The Woodside Town Council should overturn the recent Planning Commission decision to approve a lot line adjustment (reported Dec. 4 in the Almanac) for an “art cave” project. The decision, made by the narrowest possible margin, and against the recommendations of the town’s planning director and the ASRB, opens the way to allow construction of a 400-foot-long, 11,000-square-foot building immediately adjacent to Whiskey Hill Road, a designated scenic corridor. Construction of the proposed cave will require excavating into a steep hillside with 35-plus percent slopes, within a geologically sensitive area (Canada fault), and beneath mature oak trees.
This proposal is purportedly an above-ground beekeeping and honey-collection operation, while the entry structures to the cave would be considered “accessory structures.” But the stated above-ground use is irrelevant: The cave could be re-purposed for any number of underground uses. The major impact of this project is due to the subterranean structures, which are enormous in scope.
Importantly, this proposal was submitted after the adoption of the state award-winning 2012 General Plan, and is therefore subject to its policies. The General Plan contains specific goals to revise ordinances on grading and basement development, and includes policies that the commission should have heeded, including “Minimizing Grading,” “Respect for Natural Land Forms,” and “Pattern of Land Uses.”
The Planning Commission’s decision sets an unfortunate precedent that would allow building an underground structure that far exceeds the size of any allowed above-ground buildings. It is clear that such a structure is not in compliance with the General Plan or the Residential Design Guidelines. In addition, the project is envisioned on steep slopes where constraints are especially important. Excavating beneath a 35 percent slope within a locally designated scenic corridor and within a geologically sensitive area is neither prudent nor good public policy. Excavation for this project involves approximately 6,400 cubic yards of dirt haul. This would require 1,000 to 1,600 dump truck trips, depending on the size of the truck. On-site cut-and-fill would require transporting thousands of tons of subsurface soil across environmentally sensitive land and bring further destruction above grade.
This recent decision by the Planning Commission could forever alter far more than one hillside: It threatens to pre-empt consideration of updated ordinances by the Town Council, and set a precedent that could render discussion of this issue by the council moot.
Woodside’s new General Plan seeks to correct omissions of existing ordinances, written when residential projects of this scope and magnitude were not envisioned. The Planning Commission’s decision is in direct conflict with the General Plan and undermines community values and quality of life, and opens the way for similar environmentally unconscious projects.
It is clear that the town of Woodside needs better regulations, and the council should expedite that process. The first step should be for the Town Council to overturn the Planning Commission’s decision, and enact a “time out” until the Municipal Code can be updated.
Details of the planning staff and ASRB’s deliberations and recommendations regarding the lot line adjustment and the project as a whole can be found at tinyurl.com/wsproject07.
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