21.12.090   Action on tentative and preliminary parcel maps.
   (a)   Staff Review. Upon receipt of a tentative map or preliminary parcel map, the director of planning shall transmit copies to the city engineer, chief building official, director of utilities, chief of police, fire chief, director of transportation, and such other departments of the city, and any other agencies, as may be required by law or deemed appropriate. Each involved city department shall promptly inform the director of planning of any areas of the application which are incomplete. Not later than ten days after issuance of a notice of completeness by the director of planning, each such department shall submit to the director of planning a written report containing each department's determination of whether the proposed subdivision complies with all applicable provisions of law and the requirements of that department, and any departmental recommendation concerning the proposed subdivision.
   (b)   Reports to Planning Commission. In the case of a tentative map, the director of planning shall make a written report to the planning commission, incorporating therein the recommendations of all other departments and agencies concerned. The report shall contain a recommendation of the director of planning recommending approval, denial, or approval with conditions, of the tentative map, the findings and grounds for such recommendation, and such other information as the director of planning may deem relevant. Said recommendation and any subsequent recommendations or actions by the director of planning, the planning commission and the city council approving, conditionally approving, or denying any tentative map or preliminary parcel map shall be based upon a determination by the acting body whether the proposed subdivision complies and is consistent with the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act, this title, the Palo Alto comprehensive plan, including all elements thereof, and all other provisions of the Palo Alto Municipal Code and state law, including but not limited to Section 66473.5 and 66474 of the Government Code. Any approval of a tentative map or preliminary parcel map may be made subject to such conditions as are deemed reasonably necessary to insure compliance with those provisions. Such conditions may include, but shall not be limited to, required dedications and improvements, measures required to mitigate the environmental, safety, traffic, and other detrimental impacts of the subdivision, and such other conditions as may be required to insure compliance with all policies, objectives and goals of the Palo Alto comprehensive plan.
   (c)   Action by Planning Commission. Within fifty days of the filing date of a tentative map, the planning commission shall hold a public hearing at either a regular or special meeting of the planning commission and thereafter shall recommend to the city council approval, conditional approval, or denial of the map, and any conditions upon which such approval should be granted. The planning commission's recommendation shall include the grounds and findings upon which its recommendation is based. Such fifty-day period may be extended by mutual consent of the planning commission and the applicant. The applicant's consent to such an extension shall be presumed unless the applicant makes timely objection thereto within the fifty-day period or at the time the matter is continued beyond such period.
   (d)   Action by City Council. Except where a time extension is mutually consented to by the city council and the applicant, or the applicant's consent to an extension is presumed as set out above, within the time limits prescribed by the Subdivision Map Act, the city council shall approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove the tentative map. Prior to taking such action, the city council shall hold a public hearing at either a regular or special meeting of the council.
   (e)   Action on Preliminary Parcel Map. Subject to the appeal procedures of this title, the director of planning shall approve, conditionally approve, or deny any preliminary parcel map filed. The director of planning shall take such action or defer the application for decision by the city council pursuant to Section 18.40.170 of Title 18, within fifty days of the date of filing, unless extended by the mutual consent of the director of planning and the applicant. Prior to approving, conditionally approving, or denying a preliminary parcel map, the director of planning shall hold a public hearing at which any interested person shall be allowed to present testimony regarding the map. If, in the opinion of the director of planning, there are issues of major significance associated with the proposed parcel map, such map may be deferred by the director of planning to the planning commission and the city council for processing in accordance with the procedures set forth in subsections (c) and (d) of this section.
   (f)   Notice of Hearing.
      (1)   Notice of the hearing required by subsections (c), (d), or (e) above shall be given by publication once in a local newspaper of general circulation not less than ten days prior to the date of the hearing.
      (2)   Additionally, the city shall mail written notice of such hearing at least ten days prior to the date of the hearing to each owner of record of real property within six hundred feet of the exterior boundary of the property for which classification is sought as such owner of record is shown in the last equalized assessment roll and to owners or occupants of the property within six hundred feet as shown on the city utility customer file. Compliance with the procedures set forth in this section shall constitute a good-faith effort to provide notice and the failure of any owner or occupant to receive notice shall not prevent the city from proceeding with the hearing or from taking any action nor affect the validity of any action.
      (3)   The notice of public hearing shall contain the following:
         (A)   The exact address, if known, of the property involved, or the location of the property involved if the exact address is not known;
         (B)   The time, place, and purposes of the hearing;
         (C)   A brief description, the content of which shall be in the sole discretion of the city, of the subdivision applied for;
         (D)   Reference to the application on file for particulars; and
         (E)   A statement that any interested person, or agent thereof, may appear and be heard.
         Typographical and/or publishing errors shall not invalidate the notice nor any city action.
      (4)   In addition to any other information required, the applicant shall submit with its application a list of all owners of record of real property within six hundred feet of the exterior boundary of the property to be subdivided as shown in the last equalized assessment roll (as updated by the semiannual real estate update information).
(Ord. 5432 § 18, 2018: Ord. 3536 § 41, 1984: Ord. 3465 § 62, 1983: Ord. 3345 § 34, 1982: Ord. 3273 § 7, 1981: Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)