762 San Antonio Rd
Major Architectural Review
Builder’s Remedy 2.0
Housing Project
Presented by Kristina Dobkevicius
August 17, 2026 www.paloalto.gov
2 Architectural Review Process
• SB 330 Pre-Application – January 2024
• Formal application – April 2024
• ARB #1 – August 2025
• CEQA Completion – May 2026
• ARB #2 – June 2026
• Council decision - August 2026
Public comments are accepted at all public
hearings, and at any time throughout this
process
BACKGROUND / PROCESS
3 PROJECT LOCATION
• Two parcels, CS Zoning
• Border with Mountain View
• Neighborhood contains
commercial uses and hotels
• Entitled housing projects located
to the north at 788, 800, and 824
San Antonio
4 PROJECT OVERVIEW
Proposed project includes:
• Demo existing truck rental facility
• Certificate of Compliance to merge two (2) lots
• Construct 228 rental units
• Studio, 1, 2, and 3-bedrooms
• 30 BMR units (13% minimum), Affordable to
Low-Income
• Eight (8) stories in height
• 284 parking spaces with entrances on San
Antonio Road and Leghorn Street
• Three (3) outdoor amenity areas on the 4th 7th 8th
floors
5 STATE LAW CONSTRAINTS
• This project is a “builder’s remedy project” as defined in AB 1893. • The project may not be denied on the basis of inconsistency with the Zoning Ordinance or Comprehensive Plan land use designation. • The City may only require compliance with objective standards that would apply to the project if it were proposed on a site that allows the density requested.
• This project, with a proposed 3.45:1 FAR and 114 du/ac density, meets the objective development standards for the area in the City with greatest housing density (El Camino Real Focus Area).
• Under State Density Bonus Law , the applicant may request waiver of applicable standards that would physically prevent the project from being built at the permitted density.
SITE PLAN
1 6
7 ELEVATIONS
San Antonio Ave Frontage
Leghorn St Frontage
8 CEQA STATUS
• An Addendum to the Previously Certified Environmental Impact Report for the Housing Incentive Program Expansion and 788 San Antonio Mixed Use Project (SCH # 2019090070) is complete.
• The proposed modifications do not result in new significant impacts or a substantial increase in impact severity, and no new information or changed circumstances have arisen. The project remains within the scope of the impacts analyzed in the certified 2020 EIR, and all applicable mitigation measures continue to apply. 9 REQUESTED RLUA REVISIONS
SECTION 1.Background. B.
• Waiver 2: Upper Floor Step-back (6-foot step-back where 10-foot is required) and step-back beginning at 65 feet in height rather than 55 feet.
SECTION 4. Conditions of Approval Architectural Review. Planning • COA #99. The applicant shall be responsible for installing and upgrading the existing utility mains and/or services, laterals as necessary to handle anticipated peak loads, including fire flow requirements determined by the City of Palo Alto Fire Department. This responsibility includes all costs associated with the design and construction for the installation/upgrade of the utility mains and/or services/laterals.The developer’s financial obligation for construction costs of utility main and service/lateral upgrades whose new capacity exceeds the impacts of the development will be limited to the developer’s fair share contribution as reasonably determined by the City of Palo Alto Utility Department. Specifically, the developer shall not be responsible for any marginal increase in cost associated with excess capacity requested by the City. 10 RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council take the following action:
1. Consider the addendum to the previously certified Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (SCH#2019090070); and
2. Recommend approval of the Major Architectural Review application based on findings and subject to conditions of approval in the Record of Land Use Action (RLUA) in Attachment B.
Kristina Dobkevicius
Associate Planner
[email protected]
650-496-6945