HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14511
City of Palo Alto (ID # 14511)
City Council Staff Report
Meeting Date: 6/20/2022 Report Type: Consent Calendar
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Title: SECOND READING: Adoption of an Ordinance Exempting Some Below-
Grade Parking Facilities from Gross Floor Area. Zone District: R -1(10,000).
Environmental Review: Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the
Castilleja School Project certified on June 6, 2022. (FIRST READING: June 6,
2022 PASSED: 6-1, Kou no)
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Planning and Development Services
This was heard by the City Council on June 6, 2022 in conjunction with the Castilleja School
project. It was approved on first reading (6- 1, Kou no) in a 9-part motion. The first two parts
motion relate to the ordinance and directed amendment of the draft ordinance presented in
the staff report:
1. Adopt zoning text amendment - C1 for parcels six acres or greater
2. Direct staff to amend the ordinance to state the square footage of below
grade parking structures is excluded from gross floor area for purposes of
development standards under Title 18 but included for purposes of
calculating development impact fees under Title 16.
Staff have incorporated this amendment for the second reading. The amended ordinance is
provided as Attachment A.
Attachments:
• Attachment A: Second Reading Ordinance Amending Gross Floor Area Definition for Low
Density Residential Zones
*NOT YET ADOPTED*
1
0160075_20220608_ay16
Ordinance No.____
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending Title 18 (Zoning) of the
Palo Alto Municipal Code to Amend the Gross Floor Area Definition for Low Density
Residential Zones
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows:
SECTION 1. Subsection (a)(65) (Gross Floor Area) of Section 18.04.030 (Definitions) of Chapter
18.04 (Definitions) of Title 18 (Zoning) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (“PAMC”) is amended to read as
follows (additions underlined and deletions struck-through; omissions noted with [. . .] represent
unchanged text):
(a) Throughout this title the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed in this
section.
[. . .]
(65) “Gross floor area” is defined as follows:
[. . .]
(C) Low Density Residential Inclusions and Conditions: In the RE and R-1 single- family residence
districts and in the R-2 and RMD two-family residence districts, “gross floor area” means the
total covered area of all floors of a main structure and accessory structures greater than one
hundred and twenty square feet in area, including covered parking and stairways, measured to
the outside of stud walls, “(C) Low Density Residential Inclusions and Conditions: In the RE and
R-1 single- family residence districts and in the R-2 and RMD two-family residence districts,
“gross floor area” means the total covered area of all floors of a main structure and accessory
structures greater than one hundred and twenty square feet in area, including covered parking
and stairways, measured to the outside of stud walls, including the following:
[. . .]
(iii) Carports and, garages, and below grade parking facilities, except as excluded in
subsection (a)(65)(D)(viii), shall be included in gross floor area.
[. . .]
“(D) Low Density Residential Exclusions: In the RE and R-1 single-family residence districts and
in the R-2 and RMD two-family residence districts, “gross floor area” shall not include the following:
[. . .]
(viii) Below-grade parking facilities that: (1) are accessory to nonresidential uses; (2) are
located on a parcel that is six acres or greater; and (3) are located on a parcel that contains
a listed historic resource; and 4) do not provide more than 50 percent of the base required
*NOT YET ADOPTED*
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0160075_20220608_ay16
on-site vehicle parking shall be excluded from the calculation of gross floor area; however,
such facilities shall be considered “square footage” for purposes of calculating development
impact fees under Title 16. A below grade parking facility that does not meet all of these
criteria shall be included in the calculation of gross floor area in its entirety.
SECTION 2. Any provision of the Palo Alto Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with
the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is hereby
repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any
reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such
decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council
hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection,
sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any
portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4 The Council finds that the adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from the provisions of
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.17
and CEQA Guidelines sections 15061(b)(3), 15301, 15302 and 15305 because it constitutes minor
adjustments to the City’s zoning ordinance. As such, it can be seen with certainty that the proposed
action will not have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
SECTION 5. This ordinance shall be effective on the thirty-first date after the date of its adoption.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
__________________________________ __________________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
_________________________________ __________________________________
Assistant City Attorney City Manager
__________________________________
Director of Planning & Development Services