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Where allowed under this Title, in order to qualify as usable open space, a rooftop garden shall meet the following standards:
(a) Permanent fixtures on the rooftop shall be placed so as not to exceed height limit for the applicable zoning district, except:
(i) Elevators, stairs and guardrails may exceed the height limit to allow for access to the rooftop useable open space. These fixtures shall be designed to the lowest height and size feasible in order to comply with applicable building codes.
(ii) Permanent fixtures associated with the useable open space, such as trellises, shade structures, furniture, and furnishings such as planters, lighting and heaters, may exceed the height limit by up to 12 feet.
(iii) For the height limit exceptions in (i) and (ii) above, all fixtures shall not intersect a plane measured at a forty-five degree angle from the edge of the building starting at the rooftop garden surface sloping upward and inward toward the center of the property.
(b) The rooftop garden shall be located on the third or higher story.
(c) The rooftop garden shall be accessible to all residents of dwelling units on the parcel, but not to commercial tenants of a residential mixed-use development.
(d) Structures or fixtures providing a means of access or egress (i.e., stairway, elevator) shall be located away from the building edge to the extent feasible to minimize visibility from the public right-of-way and adjacent buildings and privacy impacts. These access structures or fixtures, when exceeding the height limit, shall be subject to the provisions of subsection (a)(iii) above.
(e) Any lighting shall be shielded from public views and have full cutoff fixtures that cast downward-facing light, or consist of low-level string lights; no up-lighting is permitted. Lights shall be dimmable to control glare and placed on timers to turn off after 10:00 p.m. Photometric diagrams must be submitted by the applicant to ensure there are no spillover impacts into windows or openings of adjacent properties.
(f) At least 15% but no more than 25% of the rooftop shall be landscaped with raised beds for gardening, C.3 stormwater planters, or other landscaping. All required landscaped areas shall be equipped with automatic irrigation systems and be properly drained.
(g) Rooftop equipment that emit noise and/or exhaust, including but not limited to vents, flues, generators, pumps, air conditioning compressors, and other protrusions through the roof, shall be directed away and screened from the useable open space areas.
(h) Rooftop open space noise levels shall not exceed exterior residential noise level as defined by Section 9.10.030(a) of this code.
(i) The use of sound amplifying equipment shall be prohibited. Signs shall be affixed adjacent to access elevators and stairs within the rooftop garden providing notice of this prohibition.
(Ord. 5460 § 10, 2019)
(a) Purpose
Assure that development provides adequate and accessible interior areas or covered exterior enclosures for the storage of refuse in appropriate containers with storage capacity for a maximum of one week, and that refuse disposal structures and enclosures are located as far from abutting residences as is reasonably possible. The following requirements apply to new construction, change of use, additional uses, and/or renovating 30% or more existing floor area.
(b) Requirements
(1) Location and Capacity
(A) Capacity shall meet or exceed standards pursuant to Chapter 5.20: Collection, Removal, and Disposal of Refuse and current refuse enclosure regulations identified in the "City of Palo Alto Refuse Enclosure Area Guidelines for New Construction and Redevelopment Projects" and the "Refuse Enclosure Design Guide" maintained by the Public Works Department.
(B) Refuse disposal and structures and enclosures shall be accessible to all residents or users of the property.
(C) Mixed use development shall have separate enclosures for each use classification (example: residential and commercial).
(D) Compostable materials and recyclable materials containers shall be located adjacent to solid waste containers, sized, and designed to encourage and facilitate convenient use.
(E) Refuse enclosures shall be no closer than 20 feet from any dwelling unit (including those on abutting properties). No minimum distance from dwellings is required if containers are located within a fully enclosed utility room.
(F) Individual refuse containers may be used to serve residential projects with one or two dwelling units. Shared containers shall service residential projects with three or more units, unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Director or any designee.
