Portola Valley council ratifies Woodside Fire's 2025 fire and WUI code with local amendments; hydrant-flow threshold adjusted

The Portola Valley Town Council voted Dec. 16 to ratify the Woodside Fire Protection District's adoption of the 2025 California Fire Code and the separate 2025 Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code, along with the district's local amendments.

Steve McCarris, the town's special planning and building project manager, presented the item including background that the statewide code cycle produced the 2025 codebooks that take effect Jan. 1. Woodside Fire requested the town ratify its local changes; the town staff recommended ratification. Division Chief Kimberly Giulacci, representing Woodside Fire, answered technical questions and described how the district applies the WUI and local amendments across the district.

Council members focused extensive discussion on the so-called 50% rule, the remodel threshold used to determine when a project must be brought to current code. Giulacci said the district's ordinance defers to the town's building-department interpretation of that calculation but that local findings and wording can be clarified later. Town Attorney advised the council could ratify now and still return later with modifications and local findings if the council chose to reject or alter a district amendment.

A notable local amendment explained by Giulacci reduces the fire-flow threshold used for plan checks and remodels from historically applied values of 1,000 gallons per minute to 750 gallons per minute for many residential remodel triggers. Giulacci described the technical rationale: an attack line and structure protection lines typically yield an operational baseline of roughly 500 gpm and the district allowed additional considerations for a third hose when vegetation is burning, producing the 750-gpm compromise.

Council also discussed requirements for illuminated versus reflective address numbers. Giulacci and town staff said new-construction or major remodels might require illuminated address numbers but that Portola Valley's local dark-sky zoning rules would continue to limit lumen output and fixture type; town staff will apply both regulations so no conflict arises.

After questions and public comment, the council approved the resolution ratifying Woodside Fire's ordinance adopting the 2025 fire code and WUI code, as modified locally, by a unanimous vote.

Quotes used in this article are taken directly from the meeting transcript.