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For the purposes of this section, the following terms are defined:
(a) The "Main SUMC" site is defined as all properties zoned HD bounded by Welch Road, Pasteur Drive and Quarry Road and is comprised of Assessor's Parcel Numbers 142-23-003, 142-23-004, 142-08-005, 142-23-006, 142-23-007, 142-23-010, 142-23-012, 142-23-016, 142-23-017, 142-23-018, 142-23-019, 142-23-024, 142-23-025.
(b) The "Stanford Hoover Pavilion" site is defined as all properties zoned HD bounded by Quarry Road and Palo Road and is comprised of Assessor's Parcel numbers, 142-04-011 and 142-04-019.
(Ord. 5123 § 7 (part), 2011)
The uses of land allowed by this chapter in the HD district are identified in the following table. Land uses that are not listed on the table are not allowed, except where otherwise noted. Permitted and conditionally permitted land uses for the HD district are shown in Table 1:
Table 1: HD Permitted and Conditional Uses
LAND USE | HD | Subject to Regulations in: |
LAND USE | HD | Subject to Regulations in: |
ACCESSORY AND SUPPORT USES | ||
Accessory facilities and activities customarily associated with or essential to permitted uses, and operated incidental to the principal use | P | Ch. 18.40, 18.42 |
Eating and drinking services in conjunction with a permitted use | P | |
Retail services in conjunction with a permitted use | P | |
Safe Parking | 18.42.160 | |
EDUCATIONAL, RELIGIOUS, AND ASSEMBLY USES | ||
Churches and religious institutions | P | |
Public or private colleges and universities and facilities appurtenant thereto | CUP | |
HEALTH CARE SERVICES | ||
Ambulance Services | CUP | |
Convalescent Facilities | CUP | |
Hospitals | CUP | |
Medical Office | CUP | |
Medical Research | CUP | |
Medical Support Retail | P | |
Medical Support Services | P | |
OTHER USES | ||
Other uses which, in the opinion of the director, are similar to those listed as permitted or conditionally permitted uses | P, CUP | |
PUBLIC/QUASI-PUBLIC FACILITY USES | ||
All facilities owned or leased, and operated or used, by the City of Palo Alto, the County of Santa Clara, the State of California, the government of the United States, the Palo Alto Unified School District, or any other governmental agency | P | |
Community Centers | CUP | |
Utility Facilities essential to provision of utility services but excluding construction/storage yards, maintenance facilities, or corporation yards. | CUP | |
SERVICE USES | ||
Day Care Centers | CUP | |
Hotels providing not more than 10% of rooms with kitchens | CUP | |
TRANSPORTATION USES | ||
Helipads and helicopter uses | CUP | |
Transit stops and shelters | P | |
Parking Facilities | CUP | |
TEMPORARY USES | ||
Farmer's Markets | P | |
Temporary parking facilities, provided such facilities shall remain no more than five years | P | |
(Ord. 5490 § 8, 2020: Ord. 5123 § 7 (part), 2011)
(a) Development Standards
Table 2 specifies the development standards for structures in the HD district.
Table 2: Development Standards
HD | Subject to regulations in Section (7): |
HD | Subject to regulations in Section (7): | |
Minimum Site Area | No standards | |
Minimum Site Width | No standards | |
Minimum Site Depth | No standards | |
Minimum Street Setbacks | 10 ft(1) | |
Maximum Site Coverage | 40%(2)(4) | 18.04.030(a)(86) |
Maximum Height (ft) | 130 ft(5) | |
Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) | 1.5 to 1(3)(6) | 18.04.030(a)(57) |
(1) Measured from the right-of-way line of any public street to the base of the buildings and not including any awnings or other projections. This setback requirement does not apply to below-grade parking facilities or portions of buildings that bridge a street. This setback requirement also does not apply to any portion of a lot or site that does not abut a public street. (2) Site coverage is calculated based upon the total contiguous area within this zone (Main SUMC site or the Stanford Hoover Pavilion site), rather than on a parcel-by-parcel basis. (3) FAR is calculated based up on the total contiguous area within this zone (Main SUMC site or the Stanford Hoover Pavilion site), rather than on a parcel-by-parcel basis. (4) The maximum site coverage for the Stanford Hoover Pavilion site shall be 30 percent. (5) The maximum height for new construction at the Stanford Hoover Pavilion site shall be 60 ft. (6) The maximum floor area ratio for the Stanford Hoover Pavilion site shall be 0.5 to 1. (7) The regulations referenced in this table apply except as revised in this chapter. | ||
(b) Floor Area Ratio
Except as provided in this section, floor area ratio shall be defined in accord with Chapter 18.04 of the Zoning Ordinance. All areas used to enclose service and mechanical equipment, whether on rooftops, basements, interstitial space, or other interior areas, shall be excluded from floor area calculations. All parking facilities also shall be excluded from floor area calculations.