(2) Screening and Enclosures
(A) Enclosures shall be design pursuant to the current refuse enclosure regulations found in the "City of Refuse Enclosure Area Guidelines for New Construction and Redevelopment Projects" and "Refuse Enclosure Design Guide" standards maintained by the Public Works Department.
(B) Refuse disposal areas shall be screened from public view by masonry, wood, or other opaque and durable material, or located within a building or covered enclosure.
(C) Enclosures shall have a roof, walls, and be at least six feet tall. Enclosures shall include wheel stops or curbs to prevent dumpsters from damaging enclosure walls.
(D) Gates or other controlled access shall be provided where feasible.
(E) Chain link enclosures are prohibited.
(F) Refuse disposal structures and enclosures shall be architecturally compatible with the design of the project.
(G) Notwithstanding, subsections (B) and (C) above, in lower density residential districts (RE, R-1, R-2, and RMD), containers may be stored under extended eaves at least three feet deep, without full enclosures.
(H) The design, construction and accessibility of refuse disposal areas and enclosures shall be pursuant to Section 18.76.020.
(Ord. 5554 § 18, 2022)
(a) Purpose:
Exterior lighting of parking areas, pathways, and common open spaces, including fixtures on building facades and free-standing lighting should aim to:
(1) Minimize the visual impacts of lighting on abutting or nearby properties and from adjacent roadways.
(2) Provide for safe and secure access on a site and adjacent pedestrian routes.
(3) Achieve maximum energy efficiency.
(4) Complement the architectural design of the project.
(b) Guidelines:
(1) Lighting of the building exterior, parking areas and pedestrian ways should be of the lowest intensity and energy use adequate for its purpose, and be designed to focus illumination downward to avoid excessive illumination above the light fixture.
(2) Interior lighting shall be designed to minimize nighttime glow visible from and/or intruding into nearby properties.
(3) Unnecessary continued illumination, such as illuminated signs or back-lit awnings, should be avoided. Internal illumination of signs, where allowed, should be limited to letters and graphic elements, with the surrounding background opaque. Illumination should be by low intensity lamps.
(4) Timing devices and dimmers should be used for exterior and interior lights in order to minimize light glare at night and control lighting levels. At the time of project approval, the project applicant should demonstrate how interior and exterior lighting sources will be reduced after operating hours or when the use of the facility is reduced.
(c) Requirements
(1) The use of high pressure sodium and metal halide are permitted light sources. Low pressure sodium is not allowed.
(2) Exterior lighting fixtures shall be mounted less than or equal to 15 feet from grade to top of fixture in low activity or residential parking lots and 20 feet in medium or high activity parking lots.
(3) Levels of exterior illumination for most uses range from 0.5 to 5 footcandles. Areas of higher or lower levels of illumination should be indicated on project plans.
(4) Where the light source is visible from outside the property boundaries on an abutting residential use, such lighting shall not exceed 0.5 foot-candle as measured at the abutting property line.
(5) Interior lighting shall be shielded to eliminate glare and light spillover beyond the perimeter property line of the development.
(6) Light fixtures shall be located at least three feet from curbs and ten feet from driveways or intersections, to avoid obstructing clear sight distance triangles.
(7) Pedestrian and security lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded. Architectural lighting that projects upward from the ground as used in landscaping, courtyards, or building accent should be directed onto the building face.
(8) Non-residential projects, adjacent to residential zoning districts or residential uses, shall use timing devices, dimmers, and/or window shades with timers in order to minimize light glare at night and control lighting levels from exterior and interior lights.
(Ord. 5554 § 19, 2022)
(a) Purpose
Utilities, mechanical equipment, service areas, and other site fixtures should be:
(1) Integrated into the site planning and architectural design of a project and surrounding uses.
(2) Visually screened from public view and from adjacent properties through architectural design, landscaping and screening devices.
(b) Requirements
(1) For non-residential properties abutting residential uses:
(A) A solid wall or fence between five and eight feet in height shall be constructed and maintained along the residential property line.
