Stanford University has submitted an application to the Town of Portola Valley to develop a portion of University property often referred to as the “Stanford Wedge.” The project site is located at 3530 Alpine Road. It is a 75.2-acre parcel that forms a triangular shape between Alpine Road, and existing housing along Westridge Drive and Minocca Road. The site is mostly undeveloped and is covered with grasses, shrubs, and trees. The proposed development would be clustered along Alpine Road, the northeastern portion of the site, which is the flattest portion of the property. The approximately 10.8-acre northeastern portion of the project site (approximately 8% of the total site area) is proposed as the residential development area. This 10.8 acres includes all proposed residential lots, common areas, wildfire defensible zone, scenic corridor setbacks, and dedicated open space (3.99 acres of residential lots + 6.8 acres of all other areas).  Alpine Rock Ranch, a horse boarding facility with stables, currently occupies this portion of the site and would be removed. The remaining 64.4 acres of the 75.2 development site is proposed to remain as open space.

Stanford proposes to subdivide the 10.8 acre residential development area into 30 residential lots, which would be developed with 27 single-family residences for Stanford faculty and 12 Below Market Rate (BMR) multifamily units. All the residential buildings are proposed to be two stories. The 64.4-acre remainder of the property, not included as part of the residential development site, is sloped and largely wooded; it would remain in University ownership and preserved as open space for the life of the project. Stanford is proposing an extensive vegetative management program for this open space area. A proposed 1.2 mile long permanent maintenance access road is proposed in this area. A new trail is also proposed for the site, with more details below.

As you may know, the Stanford Wedge has been identified as a site for a potential housing project in the Town’s Housing Element since the 1990’s. The Housing Element is a part of the Town’s General Plan and is updated on a regular schedule according to State law. The current Housing Element was adopted on January 14, 2015, after 14 noticed public meetings.

The reason Stanford’s potential development of their property is identified in the Housing Element is because they are members of the Affiliated Housing Program. The Affiliated Housing Program allows multi-family housing to be built to serve the employees of certain institutions in Town.

The adopted Housing Element requires staff to “monitor the progress that has been made on [the Affiliated Housing] program and report to the Planning Commission on the progress compared with the goals set forth in this program” (Section 2481.6).

Additionally, Section 2481a includes the following language:

“The town will continue to work with the owners of these three properties to allow and encourage housing to be built on the sites…Stanford University has no plans for their site at this time. During the planning period, however, the town will look more closely at the development standards and density for the Stanford Wedge in particular to ensure that they are appropriate. The town will continue to contact all three owners on a regular basis and assist them with any potential plans for providing housing.”

As part of that due diligence, staff and the Town’s elected officials check in with Affiliated Housing partner agencies to determine what their future plans may be. In 2016, one of the Town’s councilmembers inquired, as a regional meeting, to Stanford what their plans for the Wedge may be; Stanford indicated that they were considering a development. For a more detailed description of this conversation, please see FAQ 16.

After the development of the Housing Strategic Plan, staff scheduled an agenda item for the Council at their April 26, 2017 meeting to hear from all Affiliated Housing partners on their plans. At that meeting, Council members signaled their interest in an affordable housing component to any project Stanford may eventually propose for the site. On September 26, 2018, the Affiliated Housing partners returned to Council and Stanford indicated that they were interested in pursuing a faculty project with an affordable housing component.

Stanford submitted a Pre-Application in July 2019 to receive very preliminary feedback on the process and early conceptual plans. Pre-Applications are common in other cities/towns as a preliminary step so the applicant can receive feedback on the application process, what will be required, and ask questions of staff. The Pre-Application submittal was reviewed by Town departments and the Woodside Fire Protection District. The submittal materials and comments are available on the Town’s website.

