
The council's action removes the 100-foot easement from the four Mission Trail lots; underlying zoning setbacks and all other existing easements, including equestrian-trail easements, remain in effect. The measure was approved at the meeting and will be recorded with the county.