(c) Lot Coverage
Except as provided in this section, lot coverage shall be defined in accord with Chapter 18.04 of the Zoning Ordinance. Parking facilities shall be excluded from lot coverage.
(d) Height and Grade
(1) Except as provided in this section, building height shall be defined in accord with Chapters 18.04 and Section 18.40.090 of the Zoning Ordinance. Helicopter pads on top of the buildings, rooftop mechanical equipment and associated screens, cryogen vents, grease hoods, wind or solar energy equipment, and elevator shafts/ overruns shall be excluded from building height calculations, but shall be subject to architectural review as required in Chapters 18.76 and 18.77 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(2) Grade shall be measured in accord with Chapter 18.04 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(e) Street Setbacks
Except as provided in this section, setbacks shall be defined in accord with Chapter 18.04 of the Zoning Ordinance. In the HD district, setbacks from public streets shall be defined as the area between the right of way line of any public street to the base of the building, and not including any awnings or other projections. Setback requirements do not apply to any below grade parking facilities or portions of buildings that bridge a street. Setback requirements also do not apply to any portion of a lot or site that does not abut a public street. No setback requirements other than street setback requirements apply in the HD district.
(f) Recycling Storage
All new development, including approved modifications that add thirty percent or more floor area to existing uses, shall provide adequate and accessible interior areas or exterior enclosures for the storage of recyclable materials in appropriate containers. The design, construction and accessibility of exterior recycling areas and exterior enclosures shall be subject to recommendation by the architectural review board, and approval by the director of planning and development services, in accordance with Section 18.76.020 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(g) Employee Shower Facilities
Employee shower facilities shall be provided for any new building constructed or for any addition to or enlargement of any existing building as specified in Table 3.
Table 3: Employee Showers Required
Uses | Gross Floor Area of New Construction (ft2) |
Showers Required |
All government or special district facilities designed for employee occupancy, colleges and universities, private educational facilities, business and trade schools and similar uses | 0 - 9,999 | No requirement |
10,000 – 19,999 | 1 | |
20,000 – 49,999 | 2 | |
50,000 and up | 4 |
(Ord. 5494 § 3, 2020: Ord. 5123 § 7 (part), 2011)
(a) Except as provided in this section, off-street parking and loading facilities shall be required for all permitted and conditional uses in accord with Chapter 18.52 and 18.54 of the Zoning Ordinance. Except as provided in this section, all parking and loading facilities on any site, whether required as minimums or optionally provided in addition to minimum requirements, shall comply with regulations and the design standards established by Chapters 18.52 and 18.54 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(b) Parking requirements in the HD district will be performance-based, as established by the applicable conditional use permit. Parking shall be provided to meet projected needs, with consideration given to the potential for reduced parking demand due to the proximity of the Palo Alto Intermodal Transit Station (PAITS) and demonstrated effective transportation demand management (TDM) programs.
(c) The following parking improvements shall be exempt from the parking landscape requirements of Section 18.54.040:
(1) All structured parking facilities;
(2) Restriping of existing surface parking facilities and other improvements to surface parking facilities that do not materially alter the existing conditions; and
(3) Parking or loading areas identified for use in the event of emergency or mass population events such as earthquakes, pandemics, or human-made biological/chemical exposure.
(e) For the purposes of calculating shading percentage pursuant to Section 18.54.040(d):
(1) Shade structures may be utilized in lieu of trees;
(2) The canopies of protected trees (as defined by Section 8.10.020
(l)) transplanted on the site will count as double the actual tree canopy; and
(3) Valet parking facilities may be designed to achieve twenty-five percent shading (rather than fifty percent shading).
