***NOT YET APPROVED***
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Ordinance No. _____
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Amending the Special Setback Map to Reduce the Special Setback Along Hansen Way at El Camino Real to 20 Feet
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows:
SECTION 1. Findings and Declarations. The City Council of the City of Palo Alto finds and declares as follows:
A. On May 27, 2025, the City Council directed staff to explore reducing the Special Setback along Hansen Way at El Camino Real to 20 feet.
B. On June 10, 2026, the Planning and Transportation Commission recommended that the City Council adopt the draft ordinance reducing the Special Setback.
C. The updated Special Setback of 20 feet along Hansen Way at El Camino Real provides sufficient space to accommodate expanded pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle facilities along a busy transit corridor.
D. The updated Special Setback removes overly restrictive regulatory barriers to encourage the higher-density housing envisioned for the expanded El Camino Real Focus Area, while also fostering a better corner presence.
E. The updated Special Setback aligns with the City’s Housing Element goals to encourage increased housing density along transit corridors by allowing more buildable area for future higher density housing projects.
SECTION 2. The Council finds that the public interest, health and welfare require an amendment to the Special Setback Map of the City of Palo Alto as set forth in Section 3.
SECTION 3. The Council hereby amends the Special Setback Map of the City of Palo Alto along Hansen Way at El Camino Real to 20 feet, as described in Exhibit 1 (Special Setback Map, Hansen Way at El Camino Real), attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 4. The Council finds that the Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15305 because adoption of this ordinance is considered a minor alteration in land use limitation which does not result in any changes in land use or density.
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***NOT YET APPROVED***
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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 AƩorney City Manager
____________________________
Director of Planning and
Development Services
EXHIBIT A
187498802.7
EXHIBIT A
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PREMISES
All that certain real property in the City of Palo Alto, County of Santa Clara, State of California, described as follows:
THE LAND REFERRED TO HEREIN BELOW IS SITUATED IN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO, COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
(VARIAN UNIT NO. 8)
THE PREMISES AS IDENTIFIED ON THE PLAN ATTACHED TO THE MEMORANDUM OF SUBLEASE (UNIT 8, PALO ALTO) DATED AND RECORDED AUGUST 10, 1995, RECORDER'S SERIES NO. 12979121 AS EXHIBIT C, AND BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMENCING AT A CONCRETE HIGHWAY MONUMENT SET ON THE SOUTHWESTERLY LINE OF EL CAMINO REAL (STATE HIGHWAY) OPPOSITE ENGINEER'S STATION 144+27.00
AS SURVEYED BY THE CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS AS SAID SOUTHWESTERLY
LINE WAS ESTABLISHED BY THAT DECREE IN CONDEMNATION, A CERTIFIED COPY OF
WHICH DECREE WAS FILED FOR RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, ON JULY 07, 1930 IN BOOK 520 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, AT PAGE 571; SAID MONUMENT ALSO MARKS THE POINT OF
INTERSECTION OF SAID SOUTHWESTERLY LINE WITH THE SOUTHEASTERLY LINE OF THAT CERTAIN 1289 ACRE TRACT OF LAND DESCRIBED IN THE DEED FROM EVELYN C.
CROSBY, ET AL TO LELAND STANFORD, DATED SEPTEMBER 08, 1885, RECORDED SEPTEMBER 08, 1885 IN BOOK 80 OF DEEDS, PAGE 382, SANTA CLARA COUNTY RECORDS; RUNNING THENCE SOUTH 33° 14' 40" WEST ALONG SAID SOUTHEASTERLY LINE OF SAID 1289 ACRE TRACT, 20.00 FEET TO THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE FROM SAID TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING NORTH 56° 39' WEST PARALLEL WITH AND DISTANT SOUTHWESTERLY AT RIGHT ANGLES 20.00 FEET FROM THE EXISTING SOUTHWESTERLY LINE OF EL CAMINO REAL (100 FEET IN WIDTH), 588.67 FEET; THENCE ON THE ARC OF A CURVE TO THE LEFT WITH A RADIUS OF 384.00 FEET THROUGH A CENTRAL ANGLE OF 10° 11' 23" AN ARC DISTANCE OF 68.29 FEET TO A POINT OF COMPOUND CURVE; THENCE ON THE ARC OF A CURVE TO THE LEFT WITH A RADIUS OF 67.00 FEET THROUGH A CENTRAL ANGLE OF 49° 38' 39", AN ARC DISTANCE OF 58.05 FEET TO A POINT OF COMPOUND CURVE; THENCE ON THE ARC OF A CURVE TO THE LEFT WITH A RADIUS OF 104.00 FEET THROUGH A CENTRAL ANGLE OF 2° 20' 34", AN ARC DISTANCE OF 4.25 FEET TO A POINT IN THE SOUTHEASTERLY LINE OF HANSEN WAY; THENCE ALONG SAID LINE SOUTH 33° 21' WEST 137.95 FEET TO THE MOST
NORTHERLY CORNER OF THAT CERTAIN
REAL PROPERTY LEASED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY TO VARIAN ASSOCIATES BY LEASE RECORDED OCTOBER 11, 1951 IN THE OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF SAID COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA IN BOOK 2297 AT PAGE 448; THENCE ALONG THE NORTHEASTERLY LINE OF SAID REAL PROPERTY SOUTH 56° 39' EAST 705.07 FEET TO A POINT IN SAID SOUTHEASTERLY LINE OF SAID 1289 ACRE TRACT; THENCE ALONG SAID LINE NORTH 33° 14' 40" EAST 180.00 FEET TO THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING.
APN: 142-20-046
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* No Special Setback For Mixed Use Hotel Use