Brown Adobe to be moved, restored Brown Adobe to be moved, restored (February 09, 2005)

The owners of the Charles Brown Adobe in Woodside are seeking permission to relocate and restore the building that is considered to be San Mateo County's oldest structure.

Last summer, Woodside officials approved a subdivision of the nearly 42-acre Schroll estate on Portola Road, carving out two roughly 5-acre parcels from a larger one where the Brown Adobe is located. The Brown Adobe would be moved to another part of the same parcel, according to Woodside town staff.

At the Tuesday, February 8, meeting, the Woodside Town Council is expected to set the wheels in motion for review of the project by authorizing consultants to conduct an environmental study.

A "negative declaration," the simplest and least expensive of all of the California Environmental Quality Act-mandated studies, is to be conducted by Circa Historic Property Development. The study is required because the Brown Adobe qualifies for listing on the California Register of Historic Resources.

The owner, First Virtual Properties, has been in discussions with the San Mateo County Historical Association about the proposed restoration of the Brown Adobe, according to Hope Sullivan, Woodside's planning director.

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