(Ord. 5557 § 7, 2022: Ord. 5123 § 7 (part), 2011)
(a) Applicability
(1) Except as provided in this section, development in the HD district shall comply with Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 8.10 (Tree Preservation and Management Regulations), and the city Tree Technical Manual.
(2) No protected tree (as defined by Section 8.10.020(l)), shall be removed or relocated until the director of planning and development services (“director”), in consultation with the urban forester, has determined whether the protected tree meets the standards of Group 1 or Group 2 Trees, as defined below, and the applicable Protected Tree Removal Permit or Protected Tree Relocation Permit has been obtained. The city’s determination whether a protected tree meets the standards of Group 1 or Group 2 Trees shall be valid for a period of ten years following the date of such determination.
(3) For the purposes of this chapter, “Biological tree resources” shall have the same meaning as “Protected trees” as defined in Section 8.10.020(l).
(4) For the purposes of this chapter, "Biological and Aesthetic tree resources" shall consist of those trees that are both biological tree resources and that have been designated as Group 1 Trees by the director in consultation with the city arborist based on a finding that the tree possesses at least one of the following characteristics:
(A) Functions as an important or prominent visual feature relating to the existing area, proposed conditions, pedestrian or vehicular thoroughfares;
(B) Contributes to a larger grove or shared canopy, landscape theme or otherwise provides important visual balance to existing buildings, trees or streetscape; or
(C) Possesses unique character as defined in the designation of heritage trees, (Section 8.10.090) such as, an outstanding specimen of a desirable species, distinctive in form, size, age, location or historical significance.
(5) Within the HD district, protected trees fall into one of the following categories:
(A) Group 1 Trees: Biological and aesthetic tree resources which are identified in Table 4. If a protected tree is not listed in Table 4, or if more than ten years have elapsed since the city's determination whether the tree is a Group 1 Tree, the director shall determine whether the tree meets the definition of Section 18.36.070(a)(4), above prior to issuance of any permit to remove or relocate the tree;
(B) Group 2 Trees: Biological tree resources that are identified in Table 4. If a protected tree is not listed in Table 4, or if more than ten years have elapsed since the city's determination whether the tree is a Group 2 Tree, the director shall determine whether the tree meets the definition of Section 18.36.070(a)(3), above prior to issuance of any permit to remove or relocate the tree.
Table 4: Protected Tree Groups
Tree Group | Tree Tag Number (from SUMC FEIR) | Tree Location |
Tree Group | Tree Tag Number (from SUMC FEIR) | Tree Location |
1 | 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 | Kaplan Lawn |
317, 318, 319, 320, 322, 323*, 324* | FIM 1 | |
608, 996* | Welch Road | |
2 | 325, 326, 327, 328 | FIM 1 |
333, 373, 374, 375, 383, 387, 388, 410, 425, 428, 433, 436, 438, 439, 440, 441, 448, 450, 478, 479, 538, 544 | SHC | |
887, 960, 961, 966, 967, 968, 969, 970, 1010, 1011, 1016, 1017, 1092, 1096, 1097, 1098, 1102, 1103, 1104, 1107, 1108, 1109, 1111, 1119, 1170, 1172, 1174, 1175, 1176, 1177 | LPCH | |
1349, 1350, 1351, 1352, 1365,1366, 1388, 1389, 1390, 1391, 1393, 1399, 1400, 1420, 1435, 1438, 1439, 1442, 1469, 1481, 1483, 1485, 1500, 1503, 1506 | Hoover | |
*Trees to be relocated. | ||
(b) Preservation.
Notwithstanding Chapter 8.10, Group 1 Trees shall not be removed unless they meet the standard in Section 8.10.050
(a)(1)(i). Authorized relocation of Group 1 Trees shall not constitute removal.
(c) Relocation.
