The saga continues ...
"A judge has approved computer magnate Steve Jobs' long-delayed plan to tear down his mansion in Woodside and build a smaller home on the wooded property. But a preservation group is hoping for a last-minute agreement to relocate the 85-year-old house.
…
The Woodside Town Council first approved his application for a demolition permit in 2004. The council said the building was a historic resource but agreed with Jobs that restoring it would be expensive and economically unworkable.
But a group called Save Our Heritage went to court and blocked the demolition. A San Mateo County judge and an appellate court agreed that Jobs had failed to show that tearing the house down was his only practical option.
Jobs then submitted more information to the Town Council, which held public hearings and approved another demolition permit in May 2009. Superior Court Judge Marie Weiner, who had rejected the previous plan, upheld the council's decision this week.
Weiner said Jobs presented evidence that it would cost millions of dollars more to renovate the mansion than to build his proposed new home.
She also cited an expert report on the continued deterioration of the building, which has suffered from rot, mold, decay, animal and bird infestations, and human vandalism, and is located 160 feet from a branch of the San Andreas Fault.
Jobs has also tried for four years to find someone who would relocate and restore the mansion, Weiner said.
Her ruling allows Jobs to apply for a demolition permit. Town Manager Susan George said Friday that officials would need some time to review the permit and would require Jobs to save objects of historic interest from the building and turn them over to the town.
Douglas Carstens, a lawyer for Save Our Heritage, said the organization could appeal the ruling but hopes Jobs accepts the latest offer to save the home. It comes from Jason and Magalli Yoho, who have proposed to dismantle the structure and rebuild it on their 5-acre property 2 miles away.
"It would mean everybody would be happy," Carstens said. "The house would be relocated and preserved."
Jobs' lawyers were unavailable for comment. George said she has been told that Jobs and the Yohos are negotiating but haven't reached an agreement.”
Article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/12/BAL21CF4VE.DTL#ixzz0i4vA5CN2
———————
Looks like Jobs offered up $600,000 to move the house this past summer, but the developer fell through.
"In June of 2009, Jobs struck a deal with investor Gordon Smythe to disassemble and move the house to another location, at a cost to the Apple executive of $600,000."
http://www.macworld.com/article/147076/2010/03/jobs_house.html
———————
At the rate they’re going, Jobs will probably be dead before the new house is ever built (and I’m assuming a normal life expectancy).
He’s such a design aficionado. Would be interesting to see what his new house looks like (and would Johnny Ive help?)
Andy Hertzfeld, a member of the original Mac team, mentions the new house on Folklore.org:
"After dinner, we retired to another room that had an expensive stereo system and an elaborate model of the mostly underground house that Steve planned to build to replace the one we were standing in.”
http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.p...racters=Joanna Hoffman&sortOrder=Sort by Date
And that was 1985. So, this has been a long time in the making.
"A judge has approved computer magnate Steve Jobs' long-delayed plan to tear down his mansion in Woodside and build a smaller home on the wooded property. But a preservation group is hoping for a last-minute agreement to relocate the 85-year-old house.
…
The Woodside Town Council first approved his application for a demolition permit in 2004. The council said the building was a historic resource but agreed with Jobs that restoring it would be expensive and economically unworkable.
But a group called Save Our Heritage went to court and blocked the demolition. A San Mateo County judge and an appellate court agreed that Jobs had failed to show that tearing the house down was his only practical option.
Jobs then submitted more information to the Town Council, which held public hearings and approved another demolition permit in May 2009. Superior Court Judge Marie Weiner, who had rejected the previous plan, upheld the council's decision this week.
Weiner said Jobs presented evidence that it would cost millions of dollars more to renovate the mansion than to build his proposed new home.
She also cited an expert report on the continued deterioration of the building, which has suffered from rot, mold, decay, animal and bird infestations, and human vandalism, and is located 160 feet from a branch of the San Andreas Fault.
Jobs has also tried for four years to find someone who would relocate and restore the mansion, Weiner said.
Her ruling allows Jobs to apply for a demolition permit. Town Manager Susan George said Friday that officials would need some time to review the permit and would require Jobs to save objects of historic interest from the building and turn them over to the town.
Douglas Carstens, a lawyer for Save Our Heritage, said the organization could appeal the ruling but hopes Jobs accepts the latest offer to save the home. It comes from Jason and Magalli Yoho, who have proposed to dismantle the structure and rebuild it on their 5-acre property 2 miles away.
"It would mean everybody would be happy," Carstens said. "The house would be relocated and preserved."
Jobs' lawyers were unavailable for comment. George said she has been told that Jobs and the Yohos are negotiating but haven't reached an agreement.”
Article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/12/BAL21CF4VE.DTL#ixzz0i4vA5CN2
———————
Looks like Jobs offered up $600,000 to move the house this past summer, but the developer fell through.
"In June of 2009, Jobs struck a deal with investor Gordon Smythe to disassemble and move the house to another location, at a cost to the Apple executive of $600,000."
http://www.macworld.com/article/147076/2010/03/jobs_house.html
———————
At the rate they’re going, Jobs will probably be dead before the new house is ever built (and I’m assuming a normal life expectancy).
He’s such a design aficionado. Would be interesting to see what his new house looks like (and would Johnny Ive help?)
Andy Hertzfeld, a member of the original Mac team, mentions the new house on Folklore.org:
"After dinner, we retired to another room that had an expensive stereo system and an elaborate model of the mostly underground house that Steve planned to build to replace the one we were standing in.”
http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.p...racters=Joanna Hoffman&sortOrder=Sort by Date
And that was 1985. So, this has been a long time in the making.
