(a) Development Standards. On Housing Element opportunity sites (City-owned parking lots): development standards are identified in Section 18.14.020.
The development standards for the special purpose districts are specified in Table 2, provided that more restrictive regulations may be recommended by the Architectural Review Board, pursuant to Section 18.76.020 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code.
Table 2 | ||||
Special Purpose District Site Development Standards | ||||
PF | OS(5) |
AC | Subject to Regulations in Chapter or Section: | |
Table 2 | ||||
Special Purpose District Site Development Standards | ||||
PF | OS(5) |
AC | Subject to Regulations in Chapter or Section: | |
Minimum Site Specifications | ||||
Site Area (acres) | 10 | 5 | ||
Site Width (ft) | 250 | |||
Site Depth (ft) | 250 | |||
Minimum Setbacks (ft) | Setback lines imposed by a special setback map pursuant to Chapter 20.08 of this code shall apply | Section 18.28.060(e) | ||
Front Setback | –(2) | 30 | 30 | Section 18.28.060(e) |
Rear Setback | –(2) | 30 | 30 | Section 18.28.060(e) |
Interior Side Setback | –(2) | 30 | 15 | |
Street Side Setback | –(2) | 30 | 24 | Section 18.28.060(e) |
Maximum Floor Area Ratio | 1:1(3) | See Table 3 | ||
Site Coverage and Impervious Coverage | ||||
Maximum Site Coverage | 30%(3) | 10% | Section 18.28.060(e) | |
Additional Site Area permitted covered by impervious ground surfaces | 10%(1) | |||
Maximum Impervious Coverage | See Table3(4) | |||
Height Restrictions | ||||
Maximum Height (ft) | 50 | 25 | 35 | Section 18.28.060(e) |
Maximum Height within 150 feet of aresidential district (ft) | 35 | Section 18.28.060(a) | ||
Maximum Number of Stories | 2 | |||
Daylight Plane for site lines abutting a residential district | ||||
Initial height (ft) | 10 | |||
Slope | 1:2 | |||
Residential Density | 1 unit/acre | |||
(1) For cemetery uses, all markers of graves shall be flush with grade level, and shall be considered impervious area under this requirement. | ||||
(2) The minimum front, side, and rear yards in the PF public facilities district shall be equal to the respective front, side, and rear yards required in the most restrictive abutting district; provided, that no yard adjoining a street shall be less than 20 feet and that no interior yard shall be less than 10 feet.
See Section 18.28.060(e) for exceptions to these development standards.
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(3)
Provided that, for parking facilities the maximum floor area ratio and site coverage shall be equal to the floor area ratio and site coverage established by the most restrictive adjacent district. See Section 18.28.060(e) for exceptions to these development standards.
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(4) Including buildings and all impervious ground surfaces, calculated pursuant to the provisions of Section 18.28.070(m). | ||||
(5) See Section 18.28.070(r) for specific exceptions to these development standards. | ||||
(b) Open Space Impervious Coverage and Floor Area
(1) Residential Use
The impervious coverage and floor area ratios shall be determined based on a sliding scale calculation. Table 3 provides the range of allowable percentages for the calculation. Allowable development for other site sizes between 1 and 10 acres shall be calculated on a prorated basis between the acreages shown in Table 3. Except that on Housing Element opportunity sites (City-owned parking lots), development standards are identified in Section 18.14.020.
Table 3 Open Space Residential Impervious Coverage and Floor Area Ratio Scale | ||||
Parcel Size | Impervious Coverage | Floor Area Ratio1 (FAR) | FAR with Bonus1 | |
< 1 acre | 7.5% | 6.0% | 7.5% | If >80% of site remains undisturbed and/or is restored with native vegetation |
3 acres | 5.0% | 5.0% | 6.0% | If >85% of site remains undisturbed and/or is restored with native vegetation |
5 acres | 4.0% | 4.0% | 5.0% | If >90% of site remains undisturbed and/or is restored with native vegetation |
>10 acres | 3.5% | 3.5% | 4.0% | If >95% of site remains undisturbed and/or is restored with native vegetation |
1See subsections (A) and (B) below. | ||||
(A) Bonus FAR
(i) The bonus FAR incentive is intended to encourage property owners to preserve and enhance the natural environment and agricultural uses in the OS district. For those property owners who agree to maintain or restore the vegetative conditions on their property to a natural state with appropriate native plantings or with certain agricultural crops, the designated floor area bonus for the development of the property shall be permitted. The minimum area that must be maintained in a natural or restored state is described in Section 18.28.050(b).
(ii) Areas to be set aside as “undisturbed” or “restored” shall include, but not be limited to: a) vegetation that has not been disturbed by development (construction, ornamental landscaping, farming, orchards, etc.); b) plantings with vegetation that is now considered native to the area, especially including drought-resistant and fire-resistant plantings; and c) retention or planting of edible crops or orchards with negligible grading and involving no removal of native vegetation. For restoration projects, the proposed landscape plans shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Department. The Director of Planning shall develop and maintain a list of native plantings and acceptable restoration vegetation.
(iii) As a requirement of receiving bonus FAR, the property owner shall enter into a covenant that is recorded with the property and would apply to all future property owners assuring that the designated areas will remain in the approved vegetative condition; enforcement provisions acceptable to the City Attorney will be outlined in the covenant. To remove the landscape restrictions related to the bonus FAR, the site development shall be modified to reduce the FAR to meet the standard requirements. These modifications are subject to design review.
(iv) For projects approved with bonus FAR, the property owner shall be required to submit a follow-up landscape/arborist report verifying the site is in compliance with the approved plans, five years after the project’s final sign-off, as outlined in 18.28.070(d).
(B) Calculation of Floor Area Ratio
(i) Gross floor area shall be calculated based upon the same criteria as Low Density Residential zone districts, as specified in Definitions Section 18.04.030(65)(C) and (D), except as below.
(ii) Basements shall follow the same standards as the R-1 Single Family Residential district, except that in addition basement area shall count if any portion is constructed on a slope in excess of ten percent (10%).
(2) Non-Residential Use
Where non-residential uses are proposed on a site, the impervious coverage shall be limited to 3.5% and the floor area ratio shall be limited to 5.0% of the site area. However, the City Council may, after recommendation from the Planning and Transportation Commission, allow increased impervious coverage and/or floor area through the Site and Design Review process, where Council finds that the use furthers the open space objectives of this chapter. In no case shall impervious cover or floor area ratio be allowed to exceed 10.0%.
(Ord. 5445 § 1, 2018: Ord. 5123 § 6 (part), 2011: Ord. 5062 § 2, 2009: Ord. 4964 § 4 (part), 2007: Ord. 5608 § 9, 2024)