evelopment plans are in the works for the 11-acre Champagne Paddocks property on Mountain Wood Lane in Woodside.
A very preliminary plan to demolish the historic stables, build a new house and construct a pond is going before the Woodside History Committee on February 1.
Last March, the Champagne Paddocks listed for $35 million, and reportedly was sold to Jim Clark -- of Silicon Graphics, Netscape, etc. -- for close to $50 million.
The property belonged to the late Claire Giannini Hoffman, daughter of Bank of America founder A. P. Giannini. Its stables are originally part of an estate owned by copper baron Daniel C. Jackling, and date back to 1915.
The stable building includes a tower and a two-story living quarters, and is listed in Woodside's draft inventory of historic structures, according to Woodside planner Julie Tilley.
Under the proposal going before the History Committee, the tower element would be preserved even though the stables would be demolished, according to Planning Director David Rizk.
Details are still sketchy at this point, but Ms. Tilley suggested that the history committee get involved early in the process, since it is likely that a review by an architectural historian will be required, she said. It is also likely that the development plans will go before the Architecture and Site Review Board and the Woodside Planning Commission when applications for permits are taken out, she said.
The Woodside History Committee reviews development and demolition plans for historic structures, researches the structures' history and often asks owners to consider alternatives to demolition.
