A proposed townhome development on a 1.52-acre parcel at 23 Oakwood Boulevard in Atherton — the most expensive zip code in the United States. Owner and developer: David Arata, who inherited the property from his mother approximately 2020. Arata first brought plans for townhomes to the Atherton Planning Commission approximately 2021. His plans froze as Atherton began its contentious 6th Cycle Housing Element update. The town submitted and had rejected two Housing Elements (October 2022 and April 2023). During the January 31, 2023 emergency council meeting, Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha wrote a letter opposing the project, asking the town to exclude 23 Oakwood. The council rejected the Currys request but downzoned the parcel from 20 du/ac (up to 30 units) to 10 du/ac (up to 15 units) — cutting the project in half. HCD rejected the first Housing Element partly because 10 du/ac is below the density needed for meaningful affordable housing production. The town finally received HCD certification on May 5, 2025 — 2 years and 3 months past deadline. As of May 2026, the zoning is in place. No construction permits have been confirmed filed.
| Date | Event | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| June 1, 2020 | David Arata Inherits 23 Oakwood Boulevard | David Arata inherits a 1.52-acre single-family parcel at 23 Oakwood Boulevard from his mother, who died approximately mid-2020. He begins exploring plans to develop the property into townhomes, knowing the town has historically resisted all forms of multifamily housing. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2023/01/16/facing-mounting-pressure-atherton-adds-multi-family-housing-back-into-its-housing-plans/ |
| January 1, 2021 | Arata Brings Townhome Plans to Planning Commission | David Arata brings his townhome plans to the Atherton Planning Commission. He knows townhouses would not fly in Atherton but pursues the project through the Housing Element process. Plans freeze as Atherton begins its contentious 6th Cycle update. The town has never built multifamily housing in its history. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2023/01/16/facing-mounting-pressure-atherton-adds-multi-family-housing-back-into-its-housing-plans/ |
| October 31, 2022 | HCD Rejects First Housing Element | HCD rejects Atherton first Housing Element submission, finding the town is overestimating ADU production and has insufficient multifamily sites. Council Member Bob Polito: HCD gave Atherton an F. Mayor Widmer: "I had felt we made some concessions in zoning but it seems that it is not enough for HCD." Staff and consultants had predicted this outcome from the start. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/11/07/atherton-councilman-says-state-gave-town-an-f-for-housing-element-draft/ |
| January 18, 2023 | Steph and Ayesha Curry Write Letter Opposing 23 Oakwood | Steph and Ayesha Curry write a letter to Mayor Bill Widmer and Town Manager George Rodericks opposing the rezoning of 23 Oakwood Boulevard. They ask the town to exclude 23 Oakwood or commit to considerably taller fencing and landscaping to block sight lines. The letter becomes national news — republished by the SF Chronicle, Slate, KTVU, and dozens of national outlets. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2023/01/27/steph-and-ayesha-curry-oppose-upzoning-of-atherton-property-near-their-home/ |
| January 31, 2023 | Emergency Council Meeting — Currys Rejected, 23 Oakwood Kept But Downzoned | In a four-hour emergency meeting, residents in matching green protest shirts oppose multifamily housing. The council initially votes 4-1 for 20 du/ac at 23 Oakwood (up to 30 units), then revotes 5-0 for 10 du/ac (up to 15 units) under neighbor pressure — cutting the project in half. The resulting plan relies almost entirely on ADUs and institutional sites for its 348-unit RHNA obligation. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2023/02/01/atherton-guts-most-of-multifamily-housing-from-plan-its-sending-to-state/ |
| April 1, 2023 | HCD Rejects Second Housing Element | HCD rejects Atherton second Housing Element. The rejection partly reflects HCD concern that 10 du/ac at 23 Oakwood is below the density needed for meaningful affordable housing production. The January 31, 2023 deadline has now passed; Atherton is officially in violation. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2023/04/13/atherton-to-take-another-stab-at-housing-element/ |
| July 2, 2024 | HCD Issues Formal Violation Warning | HCD formally warns Atherton it is in violation of housing element law — now 18 months past the January 2023 deadline. HCD warns noncompliance could result in $10,000-$100,000/month fines that a court can multiply by six. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/atherton/2024/09/04/atherton-is-still-working-to-get-its-housing-plans-approved-in-the-wake-of-enforcement-letter-from-the-state/ |
| August 28, 2024 | Planning Commission Unanimously Recommends Removing Bay Road Sites | The Atherton Planning Commission unanimously recommends removing four Bay Road/Ringwood Avenue multifamily sites from the Housing Element following neighbor objections about traffic, privacy, and proximity to schools. The commission calls multifamily housing there bad urban planning. One neighbor: "Please maximize the height of the screening." The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/atherton/2024/09/04/atherton-is-still-working-to-get-its-housing-plans-approved-in-the-wake-of-enforcement-letter-from-the-state/ |
| October 16, 2024 | Third Housing Element Adopted | At a five-hour meeting that at times got rowdy, the Atherton City Council unanimously votes to adopt the third version of its Housing Element and submit to HCD. The plan includes 23 Oakwood as the primary private multifamily opportunity site at 10 du/ac. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/atherton/2024/10/17/atherton-approves-newest-housing-element/ |
| May 5, 2025 | HCD Certifies Housing Element — 2+ Years Past Deadline | HCD certifies Atherton Housing Element as compliant — 2 years and 3 months after the January 31, 2023 statutory deadline. The certification includes 23 Oakwood as a multifamily opportunity site at 10 du/ac with a 20% affordability requirement. Atherton did not receive any Builder Remedy applications during its period of non-compliance. As of March 2025, Atherton had allowed 111 new units including 28 very-low/extremely-low income, mostly ADUs. The 23 Oakwood townhomes have not broken ground. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/atherton/2025/05/27/atherton-housing-element-certified-by-state/ |
Rating 3 of 5. Multiple sources, including at least one primary record. Corrections: https://whokilledthebuilding.com/corrections.