On September 13, 2019, Stanford submitted a formal application, triggering the Town’s review under the requirements of the Municipal Code and State law for processing development projects. Staff does not have a role in “allowing” projects to move forward; if property owners submit an application, the Town is required to process it under State law. From October 2019 and November 2020, Stanford submitted plans and materials and the Town provided comments. This is typical for a development review application and often results in changes to the proposal. Town staff’s initial reviews are technical in nature and are focused on whether the application materials are sufficient and complete for processing. The early comments from staff do not discuss the merits of the project or whether the project is consistent with all the Town’s discretionary policies.

While staff is reviewing for the completeness of the application, outside agencies, Committees, and Town Consultants also review the plans and provide comments.

As such, Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) issued comments on these early submittals. While the Town coordinates with WFPD closely on all development projects, WFPD is a separate agency and provides independent comments on projects. The comments are posted on the Town’s website. 

In November 2020, Stanford submitted an application that was substantially complete. On January 20, 2021, the Planning Commission held a study session to introduce the project to the Commission and community. On January 25, 2021, ASCC also held a study session to review the same content. The staff reports, minutes, and Zoom recordings are available on the Town’s website. The staff reports include a detailed discussion about the key components of the project and what type of Town permits/approvals are required.

On June 30, 2021, the Planning Commission and ASCC held a joint meeting on two topics related to the project: 1) Discussion and Direction on Proposed Story Pole and Staking Plan; and 2) Discussion on State Density Bonus Law. The staff report and Zoom recording are available on the Town’s website.

The applicant hosted site tours for Town Commissioners, Committee Members, and members of the public August 26-28, 2021.  

On March 30, 2022 the Town publicly released a draft of the Environmental Impact Report ( EIR) for the project.  More information on the EIR can be found here.  Written response to received comments is currently under way. 

There will be many additional public meetings that will include, at a minimum:

• Subdivision Committee
• Trails and Path Committee
• Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee
• Conservation Committee
• Planning Commissions study sessions on specific topics
• ASCC
• Planning Commission Public Hearing
• Town Council Public Hearing

All public meetings will be posted on the Town’s website and residents that have signed up for eNotices will be updated directly. 

Through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process, the Town selected Lamphier Gregory, a firm that specializes in environmental review to prepare the EIR. Lamphier Gregory’s analysis is independent and they do not advocate for any particular outcome. The cost of the EIR is being reimbursed by Stanford, which is a typical arrangement for local governments in the area, so that the city/town not does not bear the cost of processing development applications. Stanford representatives do not have influence on the EIR analysis.

On January 30, 2020, the Planning Commission held a scoping meeting for the public and Commissioners to provide comments on the scope of the EIR and hear about the EIR process. The meeting was well attended by residents. The agenda, staff report, and minutes are available on the Town’s website. 

The Draft Environmental Impact Report was prepared for review and comment.  The comment period ran from March 30, 2022 to May 13, 2022. 

 Public Comments received can be viewed here.

A Planning Commission public hearing for the draft EIR was held on May 4, 2022, at 7:00. 

Written response to received comments is currently underway and a Final EIR (FEIR)will be prepared.  The FEIR will again be releases for public review and will be a part of the documents received and ultimately acted upon by Town decision making bodies at future meetings. The FEIR is expected to be released early winter, 2023.

No. The project proposal does not include an amendment to the Town’s Zoning Code or General Plan. The applicant proposes to use provisions of the existing Zoning Code, Subdivision regulations, as well as provisions of California Density Bonus Law.

California Government Code Sections 65915 – 65918 includes requirements commonly known as “State Density Bonus.”  The intent of the law is to create incentive for developers to include affordable housing within their projects by granting increased density and other regulatory incentives to make affordable housing economically feasible. The law has been amended several times over the last few years in response to the state housing crisis.

