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The town of Woodside held its first Citizen Advisory Committee meeting for its Town Center Area Plan update on Aug. 26, kicking off the town’s pursuit of a new vision for the heart of the town. The 18-member committee discussed the potential constraints, ideas and opportunities that the town has to re-envision Town Center since its last amended plan in 1988.Â
The initiative was sparked by the development of a new housing element as the town seeks to find opportunities to build housing within its main community hub on Woodside Road.
The meetings are facilitated by Good City Company, a Redwood City-based consulting firm that specialises in planning, zoning, housing elements and city management. The Good City team explained that the advisory committee was created because the firm wanted to hear what aspects of Town Center are important to them and how to enhance the space.
The members of the committee are all residents of Woodside who have dedicated years to the town as volunteers on various committees. Many have lived in town for decades, some even growing up in Woodside for over 50 years.
The majority of the center is used for commercial purposes with restaurants, stores, a supermarket, gas station and Realtor and financial offices. A small portion of the land is designated for open space and civic uses. Most of the parcels are less than a half-acre and none larger than 2.5 acres.
“The small parcel size is really part of the historic sizing consistent with the 19th century building pattern but for today’s development, it’s pretty small as far as being developable,” said Jane Lin, an architect with Urban Field Studio, another consultant team on the project.Â
Within Town Center, land ownership is spread out among various individuals. The largest properties are owned by the town, which has eight parcels, LeeAnn and Bill Gilbert, who own four parcels and Christine Roberts, who owns three parcels.Â
There are also currently three measures that were adopted by the town that limit certain development but also allow some expansions.
Measure J, passed in 1988, was intended to preserve the town’s rural character and prevent “commercial creep.” This measure, however, “restricts residential zoning and prohibits commercial uses on town owned sites” as well as limits building heights along Woodside Road. A vote would need to occur to change its zoning restrictions, said Lin.
Measure I, passed in 1989 and allowed for the construction of Town Hall and public parking while setting a 50% open space rule.
Measure A was on the 2021 ballot and allowed for the expansion of community-serving functions in Town Center. The measure allows for the development of a public space which might include outdoor dining, parking and an amphitheater. Measure A came into discussion during a controversial application to build permanent outdoor dining spaces and parking expansion at Cañada Corners in November 2024.
Opportunities and constraints
The Good City team pointed out that currently there is no signage or defined gateway into Town Center as people drive onto Woodside Road. Consultants have identified that there are opportunities to make the center more pedestrian friendly, reinforce the town’s identity and introduce design guidance.
The team also found that constraints included the landscape of Woodside with its many hills and terraces. The Town Center also has fragmented ownership and the community holds a strong belief in land preservation.
Vehicle and equestrian circulation, bicycle network and parking are all recognized to be challenges for the town. Current issues recognized by consultants include limited crosswalks, lack of streetlights and handicap access curbs, cyclists and drivers sharing the road, and safety concerns for equestrians.
Urban Field Studio architect Ryan Call said that the center’s “parking demand exceeds supply at peak hours and private parking conflicts are a key challenge.” He added that the team is committed to help preserve the town’s authentic community and local businesses as they work on improvements.
The consultants noted that Town Center currently has nine parking spaces on public streets and 558 parking spaces in designated parking lots. While the parking locations are evenly distributed throughout the center, the use of all the commercial spaces is not, leading to lack of parking around businesses with heavy traffic.
The area also suffers from environmental and geological limitations due to the range in elevation, a creek and hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead-based painting in the older buildings within Town Center.
Committee input
Members of the committee shared with the town and consultant teams their ideas around Safe Routes for Schools, enhancing pedestrian experiences and increasing public gathering spaces.
Local resident Steve Lubin suggested that changing the structure of Woodside Road from Interstate 280 might signal to drivers that the roadway into Town Center is a downtown street and should be driven at a lower speed. He said it currently resembles a highway.
“If we could reshape the roads so that people slowed down, it would make the pedestrian experience much better,” said Lubin. “It would be safer for kids to get to school and for people to walk in town and be in these public spaces.”
Some committee members are concerned that there is not enough money to fund the many ideas. Others were hopeful, sharing ideas for fundraising and utilizing the community foundation.
Local resident Sue Poletti pointed out that Woodside lacks a community center. She explained that a community center can also serve as an intergenerational space where the older and younger generations come together.
“We could have (the community center) serve as a hub to integrate connection, wellness, local culture, arts, music, hangout areas for teens, I think that’s lacking in our neighborhood,” said Sue Poletti.
Circulation Committee member Daniel Druker added that housing projects in Town Center should be focused on providing for the town employees and workers, many of whom drive into town from an hour away. This includes firefighters, teachers and town staff.
“For example, we have a big storm and the folks on (the public works) team from the town live an hour away. So we want them to come and (unclog the) drain and they have to drive from an hour away to do that. It’s silly,” Druker said.
“I would like to see the Town Center remain vibrant and relevant and I think we have to allow the commercial property owners some flexibility and freedom to configure their properties for the next 30 years,” said Planning Commission Chair Lyle Weaver.
