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Attachment C - Zoning Consistency

Palo Alto City Council
April 13, 2026

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Attachment C - Zoning Consistency
Meeting
April 13, 2026
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Palo Alto City Council
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Text extracted from the city's file for reading and search. Open the original on cityofpaloalto.primegov.com. That file is the official record.

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ATTACHMENT C

ZONING COMPARISON TABLE
3606 El Camino Real, 24PLN-00161
Table 1: COMPARISON WITH CHAPTER 18.14 (Housing Incentives) El Camino Real Focus Area for CS DISTRICT (18.16) PARCELS
Residential Development Standards (APNs: 137-08-088, -016, and -079) Regulation Required Proposed
Minimum Site Area, width and
depth
None No change
Minimum Front Yard
(El Camino Real)
0-10 feet to create a 12 foot
effective sidewalk width (1), (2), (8)
9 feet 11 inches
2 feet 6 inches foot Public Access
Easement on El Camino Real – to
create an effective 12-foot sidewalk
Rear Yard 10 feet for residential portion 11 feet – 15 feet Interior Side Yard 10 feet adjacent to residential uses Not Applicable Street Side Yard
(Matadero Avenue)
5 feet 11 feet – 15 feet
Build-to-lines 50% of frontage built to setback on
El Camino Real
33% of side street built to setback on
Matadero Avenue (7)
90% of frontage built to setbacks
Upper Story Step Back El Camino Real frontage above 55
feet in height: minimum 10 foot
step-back from lower facade, for a
minimum 70% of the facade length.

Not proposed
Max. Site Coverage 50%
80%* (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
83%
Max. Building Height 35 ft
85* ft (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
85 ft
Daylight Plane for lot lines abutting
one or more residential zoning
districts
None Complies
Max. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.6:1

4.0* (ECR Focus Area Allowance)

3.31:1 (86,595 sf of 26,149 sf lot
size)
Max. Residential Density 108 DU/AC with 24.5% bonus
(Cal. Gov. Code 65589.5(h)(11)(C))
128 du/acre
Minimum Usable Open Space 100 sf per unit (5,700 sf) (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
8,0019 sf
(1) No parking or loading space, whether required or optional, shall be located in the first 10 feet adjoining the street property line of any required yard.
(2) Any minimum front, street side, or interior yard shall be planted and maintained as a landscaped screen excluding areas required for access to the site. A solid wall or fence between 5 and 8 feet in height shall be constructed along any common interior lot line.. (6) The initial height and slope shall be identical to those of the most restrictive residential zone abutting the site line in question. (7) 25 foot driveway access permitted regardless of frontage, build-to requirement does not apply to CC district. (8) A 12 foot sidewalk width is required along El Camino Real frontage 9 9
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Table 2: COMPARISON WITH CHAPTER 18.14 (HOUSING INCENTIVES) EL CAMINO REAL FOCUS AREA FOR CN DISTRICT (18.16) PARCELS
Mixed-use and Residential Development Standards
Regulation Required Proposed
Minimum Site Area, width and
depth
None No change
Minimum Front Yard
(El Camino Real)
0-10 feet to create an 8-12 foot
effective sidewalk width (1), (2), (8)
9 feet 11 inches
2 feet 6 inches foot Public Access
Easement on El Camino Real – to
create an effective 12-foot
sidewalk
Rear Yard None Not Applicable
Interior Side Yard None Not Applicable
Street Side Yard (Kendall Avenue) 20 feet (2)
5* ft (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
11 feet – 15 feet
Min. yard for lot lines abutting or
opposite residential districts or
residential PC districts
10 feet (2) 10 feet – 26 feet
Build-to-lines 50% of frontage built to setback on
El Camino Real
33% of side street built to setback
on Kendall Avenue (7)
90% of frontage built to setbacks
Max. Site Coverage 50%
80%* (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
83%
Max. Building Height 25 ft and 2 stories
85* ft (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
85 ft
Max. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) 0.5:1

4.0* (ECR Focus Area Allowance)

3.81:1 (169,379 sf of 44,495 sf lot
size)
Daylight Plane for lot lines abutting
one or more residential zone
districts
None (6) Complies (Abutting RM-40)
Minimum Usable Open Space 100 sf per unit (12,000 sf) (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
12,940 sf
Max. Residential Density 108 DU/AC with 24.5% bonus
(Cal. Gov. Code 65589.5(h)(11)(C))
128 du/acre
(1) No parking or loading space, whether required or optional, shall be located in the first 10 feet adjoining the street property line of any required yard.
(2) Any minimum front, street side, or interior yard shall be planted and maintained as a landscaped screen excluding areas required for access to the site. A solid wall or fence between 5 and 8 feet in height shall be constructed along any common interior lot line.. (6) The initial height and slope shall be identical to those of the most restrictive residential zone abutting the site line in question. (7) 25 foot driveway access permitted regardless of frontage, build-to requirement does not apply to CC district. (8) A 12 foot sidewalk width is required along El Camino Real frontage 9 9
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Table 3: COMPARISON WITH CHAPTER 18.14 (HOUSING INCENTIVES) EL CAMINO REAL FOCUS AREA FOR RM-30 DISTRICT (18.13)
Regulation Required Proposed
Minimum/Maximum Site Area,
Width and Depth
8,500 sf area, 70 foot width, 100
foot depth
No Change
Minimum Front Yard
(Kendall Avenue)
(2) 20 feet 9 feet
Rear Yard 10 feet 11 feet -15 feet
Interior Side Yard 6 feet 6 feet
Street Side Yard 16 feet Not Applicable
Setback from major roadways
[18.13.040(b)(1)(A)]
25 feet Not Applicable
Max. Building Height 35 feet
85* ft (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
85 feet
Side Yard Daylight Plane None Not Applicable
Rear Yard Daylight Plane None Not Applicable
Max. Site Coverage 40%
80% (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
83%
Max. Total Floor Area Ratio 0.6:1