Density Bonus Law establishes a relationship between the number of affordable units, what income category the units fall into, and the number of total units allowed on site. By providing a certain number of affordable units, the developer is entitled to a certain number of additional housing units. In addition to density bonuses, applicants who provide the required amount of affordable housing qualify for various zoning modifications (defined as "incentives and concessions" or "waivers") and for reduced parking standards. Under State Density Bonus law, the term “concessions” is not defined as preferential treatment or something that is granted by the Town; rather, it is defined as:

• A reduction in site development standards or a modification of zoning code or architectural design requirements, such as a reduction in setback or minimum square footage requirements; or
• Approval of mixed use zoning; or
• Other regulatory incentives or concessions which actually result in identifiable and actual cost reductions.

The number of required incentives or concessions is based on the percentage of affordable units in the project. The town is required to grant the concession or incentive proposed by the developer unless it finds that the proposed concession or incentive does not result in identifiable and actual cost reductions, would cause a public health or safety problem, would cause an environmental problem, would harm historical property, or would be contrary to law. The Density Bonus Law restricts the types of information and reports that a developer may be required to provide to the local jurisdiction in order to obtain the requested incentive or concession. The local jurisdiction has the burden of proof in the event it declines to grant a requested incentive or concession. Financial incentives, fee waivers and reductions in dedication requirements may be, but are not required to be, provided by the city or county. The developer may be entitled to the incentives and concessions even without a request for a density bonus.

Please see this memo  from Town Legal Counsel regarding State Density Bonus Law and the summary  of Stanford’s Density Bonus request.

No. Any landowner can apply for planning/building permits for a land use development, and staff is obligated to process the application, including taking an application to the Planning or Architectural Site Control Commissions.

Even if there are issues that cause staff concern or pause, they have no authority to tell a landowner (single family, subdivision or commercial/retail) they cannot apply for a planning/building permit for their project or deny an applicant an opportunity for review by the Planning Commission.

Wildfire preparedness is a major priority of the Town and the project review will include serious consideration of this issue. As part of the submittal application materials, the applicant has submitted a Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) to address existing fire hazards across the entire parcel. These hazards were confirmed in part through use of a fire behavior model.

The Town’s EIR consultant is subcontracting with a specialized wildfire consultant, Carol Rice, who has worked previously in Portola Valley on such issues (including at Portola Valley Ranch). Their analysis will be important to the process and closely considered by the Planning Commission and Town Council.

The Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) is also a key partner in this effort. Their Fire Marshal has commented on the Stanford project, and these comments will be considered by the EIR Consultant, the Planning Commission, and the Town Council. The Fire Chief and Fire Marshal are also participating in the review of the wildfire section of the EIR. 

When Leland and Jane Stanford founded the University, they specified that campus lands could never be sold. The Stanfords' intention was to ensure that the land endowment to the University would exist in perpetuity. Therefore, ownership interests in homes on the Stanford campus are transferred by a residential ground lease, rather than by a grant deed of a "fee simple" estate.

The 27 single-family homes would be offered for sale to eligible Stanford faculty members. This sale process will be overseen by Stanford University’s Faculty Staff Housing. Stanford will construct the single-family homes, along with the rest of the project. Upon completion of each individual home, Stanford will sell the structure to the buyer, and at the same time, enter into a ground lease with the homeowner for the underlying lot. The buyer will own the home and lease the ground underneath their property.

Stanford University has a number of existing faculty homes located in both Santa Clara and San Mateo County. Based on past practices, Stanford expects that the county assessor will fully assess each of the 27 single-family homes just like any other single family home in the area. These homes are not eligible for any sort of tax exemption.

All  of the 12 multifamily affordable units will be rental units.  Stanford will enter into an Affordable Housing Agreement with the Town which would include such details as leasing preferences, descriptions of the BMR units, unit size, rental restrictions, provisions for monitoring the ongoing affordability of the units, and the process for qualifying prospective resident households for income eligibility, and formula for calculating affordable rent. 

Stanford will build, own, manage and maintain the 12 affordable units.  The formula for the level of affordability and income limits are set by the State based on San Mateo County incomes. Six of the units will reserved for households that qualify as “Low Income” under these requirements. The level of affordability of the other six units will be determined during the project review process. The units will be available at below market rates for 55 years.  

