Woodside resident Lynn B. Jacobson has made good on her threat to sue the town of Portola Valley over plans for construction of five single-family, single-story houses for senior citizens at 846 Portola Road, adjacent to the Village Square shopping center.
Ms. Jacobson, whose property sits across Sausal Creek from the site of the planned subdivision, said in a lawsuit filed in December that the project violates the state’s age discrimination laws, creek protection laws and her rights to due process.
A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, February 15, in San Mateo County Superior Court in Redwood City.
Asked for a comment, Town Attorney Sandy Sloan replied: “I believe this lawsuit has no merit.”
Ms. Jacobson’s opposition is entering its tenth year. In 1996, the Portola Valley Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for the subdivision on the 1.4-acre site owned by Sausal Creek Associates.
Winter flooding in 1997 undercut the creek bank on the Portola Valley side, which led to delays and the eventual design of a complicated retaining wall to restore and protect the bank.
The Planning Commission approved the revised plans in July 2005, whereupon Ms. Jacobson appealed the decision to the Town Council.
The council unanimously rejected the appeal in September 2005, citing community support for “empty-nesters” — residents of Portola Valley who want to live in town but in a smaller home — and a reasonable effort to protect a “dysfunctional” creek with a retaining wall.
