Tuesday: Woodside council faces decision on architectural review board seat

Good luck to John Carvell.

As the only Woodside (now retired) council member to go on the record for Dave Boyce, Mr. Burow gets quoted as if he is still a council member of the Town, and his vague generalities and "alternate facts" go unchallenged, as usual by the Almanac.

Disparaging the ASRB for more than two years, he has still not pointed to a single specific ASRB recommendation with which he has disagreed.

And that's not surprising because more than 85% of all ASRB projects go through with ease. Why don't you get those stats from the Town?

The Almanac, and Dave Burow, make mountains out of ASRB molehills.

The council never attend ASRB meetings, so is it any wonder they don't support their appointed body?

Mayor Gordon’s aggressive investigation against a long-standing volunteer in Woodside did not serve the public interest. But it did highlight Woodside’s continued lack of governance. A recent Almanac story exposed the Town's impropriety of not posting warrants, the Council's lack of concern for a clear policy on conflict of interest, and its apparent disinterest in identifying who authorized a $27,000+ investigation against a volunteer.

The Town has lost a good volunteer, allowing an opening for former Council Member Dave Burow to try to stack the Architectural Board with his picks. Burow - the self-appointed “Watchdog of the ASRB” - has as a mission to vigorously object to the work of board members who stand up for the General Plan, and he has now put up two candidates of his own for appointment.

Burow and his cohorts first pushed its agenda with the last-minute (and questionably funded) write-in campaign for Council. Empowering them further would close ranks around an agenda that aims to rob Woodside of experienced, thoughtful volunteers who make recommendations based on a thorough knowledge of the General Plan and Design Guidelines.

At the moment, the Council seems unwilling, or unable, to resist this trend and has appointed Burow's pick William McSherry. Council has also indicated early support for Burow’s second pick, newcomer Tom Carvell, rather than reappointing the well-respected and experienced Maggie Mah.

Carvell has never served as a volunteer for the Town of Woodside but was recently appointed by Mayor Tom Livermore to District 5’s HOA design board. Carvell’s references include John McMorrow, another well-known critic of the ASRB.

Mah, by contrast, is a long-time resident and volunteer, served on the General Plan Task Force, and lives in District 4.

If Council opts to appoint Carvell that would mean that the architectural review process would be dominated by appointees from District 5, an outrageous outcome. Consider that District 5 already enjoys double representation on the Planning Commission, while District 3 has none. Woodside needs to avoid the dominance of a single viewpoint in its local government.

The Council will vote on the last open ASRB seat on the 28th. If Mah is not reappointed, especially in light of Council’s recent significant increases in grading, basement, and house size maximums, the Town could well see a dramatic change in its rural character. It’s time for Council to wake up, support its volunteers, and listen to the voices of constituents who don't have personal agendas.

The ASRB’s good work is a matter of public record. There is no reason for the Council to break with precedent and turn down Mah’s reapplication for her position on the board. She provides an important voice for those in Woodside who want to see the General Plan upheld.

The next council meeting will bring out each council member's true colors: are they for Town volunteers and the principles of the General Plan, or will they fall in line with Burow et al. at the expense of the public good?

Mr. Doyle is a resident of the Sequoias and has a 25-year family history in Woodside.
Jennifer Werbe is a long time resident of Woodside and has served on architectural review boards in both Hillsborough and Woodside.

District 5 should be annexed into RWC

"ASRB out of control. Own it ! "Troika" be gone !"

Yep

I'm happy to report that the council chose Mr Carvel for the ASRB so things are definitely getting better for Woodside citizens.

Congratulations to Mr. Carvel. The Town Council was clearly listening to citizens. I hope Mr. McSherry and Mr. Carvel will bring back a new sense of transparency and fairness to the ASRB.

To TJ - the number of incidents and ethical lapses of the retired ASRB member have been so well documented and recounted so many times on this website that it would be ridiculous to restate them again. Why don't you simply click on the link that was previously provided and read the report that lists them chapter and verse?

To Retired Realtor - you should check your history because the ASRB has frequently had multiple members from the same district. Funny how that's never been an issue before.

The council would have done better to remove architectural review completely for Upper Redwood City, I mean Woodside Hills. As it is, the entire town is now dominated by their perspective. Let's just make Dave Burow King!

is the above false new??

is the above false news??