(B) Walls facing residential properties shall incorporate architectural design features and landscaping in order to reduce apparent mass and bulk.
(C) Loading docks and exterior storage of materials or equipment shall be screened from view from residential properties by fencing, walls or landscape buffers.
(D) All required interior yards (setbacks) abutting residential properties shall be planted and maintained as a landscaped screen.
(2) For all project types:
(A) All areas not covered by structures, service yards, walkways, driveways, and parking spaces shall be landscaped with ground cover, shrubs, and/or trees.
(B) Rooftop equipment shall be screened by a parapet or enclosure. Rooftop equipment or rooftop equipment enclosures shall be set back at least 20 feet from the building edge or a minimum of 100 feet from the property line, whichever is closer. Roof vents, flues and other protrusions through the roof of any building or structure shall be obscured from ground-level public view (when viewed from the sidewalk on the opposite side of a street), by a roof screen or proper placement. See Section 18.40.090 (height limit exceptions) for further restrictions.
(C) A minimum ten-foot planting and screening strip shall be provided adjacent to any façade abutting a low density residential district (R-1, R-2, or RMD) or abutting railroad tracks.
(D) All exterior mechanical and other types of equipment, whether installed on the ground or attached to a building roof or walls, shall be obscured from public view, when viewed from the abutting opposite sidewalk, except for residentially used EVSE and energy storage systems and associated bollards.
(E) Windows, balconies or similar openings above the first story should be offset so as not to have a direct line-of-sight into the interior living areas of adjacent units within the project or into units on abutting residential property.
(c) Guidelines
(1) For landscape buffers to provide a visual screen, trees and shrubs in the buffer area shall be installed in a manner that provides maximum visual separation of residential uses from the commercial or industrial use, taking into consideration topography and sight lines from residences.
(2) Size and density of plant materials shall be in proportion to the size of planting areas and the mass of the structure.
(3) Plant material selection shall take into consideration solar orientation, drought tolerance, maintenance requirements and privacy screening.
(4) Plant material species and container sizes shall allow for a mature appearance within five years.
(5) Roof vents, flues and other protrusions through the roof of any building or structure should be clustered where feasible and where visual impacts would thereby be minimized.
(6) Building elevations facing residential property should not have highly reflective surfaces, such as reflective metal skin and highly reflective glazing. The paint colors should be in subdued hues.
(7) Increased setbacks or more restrictive daylight planes may be proposed by the applicant, or recommended by the architectural review board, as mitigation for the visual impacts of massive buildings.
(8) Appropriate landscaping should be used to aid in privacy screening.
(9) Planting strips and street trees should be included in the project.
(10) Textured and permeable paving materials should be used, where feasible, in pedestrian, driveway and parking areas in order to visually reduce paved areas and to allow for retention and/or infiltration of storm water to reduce pollutants in site runoff.
(11) Landscaping material associated with screening should have adequate room to grow and be protected from damage by cars and pedestrian traffic.
(12) Where rooftops are visible from offsite, they should be treated to minimize aesthetic impacts, including the use of rooftop gardens or other green spaces, where feasible.
(Ord. 5601 § 6, 2023: Ord. 5554 § 21, 2022)
(A) Purpose
The requirements for air quality are intended to buffer residential uses from potential sources of odor and/or toxic air contaminants.
(B) Requirements
(i) Cooking odors, smoke and other similar air contaminants shall be controlled and prevented from leaving the property or becoming a nuisance to neighboring properties.
(ii) For all commercial and industrial uses that may be objectionable by reason of the production of emissions of odor, smoke, dust, or other similar air contaminants, the applicant shall provide information showing proposed methods to minimize those contaminants. Such provisions may include such means as regular watering to minimize dust or air scrubbers to minimize smoke.
(Ord. 5554 § 24, 2022: Ord. 4933 § 4 (part), 2007)