HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 2671.
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ORDINANCE NO. Z671
ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
AMENDING SECTION 18.08.030 OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL
CODE (THE ZONING MAP) TO CH~...NGE THE CLASSIFICATION
OF CERTAIN PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
SOUTHERLY OF ROUTE 280 FROM P-C, R~E-A AND A-C TO 0-S
AND FROM R-E-A TO P-F
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows:
ARTICLE I.
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.· The City Council does hereby find and deClare as follows:
SECTION l. ·Through its·general plart and zoning ordinances
bas~d thereon, Palo Alto provides a conununity in which essentially ... ·
every type of traditional land use is permitted and exists. This··.
includes lands devoted to the following uses: residential, com-
m:ercial, industrial,_ agricultural, recreational and community
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servic~:facilities, both public and private. This variety of de-
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veloped l~rld uses· is oriented, available to and utilized by all
soc.ial and ··economic levels. Having .provided· this. ext:.ensive range
of -.·u,ses ;· recognizing· that the category· ~f ·open space land· is a land
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use equal. 'in importance to· the traditional· categories enumerated
above; ·further recogn.izini:f.that Palo CAlto has essentially reached
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the sai:uration point in p'errnitting' a 'broad. ~an9e of· developed land uses,
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which ~~6int.-dantiot be excee.de4, ~:i.thout an fume~ess~ry-and tinjustifled
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di~~eqat~ of·. the.:irn~ortance of.minimizing over~develOp~nt of land
still .remaining within" city limits; and f\ltther recognizing that, '.'
once port1ons' or' all -'of the remaining opeh land within city limits 'is
·. permi'ttea to ;~e~iop ·.with -the sUbstantial d~gr(ie Qf intensi'ty' a:
has in i;he past been. pf!_rrnitt•d,_.tbe t:)p.~6rt\mity to preserve the· .
. quality of. lif~ in tlte city wii~· have been virtually lost; ·the City
··Council. finds an(f de~clares. that relatively Op~n .. lan'd.'·is a ·critically
lintite'd ·.and valuable res6\i,rce whf9h" inuat be preafttvei and conserved
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SECTION 2. The preservation and conservation of open space land
is necessary to assure its continued availability for agricultural
purpo~es, for the enjoyment of scenic beauty, for. recreation, for
protection of the ecology and environment, for the containment of
urban sprawl and structuring and shaping of urban development, and
for retention in its natural or near natural state. to PfOtect the
community against·hazards resulting from its disturbance by man or
nature.
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SECTION 3. It is in the pUblic interest to ·avoid unnecessary
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ci:ypversion of open space· land to. strictly urban uses, thereby
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.,,protecting against the resultant adverse impacts, such as air, noise.
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and water pollution, traffic congestion, overburdening of municipal
services and· sch~ols, destruct-ion of scenic beauty, disturbance of
the ecology and environment, hazards related to geology, fire and
flood,-_ and ether demonstrated consequences of urban sprawl.··
SECT~ON 4. The Open Space Element of the Palo Alto General Plan
has been the subject of extensive study and deliberation by the staff;
Planning Commission/ and Co\.inc~l_;· drawing upon a wide variety of
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relevant expertise. '",t'l\is effort has ~esulted in the deyelopment and
adoption of a statement of funptions;·goals, policies;.action progratt\si
classifications and inventories· of open spaces. This Open ·space Element c
must-be:_implem. ented; am.6iuf·ot.her ways; by· a re~fulatory zoning ordinance·
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gov~rrilrtg 'the. uses of ope·n spac.e land. Further, the anticipated increas~
in tpe . .p6pul.ation of the San :Francisco Bay Aiea I _the Midpen:i.nsu~a, and '·'
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-Pa1o·A·lt6 demand.a ·wat the city effectuate·. the open Space :E:l~ment
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of tti.e Palo Alto Gemsr.al Plan ·at the ear.~iest pogsfble da~e.· and''thereby
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assure that the·· inter~.~·ts -·c>t all. of its peopl~ .. -are ·met through the.
0 0~derly gr9wth' .arid .de~·~l~pmertt' ·o{•ti\e ·city ·a.~~:·ttle'~:pr~sez;vatipn artd
c6nsef~~tiori· 6{· ;i,ts :·'1'.J.~fted iirtd V~Ul~b~e. r~s·ci~rce_~·.,,·,·(_~ _· ,:;;-~;\, •
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st¢TION _-5. Cettain:· 1ands i~. the -cii_ty · o(:'·J?ai'o "A.lto (•1¢i ty'11 Y '· __ here-.
