On January 27, 2022, Town of Woodside Planning Director Jackie Young issued a memo declaring the entire incorporated town of Woodside a mountain lion habitat, freezing all housing applications under California's SB 9 (effective January 1, 2022). The memo invoked a real SB 9 exemption for areas designated as habitat for protected species. Mountain lions are listed as a candidate for the California Endangered Species Act, making them a covered species. The town's position: because Woodside "in its entirety" lies within mountain lion habitat, no parcel in the entire town is eligible for SB 9 development. National coverage followed within days — New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, BBC, The Guardian, The Atlantic. California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a letter on February 6, 2022: "An entire town cannot be declared habitat for a protected species, and the exemption of a specific lot would have to be based on substantial evidence. Land that is already developed is not, by definition, habitat." That evening, the Woodside Town Council held a closed emergency session under threat of a lawsuit from Californians for Homeownership. On February 7, 2022 — 13 days after the mountain lion memo — the town reversed course. No developer had applied during the 13-day moratorium. The town's separately adopted 800-square-foot unit cap on SB 9 development (January 11, 2022) remains in effect and has also produced zero applications, potentially making SB 9 development economically infeasible in a market where construction costs are $500-$700 per square foot. Woodside's RHNA 6th Cycle obligation is 328 units. In the prior cycle it built 62 units.
| Date | Event | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2022 | SB 9 Takes Effect — Woodside Immediately Restricts It | California's SB 9 takes effect on January 1, 2022, allowing homeowners in single-family zones to split lots and build up to four residential units. Woodside immediately begins the process of minimizing its impact. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/02/02/woodside-freezes-sb-9-projects-with-town-citing-excemption-for-mountain-lion-habitats |
| January 11, 2022 | Woodside Passes SB 9 Ordinance Capping Units at 800 Square Feet | The Woodside Town Council passes an ordinance implementing SB 9 with the most restrictive possible conditions: all SB 9 units are capped at 800 square feet (vs. the state default of up to 1,200 sq ft); basements are banned; areas at high wildfire risk are excluded. In a market where construction costs are $500-$700 per square foot, an 800 sq ft unit may be financially infeasible for most homeowners. The ordinance achieves de facto blockage of most SB 9 development without invoking the mountain lion. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/02/07/woodside-reverses-course-on-controversial-mountain-lion-moratorium-on-housing-projects/ |
| January 25, 2022 | Town Council Meeting — Mountain Lion Exemption Discussed, Moratorium Implicitly Approved | At the January 25, 2022 Town Council meeting, the mountain lion habitat exemption is raised as a potential way to block SB 9 entirely. The council does not formally vote but allows Planning Director Jackie Young to proceed with studying and implementing the exemption. All SB 9 applications are placed on indefinite hold. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/02/02/woodside-freezes-sb-9-projects-with-town-citing-excemption-for-mountain-lion-habitats |
| January 27, 2022 | Planning Director Issues Mountain Lion Habitat Memo — All SB 9 Applications Frozen | Town Planning Director Jackie Young issues an official memo declaring the entire incorporated Town of Woodside a mountain lion habitat, citing the SB 9 species protection exemption. The memo states: "Mountain lions are a protected species because they are a candidate for the California Endangered Species Act and Woodside, in its entirety, is a mountain lion habitat." All SB 9 applications are frozen indefinitely. Town Manager Kevin Bryant confirms the hold. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/02/02/woodside-freezes-sb-9-projects-with-town-citing-excemption-for-mountain-lion-habitats |
| February 2, 2022 | The Almanac Reports — National Coverage Begins | The Almanac publishes the first news article about the Woodside mountain lion freeze. Within days the story is covered by the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC News, BBC, NPR, The Guardian, and The Atlantic. Woodside becomes a global symbol of housing obstruction. A BBC anchor says the story "really doesn't sound like it's real." The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/02/02/woodside-freezes-sb-9-projects-with-town-citing-excemption-for-mountain-lion-habitats |
| February 6, 2022 | AG Bonta Issues Memo — "An Entire Town Cannot Be Declared Habitat" | California Attorney General Rob Bonta issues a letter to Woodside on a Sunday. Key findings: (1) an entire town cannot be declared habitat for a protected species; (2) land that is already developed is not, by definition, habitat; (3) the species protection exemption requires parcel-by-parcel analysis with substantial evidence. AG Bonta: "Woodside declared its entire suburban town a mountain lion sanctuary in a deliberate and transparent attempt to avoid complying with SB 9." Californians for Homeownership is simultaneously preparing a lawsuit. CA OAG: https://www.oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-memorandum-declaring-woodside-mountain-lion-sanctuary |
| February 6, 2022 | Emergency Closed Session — Town Council Decides to Reverse | Hours after AG Bonta's Sunday memo, the Woodside Town Council holds a closed session emergency meeting. The council discusses both the AG's letter and the imminent Californians for Homeownership lawsuit. The council directs staff to reverse the moratorium effective the following morning. NBC Bay Area: https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/making-it-in-the-bay/woodside-reverses-housing-decision-after-ag-denies-mountain-lion-sanctuary-status/2803141/ |
| February 7, 2022 | Moratorium Reversed — 13 Days After Memo, Zero Applications Received | Deputy Town Attorney Kai Ruess announces that beginning February 7, all SB 9 applications will be accepted. "The Department of Fish and Wildlife advised that the entire Town of Woodside cannot be considered habitat. As such, the Town Council has directed staff to immediately begin accepting SB 9 applications." Duration of the mountain lion moratorium: 13 days. Applications received during the moratorium: zero. The 800 sq ft unit cap remains in effect. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/02/07/woodside-reverses-course-on-controversial-mountain-lion-moratorium-on-housing-projects/ |
| February 15, 2022 | Aftermath: Residents Call for Investigation, Town Has Received Zero SB 9 Applications | No SB 9 applications have been received even after the reversal. Resident Bob Wilson calls for investigations into Planning Director Young and Town Manager Bryant for mishandling SB 9 and subjecting the town to "embarrassment and humiliation." A Planning Commission member raises declining Woodside Elementary School enrollment as a sign of the town's housing problem: "We've seen declining enrollment; there's empty classrooms at this point." The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/02/15/in-aftermath-of-mountain-lion-exemption-woodside-residents-question-council-and-staffs-judgment/ |
| July 23, 2024 | Woodside Adopts 2023-2031 Housing Element — HCD Certifies Conditionally | The Woodside Town Council adopts its 6th Cycle (2023-2031) Housing Element, planning for 328 units. Two days later, HCD writes confirming the element meets the statutory requirements of State Housing Element Law but cannot be found in substantial compliance until required rezonings are completed. Until then, Woodside faces potential fines of $10,000/month and possible loss of local land use control. Town of Woodside FAQ: https://www.woodsideca.gov/m/faq |
Rating 4 of 5. Primary records for the key facts; minor details may rest on reporting. Corrections: https://whokilledthebuilding.com/corrections.