I am writing as a taxpayer and homeowner at 5 Russell Court in the Willows to register my strong opposition to the proposed development at 80 Willow Road.
While I understand the intent to add affordable housing to this part of the Peninsula, I believe the downsides to existing residents are simply too severe to justify the project as currently proposed.
To start, this project is on a scale unlike anything else in the area, and that alone guarantees years of disruption. Building multiple high-rise towers is a massive, multi-year construction effort. Neighbors like me will be living with construction noise, dust, vibrations from heavy machinery, and periodic street closures for years on end.
Beyond the construction itself, the finished project would permanently transform the character of this neighborhood. A 39-story, 458-foot tower doesnt exist anywhere on the Peninsula today — youd have to go to San Francisco to find something comparable. Even Oakland tops out at 28 stories, and San Joses tallest building, 200 Park Avenue, is capped at 19 stories because of FAA restrictions near Mineta San Jose International Airport.
Every city between here and San Francisco has zoning that keeps buildings far shorter than whats being proposed. Dropping towers of this height into a neighborhood of single-family homes and low-rise buildings would be a jarring, permanent change to the suburban character we chose to live in.
The height also has direct consequences for the people who live nearby. Towers of this size will loom over adjacent backyards, cutting off sunlight and destroying the privacy residents currently enjoy.
Traffic is another major concern. Adding hundreds of homes, a hotel, and large office spaces will send thousands of additional car trips onto Willow Road and Middlefield Road — both of which are already notorious commute-hour bottlenecks.
That same population growth will strain local infrastructure across the board: street parking, sewage systems, and the electrical grid all risk being overwhelmed. And while the project includes a preschool, it does nothing for the elementary, middle, and high schools that would face enrollment surges they arent equipped to handle.
Im also deeply concerned about the environmental impact. My home borders San Francisquito Creek, and we value its wildlife and natural character. Since the development site sits directly along the creek, construction and the increased urban runoff that comes with a project this size will almost certainly threaten the riparian habitat and the protected species that depend on it.
Safety is another issue that shouldnt be overlooked. Gridlocked streets from this level of density could slow emergency response times and complicate evacuation during floods (weve seen several near Chaucer Street in recent years), earthquakes, or fires.
Finally, this project would mean the loss of a genuine piece of local heritage. The former Sunset Magazine headquarters, designed by Cliff May, is an architectural landmark representing mid-century Western living. Its low-rise, beautifully landscaped campus currently serves as a peaceful buffer within the community — something that would be gone for good.
For all of these reasons, I ask that this project not be approved as proposed.
Respectfully,
Pascal Bensoussan
