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Woodside’s only outdoor dining spaces at The Village Bakery and Buck’s Restaurant were taken down indefinitely as rain came down hard on Monday morning, Nov. 25. The parklets popped up in 2020 when outdoor dining gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An application to construct permanent outdoor dining spaces and to expand the Cañada Corners parking lot has been a contentious topic among residents. In 2021, Woodside residents voted to approve Measure A, a land use measure that allows for any improvement projects in Town Center to promote art and cultural events. The measure also allows improvements to parking, trails and play structures to accommodate new permanent outdoor dining.
The Town Council discussed the application on Oct. 22, but did not take any action to approve or deny it. The council will revisit the application on Dec. 10 with its new council members.
Some customers were shocked to see restaurant staff working in the rain to deconstruct the outdoor dining spaces. Many thought that it was just for the winter but were sad to find out it was being removed indefinitely.
“This is like the heartbeat of Woodside,” said Celestine Schnugg, a Buck’s customer. “It’s where we all have our special milestone moments and to see it go away in the rain like this is devastating.”
According to the owners of Buck’s, the landlord of Cañada Corners, Christine Roberts, had to ask the businesses to take down its parklets while its application to expand the parking lot was still under review. The outdoor dining is currently not compliant with the existing Conditional Use Permit, according to the town.
“We feel extremely grateful to be here in the center of the community, but with the current parking restrictions, it just is not a long-term solution for us,” said Tyler MacNiven, co-owner of Buck’s. “We’re taking it down for now. It’s possible it will come back and if it does, we’ll be grateful for that too.”
From left to right, diners Jeff Davidson, Simone Davidson, and Katie Neilson eat breakfast at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside and watch as co-owner Tyler MacNiven dissembles the restaurant’s outdoor dining parklet on the morning of Nov. 25, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
A team removes a gazebo from the outdoor dining parklet at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside on the morning of Nov. 25, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Diego Arrieta, left, and Michael Ho dissemble the outdoor dining parklet in front of the Village Bakery in Woodside on the morning of Nov. 25, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Buck’s Restaurant co-owner Rowan MacNiven takes apart a gazebo in the Woodside restaurant’s outdoor dining parklet on the morning of Nov. 25, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
The shopping center has always struggled with its limited parking spaces even before outdoor dining, explained MacNiven. Cañada Corners currently has 155 parking spaces and the project would add 34 spaces into a designated open space area behind Roberts Hardware.
The Village Bakery had initially built the outdoor dining space during the COVID-19 pandemic and took financial risks to expand the parklet into the parking lot, said Gary Madden, who comes to the bakery almost every day. The bakery was the only open restaurant during the beginning of the pandemic, he added.
He believes that the town should reallocate the parking spaces among tenants based on square footage.
Portola Valley resident Sophia Gregory said Cañada Corners is the “center of the biking weekend scene.” She thinks that people “should be walking and biking and having places to gather outside.” Gregory was disappointed to see a community hub be removed.
“I’m going to miss it,” said Woodside resident and equestrian Diane Garcia. She and her friends at the Los Viajeros Riding Club ride their horses to Cañada Corners where they hitch their horses while they dine at Buck’s.
Alison White, president of Los Viajeros, said the outdoor dining space was a perfect spot to watch their horses while they dined.
Despite the rain, Buck’s Restaurant co-owners Tyler and Rowan MacNiven shared one final breakfast on the outdoor picnic tables before completely clearing its former outdoor dining space.
Divided sentiments on parking lot expansion
Community members have started campaigns in support and against the parking lot expansion.
Woodside resident Don Pugh has been diligently sending letters to town committees urging them to vote against bulldozing open space for additional parking. The open space includes an existing Safe Routes to School trail behind Roberts Hardware.
Pugh has created a website called “Save Rural Woodside,” which aims to “alert residents of threats to our rural environment and provide information on helping to respond.” The page includes information on the application plans and history of permits at Cañada Corners.
“Why should we give up the trees and trails on our community land to allow a private business to expand? We can keep outdoor dining without bulldozing the open space with good planning without the need to expand the parking lot,” states the website.
In contrast, a flyer supporting the project is circulating in Woodside and Portola Valley to “save outdoor dining.” It urges the community to email Woodside council members with a prewritten note that can be accessed through a QR code. The email states that outdoor dining has been able to bring the community together “like never before” and asks the council to approve the project without modifications or delays.
The flyer also encourages residents to attend the Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and to spread the word.
@Don Pugh
It is not ‘our community land’. It is private land owned by the Roberts family who also happen to provide the us with a grocery store and make possible: two restaurants, a hardware store, gift boutique, tennis shop, salon, cleaners, and an office. Your relationship with the truth is on par with national politicians.
You own two properties in Woodside: why don’t you convert the former peanut farm at the corner of Canada and Glenwood into open space? Or would that be inconvenient for you?
I love Buck’s. Parking is much harder to find at Buck’s than a seat to dine. I prefer to sit inside. I have also dined outside. The time has passed to be living in the fear of COVID. It is time to return to a more normal life.