On January 30, 2020, the Planning Commission held a meeting to discuss the scope of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project. This action is a specific requirement at the beginning of a large land use project to ensure that the EIR document that is produced addresses all of the potential issues (and their mitigations, if possible) generated by its construction.

Town Staff has never ignored the comments made by the Fire District:

• Comments from two Fire Marshals have been included in the pre-application and application packet since the start of this process
• The current Fire Marshal has met with staff and Stanford multiple times in the last two years  to share his concerns
• Comments provided in the pre-application or application process can be incorporated as the applicant sees fit, and the staff has no role or power to compel an applicant to change a project based on any comments. While staff does make suggestions to applicants that there may be issues with their application based on their experience and knowledge, an applicant can choose to formally submit the application of their choosing. In fact, while it is uncommon, projects have been submitted for formal review by the Planning Commission and ASCC that factually do not meet the Town’s code, but the applicant chooses to move forward. 
• The Town and the District jointly signed a letter indicated their continued cooperation on this project in March 2020. 

This is incorrect. The staff has not made any concessions on the project, as the staff does not have the authority to make such concessions. The applicant has made, as part of their application, a request for concessions based on State Density Bonus Law, discussed above. 

This is incorrect. Per the Town’s Housing Element, staff is required to “Continue discussions with Stanford University concerning potential residential development of the Wedge property” (page 81 Housing Element, page 83 pdf). On a regular basis, staff and council members check in with affiliated housing partners generally on their plans.

In 2016, a member of the Town Council was seated at the same table as a Stanford University representative at a San Mateo County Closing the Jobs/Housing Gap Task Force meeting. Participants of the year-long Task Force  were asked to come up with new ways to create affordable housing in their communities and at a meeting break, the Town Council member asked the Stanford representative whether Stanford had plans to develop the Wedge. 

No. The Safety Element, per state law, must be updated in conjunction with the next Housing Element update. On August 11, 2021, Town Council considered the approach to the Safety Element Update and awarded a contract to Urban Planning Partners to support the Town in that effort. The Safety Element update will run concurrently with the Housing Element update, as intended by State law, and the work is expected to be completed in 2022.

California law allows a landowner to submit an application for a project, regardless of the proposal. Staff spends many hours with potential applicants to share ideas, reflect on the Town’s zoning code and design guidelines, and share experiences from previous development proposals.

An applicant can choose to bring forward any application they wish, even if the application does not conform to Town code.

In the case of this project, Stanford is requesting waivers of certain development standards under the State Density Bonus Law (see FAQ on density bonus law.)

Staff cannot simply tell an applicant “no, you may not bring forward your project”. That would circumvent California law, Portola Valley code, and a fair and transparent process. 

No, that is incorrect. Chapter 18.64.040 of the Town’s Zoning Code provides information on how architectural and site plan review is conducted, including the materials required for such a review. An applicant must clearly stake the perimeter of all proposed structures, and the ASCC “may require that the actual bulk of a structure be demonstrated through appropriate means on the site (i.e., balloons, story poles and ridge string”. For new single family homes, the Town’s practice has been to require full story poles.

Stanford requested that the ASCC and Planning Commission consider an alternative story pole and staking plan, not a request to waive the story pole and staking requirements in their entirety.

Stanford proposed this alternative plan due to the existing tree canopy and to minimize disturbances to the existing horse operations.

The Town’s story pole practices have been developed for individual single family home development, since that is the predominate type of development in Town. There are not separate guidelines for subdivisions with multiple units, since those are rare, nor for Below Market Rate (BMR) buildings. Furthermore, the Town’s policies don’t address installation of story poles at active sites such as this one, where there is an operating horse boarding facility.

