A 105-unit, 16-story residential development proposed by Woodside Community Housing (owned by Fullerton-based developer Ben Eilenberg) on a 0.36-acre vacant lot at 4224 Jefferson Avenue in Woodside, one of the wealthiest towns in the United States. The application invokes California's Builder's Remedy, which allows developers to bypass local zoning when a city lacks a state-certified housing element. Preliminary applications were filed in October and December 2024, before HCD certified Woodside's housing element in January 2025. The 16-story proposal would exceed the town's roughly 30-foot residential height limit by nearly seven times. The unit mix is 18 three-bedrooms, 25 two-bedrooms, 47 one-bedrooms, and 15 studios, with 20 percent designated for low-income housing, triggering California's density bonus. The town has repeatedly deemed the application incomplete — issuing incompleteness notices in July, November, and December 2025 and again in April 2026 — citing among other things a lack of available sewer services. The project became entangled in a separate controversy when former Town Manager Jason Ledbetter, after releasing a February 2026 whistleblower report alleging that council members delayed housing projects, wrote to a resident that "They are also attempting to hide a builder's remedy project at 4224 Jefferson"; Ledbetter was later fired after an investigation found most of his allegations unsubstantiated. As of June 22, 2026, the town stated no complete application had been submitted and the project's future remained uncertain. Woodside Community Housing told The Almanac it was discussing potential modifications to the project with the town.
| Date | Event | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2024 | Initial Preliminary Application Submitted | Woodside Community Housing submitted its first preliminary Builder's Remedy application for the 105-unit, 16-story Jefferson Avenue project. Under SB 330 the developer then had until late June 2025 to submit a complete development application. (Day of month not specified in source.) The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
| December 1, 2024 | Second Preliminary Application Submitted | A follow-up preliminary application was submitted in December 2024, still before the town's housing element was certified. (Day of month not specified in source.) The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
| January 1, 2025 | Housing Element Certified — Builder's Remedy Window Closes | HCD certified Woodside's housing element in January 2025, closing the Builder's Remedy window for new applications. The Jefferson applications, filed in Oct/Dec 2024, predated certification. (Day of month not specified in source.) The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
| July 1, 2025 | Application Deemed Incomplete | The town deemed the development application incomplete in July 2025, the first in a series of incompleteness determinations. (Day of month not specified in source.) The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
| November 1, 2025 | Incompleteness Notice Issued | After resubmission, the town issued another incompleteness notice in November 2025. (Day of month not specified in source.) The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
| December 26, 2025 | Third Incompleteness Notice; Developer Email | The town issued another incompleteness notice in December 2025. Eilenberg wrote a Dec. 26 email criticizing the town's process as impractical and legally unsupported, and warning of legal fee risk. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
| February 19, 2026 | Whistleblower Report Released | Former Town Manager Jason Ledbetter released a 14-page whistleblower report alleging that council members delayed housing projects, made racist statements and created a hostile work environment, and was placed on paid leave. Afterward he wrote to a resident: "They are also attempting to hide a builder's remedy project at 4224 Jefferson." The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
| April 30, 2026 | Whistleblower Fired; Application Still Incomplete | Ledbetter was fired after the town's independent investigation found the majority of his allegations unsubstantiated. Separately, the applicant was notified in April 2026 that the application remained incomplete. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
| June 22, 2026 | Town Confirms No Complete Application | Acting Town Manager Melissa Cardinale stated the town had not received a complete development application and that no formal proposal had been submitted — meaning, per the town, no public meeting or public disclosure was required. The Almanac: https://www.almanacnews.com/woodside/2026/06/26/woodside-and-socal-developer-wrangle-over-16-story-housing-projects-fate/ |
Rating 3 of 5. Multiple sources, including at least one primary record. Corrections: https://whokilledthebuilding.com/corrections.