By Barbara Wood
Special to the Almanac

Woodside's Planning Commission will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, April 25, in Independence Hall, 2995 Woodside Road, to decide whether the Menlo County Club's plans for renovating its golf course and tennis courts will be approved.

The private club wants to modernize its 25-year-old golf course within its current footprint, including the removal of 345 trees and a manmade pond. Earlier plans to expand the golf course were abandoned because it would disturb the nests of a rare wood rat that nests near the golf course.

In addition to redesigning the course, the project would move two of the club's tennis courts closer to two other courts in the southwest area of the property and add a 640-square-foot tennis building with an office, restrooms and exercise area.

The country club is located across the street from Woodside High School, near the boundary of Woodside and Redwood City.

The town is not requiring a full environmental impact report on the project, but instead a report called a "mitigated negative declaration" because, Planning Director Young has said, research has indicated that the environmental impacts of the project can be made less than significant if the club meets conditions imposed by the town.

The project would involve approximately 180,000 cubic yards of grading. About 63,000 cubic yards of sand will be brought onsite to cap the golf course. The country club will need a grading exception and a conditional use permit from the town to do the work.

The project does not need approval from the Town Council unless the Planning Commission's decision is appealed.

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