The Portola Terrace Project — Stanford's Housing Deal Takes Shape

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Portola Valley's most significant housing action in decades is now moving from approval to construction. The Town Council unanimously approved the Portola Terrace Residential Development Project in December 2024 — a 39-unit development on 10.8 acres of Stanford-owned land along Alpine Road, comprising 27 houses on long-term ground leases for Stanford faculty and 12 affordable apartments for community workforce households. The project is now in the post-entitlement permit phase: five building, grading, demolition, encroachment, and Final Map applications were submitted in December 2025 and January 2026, with Stanford working with town staff to obtain all necessary permits before construction begins. The project brings meaningful community benefits: Stanford will underground PG&E powerlines along Alpine Road, install new fire hydrants, extend a water line 1,700 feet south along Alpine Road to increase water availability for the Westridge area, and build a new public trail loop connecting to existing Alpine Road trails — a rare case where a housing development actively improves wildfire resilience for surrounding properties.

Related cause: Development & Neighborhoods

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