At a joint meeting of the Planning and Architectural Site Control Commissions on June 30, 2021, the commissioners received public comments, discussed the proposal, provided direction on the extent of the story poles and suggested additional height poles. Stanford representatives agreed to make changes to their proposal in accordance with the Commission direction. The Commissioners further agreed that the Chairs of both Commissions would review the revised plan that incorporated the direction from the meeting. The staking, story poles and height poles were installed according to the materials reviewed by the Chairs of the Planning Commission and ASCC, in accordance with the agreement at the joint meeting. The commissioners also requested additional visual simulations to assist residents in visualizing the bulk of the project and its impact on views. Story poles structures were focused on Alpine Road, where visual impacts could be viewed by the maximum number of residents.

Stanford does not directly operate the horse boarding facility; Stanford leases the property to the operator, and the operator manages the horse boarding facility. Stanford does not interact directly with the actual boarders on the property as part of the operation of the facility.

Stanford has been in contact with the lessee of the property in relation to this proposed project since 2016. If the project is approved by the Town, Stanford will notify the lessee and work with them to develop a timeline to close the facility. Stanford will work with the operator of the Portola Valley facility to make them aware of potential vacancies at other Stanford-owned boarding facilities in the area.

Each home is proposed to have its own private fenced side and rear yard area, maintained by the individual homeowners. The three Below Market Rate (BMR) lots each have a small common area intended for use by the occupants. The project includes a community tot lot, which is approximately 12,630 square feet (0.29 acres) in size, and would be owned and maintained by the project homeowner’s association and intended for use by the residents of the community and their guests.

The remainder of the site includes project setbacks, wildfire buffer areas, and undeveloped property. Areas designed as project setbacks and wildfire buffers would be maintained by the project homeowner’s association. The remaining undeveloped portion of the property would remain under ownership by Stanford University. Due to liability and fire risks, these lands will remain as private property and will not be open to the general public. The Town would require a conservation easement (or similar legal instrument) that would require the remainder of the property to remain as open space for the life of the project. The open space would be maintained by Stanford. The Town would require legal guarantees that the open space would be maintained to certain standards for fire safety.

The project is proposing the construction of public trails totally appropriately 3,650 feet in length. Any trails that would be created as part of the proposed project would be constructed within public access easements granted to the Town of Portola Valley for the use of the general public. The trail alignments and specific types of trails will be determined through the process. The applicant has indicated that the proposed trail route was developed in the attempt to be equivalent to the identified trail routes in the Town’s adopted General Plan, while also attempting to avoid significant slopes, potential riparian areas, and other areas of potential habitat degradation. Stanford will construct these trails concurrent with the development of the overall project. 

As reflected in the Stanford’s submitted application package, the applicant is proposing 27 single-family homes (6 of which are in a duet configuration) for a total of 61,686 square feet. The 27 single-family homes represent 69% of the project’s overall unit count.

The applicant is proposing 3 BMR buildings that will house 4 rental units each, for a total of 12 BMR units. The three BMR units total 11,823 square feet. (The square footage numbers as shown are approximate and may change slightly.) The 12 BMR units represent 31% of the project’s overall unit count.

The ratio of faculty housing to BMR housing is 69%:31% on a unit basis and 84%:16% on a floor area basis.

The term “high density” housing is defined differently in different jurisdictions. In medium size communities in San Mateo County, high density may be defined as 40-50 units per acre. In large cities, high density may be considered greater than 100 units per acre. In Portola Valley, developments are not allowed at those densities, so there is not an adopted definition.

The proposed project is not “high density” housing in the sense that it does not have a high number of units per acre as the term is commonly used. The project is a cluster subdivision. One of the essential characteristics of a cluster subdivision is the preservation of some part of the larger parcels in a natural condition, while preserving overall density per acre. This planning method allows dwellings to be grouped away from sensitive environmental areas or natural hazards and to preserve open space. The overall site is 75.2 acres and the total number of units is proposed to be 39, so the overall density is 0.52 units per acre. 