4.0* (ECR Focus Area Allowance)

3.39:1
Minimum Site Open Space 30% 17%
Minimum Usable Open Space 150 sf per unit (18,000 sf)
100 sf per unit (12,000 sf) (ECR Focus
Area Allowance)
0 sf
Minimum Common Open Space 75 sf per unit (9,000 sf) 0 sf Minimum Private Open Space 50 sf per unit (6,000 sf) 2,447 sf 9 9
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Table 4: COMPARISON WITH CHAPTER 18.14 (HOUSING INCENTIVES) EL CAMINO REAL FOCUS AREA FOR RM-40 DISTRICT (18.13)
Regulation Required Proposed
Minimum/Maximum Site Area,
Width and Depth
8,500 sf area, 70 foot width, 100
foot depth
No Change
Minimum Front Yard
(Kendall Avenue)
(2) 0-25 feet (1) 9 feet
Rear Yard 10 feet Not Applicable
Interior Side Yard 10 feet, 6 feet for properties less
than 70 feet wide
11 feet – 15 feet
Street Side Yard 0-16 feet (2) Not Applicable
Setback from major roadways (1)
[18.13.040(b)(1)(A)]
0-25 feet (1) Not Applicable
Max. Building Height 40 feet
85* ft (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
85 feet
Side Yard Daylight Plane (7) 10 feet at interior side lot line then 45 degree angle
Does not comply
Rear Yard Daylight Plane (7) 10 feet at rear setback line then 45 degree angle. None for lots > than
70 ft wide
Does not comply
Max. Site Coverage 45%, plus 5% for covered patios
80% (ECR Focus Area Allowance)
83%
Max. Total Floor Area Ratio (4) 1.0:1

4.0* (ECR Focus Area Allowance)

2.43:1
Max. Residential Density (3) 40 DU/AC
108 DU/AC with 24.5% bonus
(Cal. Gov. Code 65589.5(h)(11)(C))
128 du/ac
Minimum Site Open Space 20% 17%
Minimum Usable Open Space (5) 100 sf per unit (1,500 sf) 0 sf Minimum Common Open Space 50 sf per unit (750 sf) 347 sf Minimum Private Open Space 50 sf per unit (750 sf) 1,034 sf (1) Minimum front setbacks shall be determined by the Architectural Review Board upon review pursuant to criteria set forth in Chapter 18.76 and the context-based criteria outlined in Section 18.13.060. Arterial roadways do not include residential arterials.
(2) Minimum street side setbacks in the RM-40 zone may be from 0 to 16 feet and shall be determined by the Architectural Review Board upon review pursuant to criteria set forth in Chapter 18.76 and the context-based criteria outlined in Section 18.13.060.
(3) Provided that, for any lot of 5,000 square feet or greater, two units are allowed, subject to compliance with all other development regulations.
(4) Covered parking is not included as floor area in multi-family development, up to a maximum of 230 square feet per required parking space. Covered parking spaces in excess of required parking spaces count as floor area. (5) Subject to the limitations of Section 18.13.040(e). Usable open space is included as part of the minimum site open space; required usable open space in excess of the minimum required for common and private open space may be 9 9
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used as either common or private usable open space; landscaping may count towards total site open space after usable open space requirements are met.
(6) Tandem parking is allowed for any unit requiring two parking spaces, provided that both spaces in tandem are intended for use by the same residential unit. For projects with more than four (4) units, not more than 25% of the required parking spaces shall be in a tandem configuration. (7) Each daylight plane applies specifically and separately to each property line according to the adjacent use.

18.16.090 Context-Based Design Criteria. As further described in a separate attachment, development in a commercial district shall be responsible to its context and compatible with adjacent development, and shall promote the establishment of pedestrian oriented design.

Table 5: CONFORMANCE WITH CHAPTER 18.52 (Off-Street Parking and Loading) for Multiple Family Residential*
Type Required Proposed
Vehicle Parking 1 per unit (321 units) = 321 spaces
(ECR Focus Area Allowance)
391 spaces, 90 tandem, 7 guest
parking
Bicycle Parking 1 per unit long term (321)
1 per 10 units short term (32)
280 long term
12 short term
Loading Space 1 required for more than 50 units 0 provided

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