Accessory uses and facilities, as referenced in Section 18.10.030, shall be permitted when incidental to and associated with a permitted use or facility in the R-E, R-2, or RMD districts, or when incidental to and associated with an allowable and authorized conditional use therein, subject to the provisions below and of Chapters 18.40 and 18.42.
(a) Types of Accessory Uses
Accessory uses and facilities include, but are not limited to, the following list of examples; provided that each accessory use or facility shall comply with the provisions of this title:
(1) Residential garages, carports, and parking facilities, together with access and circulation elements necessary thereto;
(2) Facilities for storage incidental to a permitted use; and
(3) Recreational uses and facilities for the use and convenience of occupants or employees, or guests thereof, of a principal use or facility;
(b) Location and Development Standards
Except as otherwise provided in this section, accessory buildings shall at all times be located in conformance with requirements for principal buildings, and shall not be located in any required front, side, or rear yard. See Section 18.10.050(a)(3)(C) for allowed encroachments for small storage structures. Accessory buildings may be located in a required interior yard subject to the following limitations:
(1) An accessory building shall not be used for living and/or sleeping purposes unless the building was legally constructed for or was legally converted to living and/or sleeping purposes prior to October 13, 1983.
(2) An accessory building shall not be located in a required front yard, required street yard, or required rear yard of a through lot.
(3) An accessory building shall not be located in a required interior side or rear yard unless the building is at least seventy-five feet from any property line adjacent to a street, measured along the respective lot line. Provided, on corner lots, accessory buildings including detached garages and carports may be located in the rear yard if located at least 75 feet from the front street and at least 20 feet from the side street property lines.
(4) Accessory buildings located within a required interior yard as permitted by this section shall be subject to a maximum height established by a daylight plane beginning at a height of eight feet at the property line and increasing at a slope of one foot for every three feet of distance from the property line, to a maximum height of twelve feet.
(5) No accessory building shall have more than two plumbing fixtures. Accessory buildings shall not be allowed to be turned into habitable space nor shall these structures be allowed to have showers (indoor or outdoor), gas lines, washer/dryers, and/or cooking facilities to be provided inside or attached to the structure, unless the structure is proposed as an ADU/JADU that satisfies all requirements of the Palo Alto Municipal Code.
(6) Accessory buildings located within a required interior yard, as permitted by this section, shall not individually or cumulatively occupy an area exceeding fifty percent of the required rear yard.
(7) The minimum distance between separate buildings located on the same site shall be as required by Title 16; provided, accessory buildings in the Residential Estate (RE) district shall be separated from the principal building by at least three feet.
(8) A principal building and an accessory building, meeting the requirements of Title 16 and each located on a site as otherwise permitted for principal building and accessory buildings, may be connected by a structure meeting the definition of a breezeway. Such structure, or breezeway, shall be a part of the accessory building.
(Ord. 5585 § 4, 2023: Ord. 4875 § 2 (part), 2005)