According to the applicant, Stanford prepared a plan for trail alignments with consideration to the General Plan Trails and Path Element and topography of the site. Stanford overlaid the conceptual routes shown in Diagram A of the Trails and Path Element of the General Plan onto a topographic map of the Stanford property. Stanford then analyzed this exhibit, and made some modifications to the routes based on a better understanding of the topographic mapping of the site. Stanford indicated that they were trying to avoid extreme slopes and potential environmental features like potential wetlands and riparian corridors in accordance with State and Federal environmental laws. They further note that they think the modifications are consistent with Objective 3209. 1 of the Trails and Paths Element, which states that newly created trails should “ensure that such facilities are designed and used so as to avoid habitat degradation”.

Stanford has proposed a looped trail route of appropriately 3,650 feet in length that they believe to be equivalent in location to the trails shown on Diagram A of the Trails and Path Element. Through the public review process, the decision making bodies will determine whether the proposed trails are consistent with the General Plan. The Draft Environmental Impact Report will also be a valuable tool in assessing the proposed trails.

Stanford has indicated that they will continue to coordinate with the Town of Portola Valley Public Works and Planning Department staffs, the Trails Committee, Planning Commission and Town Council on the final details of the trail alignments and specific types of trails, consistent with the draft EIR, and in accordance with the Town’s Trail Standards.

Each version of the development application submitted to the Town by Stanford University has been routed by staff to the Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) for review and comment. The primary role of the District is to determine if the application is consistent with applicable code requirements in effect at the time of the application.  WFPD has also taken the opportunity to provide recommendations to the applicant to consider as part of their project design. A recommendation is considered a suggestion, and does not carry with it the weight of regulation or code requirement.

WFPD has made a recommendation to increase the spacing between structures to 100’. The Town’s Municipal Code requires spacing between buildings on separate lots of 20-50’ for development that is not within a Planned Unit Development. (Side setbacks are 10’-25’ depending on zoning district, so the spacing between buildings is the sum of the two setbacks.) The Town Municipal Code allows reduced setbacks for Planned Unit Developments. There is not a Building Code or Fire Code requirement for 100’ between buildings.

WFPD acknowledges that the 100’ spacing is a recommendation and not a Code requirement.  The applicant has acknowledged this recommendation by the WFPD, and has elected to not incorporate this requested design change at this time. Instead the applicant is proposing fire resistant building materials and a defensible fire break on the west (canyon) side of the property that go beyond the standard requirements. They will also comply with all Building and Fire Code requirements including fire sprinklers in all the units. The applicant is also working with the Fire District on other alternative measures.

The Draft EIR is expected to help inform the discussion about wildfire-related concerns. The WFPD Fire Chief and Fire Marshal are involved with review of the EIR. 

The buildings as proposed would comply with or exceed Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) materials and construction methods for exterior wildfire exposure as required per CBC 701A.3, CRC R337.1.3. A summary is provided below:

• All buildings would be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system.
• A defensible space area within 0-5’ of the building would be noncombustible.
• A 4” vertical noncombustible separation zone on the building would be maintained between the siding and the ground plane (or other built horizontal surfaces).
• The proposed buildings would be built with WUI materials and comply with construction methods for wildfire exposure.
• All roofs will be metal.
• All homes will be constructed with protected vents in eaves or cornices with baffles to block embers.
• All homes will be constructed with eaves and soffits protected with ignition-resistant or non-combustible materials.
• All homes will be constructed with dual-paned windows with one pane of tempered glass to reduce the chance of breakage in a fire.
• All homes will be constructed with exterior walls made of ignition resistant building materials, such as fiber cement, wall siding, fire retardant, treated wood, stucco, or other approved materials.

Stanford has proposed, in its “Stanford Wedge Property Development Vegetation Management Plan"  a variety of one-time and ongoing treatments to reduce wildfire risk from vegetation. This plan is under review by an independent EIR consultant’s wildfire expert, and that document should be released in the fall.

The project includes a fire access and maintenance road in the open space area and a variety of fire access-related elements in the residential development area.