Woodside: Mixed reception to changes in home-design review

why does the coverage of this topic persist in describing Steve Lubin as a "resident"? It would seem relevant and pertinent to note that his wife is an ASRB member, which presumably has an impact on his view of the subject. Whether one agrees with him or not, quoting him without that context seems journalistically incorrect.

to anonymous, my thoughts exactly!!

Will there be an additional cost for those whose projects go to the architect provided by the Town?

What lazy reporting---nearly all of the people quoted in the article are affiliated with the Town Council or the Review Board. Alan Watkins and his wife had a home project before the ASRB in February, including a 3-car garage built into the hillside. I wonder if they had difficulty getting this past the ASRB, though it is described in the PDF as a new "green garage."

Where did the reporter go to get these people for commentary? The Town Hall?

What is Alan Watkins’s beef with the ASRB? They recommended approval of his project in a straightforward manner. Nancy Reyering’s specific comments can be found on the town website: “Member Reyering said this is a great facelift for the property. There are many exterior design changes that will be lovely. She doesn’t think the natural materials conflict with the Residential Design Guidelines in terms of aesthetics for the landscaping. She praised the entry feature, and the decision to move the fence closer to the house so the property can remain open to wildlife. She appreciates minimizing visibility of the garage as well as the half buried concept of a green roof. …It incorporates an element of sustainability, which is positively reflective of the Residential Design Guidelines.”

Web Link

"Member Reyering said this is a great facelift for the property" "There are many exterior design changes that will be lovely."

Sorry, the fact SHE thinks it is a "great facelift" or there are design elements that are "lovely" are meaningless. Those words should not be coming out of her mouth. The design complies or it doesn't is all she needs to say and all she should be saying. No one cares what she thinks about the design. They care if it complies with the town's zoning regulations.

This is why the people of Woodside are so pissed off about the current ASRB. The town council should wise up and kick her and the other two members of her "troika" off the board, so projects can be reviewed based on the actual requirements of the town as opposed to what Reyering and her partners think is "lovely."

This is why Woodside has the reputation in the design and construction community it has. No one wants to deal with craziness of the ASRB.

Where'sTheBeef believes that the FINAL comments by one member of the ASRB when a project was approved is all that is needed to dismiss the complaints voiced by an overwhelming majority of Woodside citizens.

Baloney.

What Beef ignores is all of the time and effort that PRECEDED that final approval that was required by the homeowner to address the capricious and off-topic demands from that member. To the extent those demands and requests had nothing to do with Woodside's design guidelines, that effort was a waste of time and money and unnecessarily delayed a family's lawful desire to build or improve their home.

Woodsiders spoke loudly and clearly about our town's permitting process. It is faulty and unpredictable - two things that are unacceptable. I'm glad out Town Council has taken a baby step to improve the situation. The Council should monitor these changes and if the ASBR continues to be problematic, that should make additional reforms.