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ina,f.te.r'4escribed "and, dee);grt~ted. as ."Th~ FOC)thllis./11 posseS,S uriiq~~
characH:f!ris~ics hereiti~~i~-l·~ri~r~i;~d;;not · ·f~u~d' in '6thei:. area's -~{-;'L";\~-~·' · .
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the City. The Foothills·,_;s_te desor.i.b~d ae all portions of the City
of Palo Alto lying southerly of Route 280 (Junipero Serra Freeway) •
SECTION 6. The Foothills are designated for open space, con
servation and/or park use on the-city's General Plan.
SECTION 7. The Foothills have been tlie subject of an extensive-
study covering a period of almost two years by the City's consultant,
a city and regional planner, in conjunction with other recognized
experts-in the field ?f landscape architecture and environmental
planni_ng, urban economics, civil engineering, soils engineering and
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geology. · The consultant reconu:nended that the Foothills_-be preserved ..
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in open space and suggas-ted numerous i:nethods-to accomplish ;that
objective.
SECTION 8. The unique characteristi.cs of the Foothills are rt:·-
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vealed in the Foothills Environmental Design Study,-whiC!h in<l.icates,
amo:ig other things, that th_ere is a wide variety of :features which
indicate the desira.bility of minimizing ove:i:development of the
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Foothills. The area is trave_rsed by the San Andreas Fault and a
nu.11\ber of lesser' faults. M\lch of the area is excessively steep ·and
slop~ stability ranges froin good to -pO~r~ The ridges and slopes ar.e
·.a scenic asset as viewed . fronCthe flatl.aii.ds and 'from Skyline Scenic
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Route·. substantial areas· are,_over9'rown -~.ith brush'' and present a -.... .... . ' .-~ . . .
serious fire' hazard ,·':but. oth~~-, biotic. Ci6mmunlties range 'from grassland
to forest. It _contains . th~ headwaters, (if five diff.:!'fent. i;::reeks.
has a:·-wide variety of ndcro.cl:iinates _.aa r~flect~d by· the a:moWit .of
precd.pitatiori, temperatl.\~e; wlnd, fog and -~tnQg.
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SE:CTION. 9. . The _·people of the State, by enacting .Article XXVI!I ,_
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• 11 0pen :space don_seriation," of• the California ·Conlilti tution in 196~,
-and tlie .:St~te---L~~i~i~ture -hav~ d'.eitl6n~trated incr~f~$1ng cancer~,;
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and f971 _the state erlacte-d ·''ie!gisiatiolt to :,re<;lu:ire additi9ii j.of an -_
.. -open space elemei~t t~. city ·. ancr do\lnty . gen~ral. pldn~: and. ~~oilbitin9
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·c· .. ~ssufince -trf -bttiiai~~'~permits, ,,m;>roval of sutidivisibns:j '6r a~bption .
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of zonin9 ordinances inconsistent therewith. The Leqislature declared ' .
its intent as follows:··
11 (a) To assure that cities and counties recognize that .
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open space land is a limited and valuable resource which must be
conserved wherever possible~
(b) To assure that every city arid county will prepare and
carry out· open-space plans which, along with sta_te and regional
open-space plans, will accomplish the objecti ves::of a comprehen-
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sive open-space program.11
The Legisl_c:tture found and declared as follows:
"fa) That the preservation of open-"space lana,'as defined in
_this article, is necessary not.only for the maintenance of the
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economy of the state, but·also for the assurance of the continued
availability of land for the production of food and fiber, ·for the
enjoyment of scenic beauty, · for · re!creation and for the use o·f ·
natural resources.
(b) That discouraging premature and unnecessary conversion
of· open-space leir~d to \irban uses is a matter of public interest
and will be. of benefit to tirb~n dwellers because ·it wi11 · discou+age
noncontiguous development patterns which< unn~cessarily:,.-:· ~.~rease (·
the costs of community services to conununity residents.