Notwithstanding Chapter 8.10,
Group 1 and Group 2 Trees may be relocated upon issuance of a Protected Tree Relocation Permit from the director in consultation with the urban forester. For purposes of this section, authorized relocation of Group 1 and 2 Trees shall not constitute removal. The requirements for a Protected Tree Relocation Permit shall be as follow:
(1) The applicant shall submit a proposed Tree Relocation and Maintenance Plan (TRMP) that (i) evaluates the feasibility of moving the tree to another location on or near the development site; and (ii) identifies the actions to be taken to increase the likelihood that relocation is successful including the following information: pre-relocation irrigation, relocation procedures, monitoring inspections, and post-relocation tree irrigation and maintenance.
(2) If the director determines the proposed relocation is feasible, the director shall issue a Protected Tree Relocation Permit requiring the following:
(A) The Protected Tree Relocation Permit shall specify the actions required to increase the likelihood that relocation is successful.
(B) Location of relocated trees is subject to review and approval by the director in consultation with the urban forester.
(C) If the relocated tree does not survive after a period of five years, the relocated tree shall be replaced with a tree or a combination of trees and tree value standards consistent with Tree Canopy Replacement provisions of the Tree and Landscape Technical Manual. If, after relocation, a relocated tree is disfigured, leaning with supports needed, or in decline with a dead top or dieback of more then twenty-five percent, the tree shall be considered a total loss and replaced as described in this subsection.
(D) The applicant shall provide a security guarantee for relocated trees, as determined by the director of planning and development services, in consultation with the urban forester, in an amount consistent with the Tree and Landscape Technical Manual.
(d) Removal of Group 2 Trees.
Notwithstanding Chapter 8.10, removal of Group 2 Trees shall be allowed in the HD district, upon issuance of a Protected Tree Removal Permit from the director in consultation with the city arborist. The requirements for a Protected Tree Removal Permit shall be as follows:
(1) Group 2 Trees that are removed without being relocated shall be replaced in accordance with the ratios set forth in the City of Palo Alto Tree and Landscape Technical Manual in the following way:
(A) The Protected Tree Removal Permit issued shall stipulate the tree replacement requirements for the removed tree, including number of trees, size, location, and irrigation. The number and size of trees required for replacement shall be calculated in accordance with Tree Canopy Replacement provisions of the Tree and Landscape Technical Manual.
(B) The difference between the required tree replacement and the number of trees that cannot be feasibly planted on site shall be mitigated through contribution to the City of Palo Alto Forestry Fund as provided in the Tree and Landscape Technical Manual. Payment to the Forestry Fund would be in the amount representing the fair market value, as described in the Tree and Landscape Technical Manual, of the replacement trees that cannot be feasibly planted on site.
(2) Location of replacement trees is subject to review and approval by the director in consultation with the urban forester.
(e) Appeal. Any person seeking the director’s classification of Group 1 or 2 Trees, or seeking the approval to remove or relocate a protected tree pursuant to this chapter who is aggrieved by a decision of the director may appeal such decision in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 18.78 (Appeals).
(Ord. 5557 § 8, 2022: Ord. 5494 § 3, 2020: Ord. 5123 § 7 (part), 2011)
Signs within the HD district shall comply with Chapter 16.20, except as follows: The requirements for directory signs and directional signs set forth in Section 16.20.160 are modified to allow such directory and directional signs to be up to twelve feet in height, thirty square feet in area, and located no less than two feet from the nearest public right-of-way unless an alternative location is approved by the planning director.
(Ord. 5123 § 7 (part), 2011)
Any exterior alterations to the Stanford Hoover Pavilion and any new construction on the Stanford Hoover Pavilion site shall be provided to the historic resources commission for comment prior to final review by the architectural review board. In reviewing any new construction on the Stanford Hoover Pavilion site the prime concern of the historic review board shall be to ensure that the new construction is differentiated from the old and is compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the Hoover Pavilion building and site.
(Ord. 5123 § 7 (part), 2011)
Architectural review, as required in Chapters 18.76 and 18.77 of the Zoning Ordinance, is required prior to the issuance of any building permit in the HD district. Architectural review for landscape and design features linking building areas within the HD district may be implemented through approval of design guidelines, which may be modified in the same manner as other architectural review approvals. Directory signs, construction project signs, and directional signs consistent with the area and location regulations set forth in Section 16.20.160 (as modified by Section 18.36.080) and temporary, unsecured pedestrian amenities such as café seating and furniture are exempt from architectural review.
(Ord. 5123 § 7 (part), 2011)
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