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:. {c) That the anticipated increase in th$ population of the
state d.err.ands that, dit_ies,. counties, an:d .the st~:te at the earliest
. possible :·d.tite'. make de:fini te ,·plans for the prese:tvat~on' of valuab~~\
ope'n.i~pace la:na· and take p6sitive··~aotion to cat:ry'out_ .. sueh plans
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PY the.· adoption arid str:ict' a'C.ministratidn 6£ laws, 6rcH.nances,
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·rules arid ·re~ttilati,c;>_~s .,as "au~i:;j:-ized by this C:hapter ·or by other .. ··-; ...
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appropriate.·. ~th~d.c: ~.,-<
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'(d) That in orf;ler to ·a$sure. that· the iilte.re~t·a of· all .i'.tS, · ... _ .,,
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pebple 'are lTlet in the orderlY; «Jl:OWth-and~ deVelop~nt Of~.~Jie Sta~$
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ana: ... thf31. pres~rvatibn··~nd conserva,tio:ri of ft,j resourc·~'s ~ .. it: is
nec.f'siry t<>" prov'id~ , f:Qr the "d.~vt!lbpnu!tnt, by --~~ state,, ·reqional. . · ·
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aqencies, counties and cities, including ch"l.rter cities, of state
wide coordinated plans for the conser.vation and preservation of
open-space lands.
(e) That for these reasons this article is necessary for
the promotion of the general welfare and for the protection of
the public interest in open-space land." (Government Code Sec. 6656 i).
SECTION 10·. The State has further shown its concern, interest,
and desire to preserve and protect open space. by:
(a) Requirin9 general plans of cities and counties to contain a
conservation element.
·(b) Broadened the jurisdiction of local planning commissions
to include the preservation and conservation of open space
land.
· · (c) Prohibited construction of streets or street~ i;;nprovements
until the planning commission has reviewed the same as to
compliance with-open space provisions of the general-plan.
(d) Requiring cities to adopt zoningcohsistentwith open space.
elements·of the generai plan.
(e) Prohibiting approval Of a subdivision roap if. it is likely
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to cause subst!l?ltial-environmental dainage or substantially
and tinavoidably. ~nj\.J.re· f~sh or wildl'ife o~ their ~_a.bi tat.
StCTION 11 •. Two parcels-}lave been developed in whole or in
part to the extent permi ttecf by pl~ns approved· pursuartt to Chapter
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18. 68 of the Palo Alto )1\lnioi'paf·.·cbd.e (Pl.a,nned ·e:c>rtmiunity. 'f>istrict,.)'1·.
and_,, certain other p·arcei~---~re' ~ed by·::-_t}\e · City of '1?alo Alto·· or
ot.ner'-pUl>iic ag~ncies •. The 'piibiic peace/ health,· safety~,., w~ifare·, ·
general..<~rc>"sperity, and" the -'piililic interest will .bestb~-s,erved" by_
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· pres.e.tvin9. areas ·alre·ady Q.eveloped und~r J?lannt!d c!oinn\Utitty olst.tieif· ·
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Reguia 1:1ons , and ~11 p~operti.~s. ·o~ed . by .·the' :cf~ ty. of Palo'" Ai to ... or ,
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.· other ptiblic ·A.9 encies'':~houi<1" 'l>e zon~a, · or remairt zonea·, pursuant: .
·\6'· Chapter 18 ~ 3'2 6£ ·th~ ,Pci:10 ii to' Muriicip;al:-~c~ti {P\lP:L.ic Facilities -·.
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oist~ict aequlat~orts> .: ..
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SECTION 12. The 0-S District (Chapter 18.71 of the' Palo Alto
Municipal Code) permits economically viable uses consistent with
the open space preservation necessity outlined above.
ARTICLE II.
SECTION 1. The public peace, health, safety, welfare, general
prosperity, and public interest require the amendment of Section
18. O 8. O 30 ~of the Palo Al to ''l."lunicipal Code · (the . zoning Map) to ·change
the classification of certain· property lying within the City of
Palo Alto, l~cated southerly of Route 280, from p;...c, R-E-A~ and A-C
to O""'.S and from .. R-E-A to p;...p, as more fully shown on. EXhibi t A
attached hereto and made a part·. hereof by reference.
SECTION 2 •. This ordinance shall become effective upon the ex
piration of thirty-days from its passage.\\
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ATTEST:
APPROVEDi ,',· ,,·
July 31, 1972
Augl.let 14, 197.Z
MAJORITY
BEAHRS
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APPROVED:' .'
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72-ZC-13
ZONE BOUNDARIES
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