Planning & Transportation Commission - April 8, 2026

Commission advances 167-unit San Antonio Road project 3-2

Palo Alto’s Planning & Transportation Commission voted 3-2 to forward conceptual plans for an eight-story, 167-unit mixed-use project at 788-790 and 796 San Antonio Road to the Architectural Review Board. The action advances the proposal to design review but does not approve the rezoning or development. Allen Akin, Bart Hechtman and Forest Peterson voted yes; Kevin Ji and Bryna Chang voted no.

The rental project would include 28 units affordable to low-income households and about 1,400 square feet of ground-floor retail, compared with 6,500 square feet otherwise required under existing mixed-use standards. The proposal calls for 74 vehicle spaces, including seven car-share spaces, two accessible spaces and two spaces for guests or prospective residents, leaving 63 for residents. It would also provide 167 bicycle spaces. The applicant is seeking exceptions involving height, floor area, lot coverage, retail space, density and parking.

Parking and transportation concerns drove much of the split. Akin supported further review but questioned the reduced parking supply and the accuracy of the transportation demand management analysis. Ji voted no to signal that transportation, parking and compatibility issues could prevent the project from supporting required findings in its current form. Chang also voted no, citing parking, traffic, safety and the enforceability of transportation measures, and said she did not want the vote to suggest that eight-story development had been approved for the corridor.

Hechtman viewed the site as a possible test case for reduced parking, while Peterson supported efforts to reduce automobile dependence through transit and ride-share options. Commissioners also debated whether the small retail space would be viable or should be expanded. Akin, Hechtman and Ji supported considering a public easement in the San Antonio Road setback for future bicycle, pedestrian or other multimodal improvements.

Public comments were mixed. Some speakers urged the commission to continue the review process, while others raised concerns about congestion, safety, emergency access, parking and the cumulative scale of development along San Antonio Road. Labor representatives also asked that the project prioritize area-standard wages, benefits and apprenticeship opportunities.

The Architectural Review Board will review the development plan next. The project is then expected to return to the commission for consideration of a formal Planned Community ordinance and the board-recommended plans before a final City Council decision. Staff and the applicant are expected to address inconsistencies in the transportation analysis and continue evaluating parking, bicycle parking, retail, building stepbacks and the possible public easement.

Staff will develop zoning options for alternative housing

Commissioners provided policy feedback on possible zoning changes for micro-units, shared housing, intergenerational housing and related senior-housing options, but made no formal recommendation. Staff will develop potential housing definitions and revisions to density, parking, open-space and design standards, present the options to the Architectural Review Board and return to the commission for a recommendation in fall 2026.

The work is part of Housing Element Program 6.5, which seeks to reduce regulatory barriers to alternative housing where appropriate. Staff identified high-density and transit-oriented areas—including RM-40 districts, downtown commercial districts and areas covered by the North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan—as initially compatible with the program’s goals. Staff said micro-units and separately owned condominiums in shared developments may count toward the city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation, while single-entrance shared or co-living arrangements generally may not.

Several commissioners focused on micro-housing near transit, though their preferred safeguards and locations differed. Hechtman favored prioritizing micro-units in the California Avenue transit-oriented district. Akin also placed micro-units first and senior housing second, but said parking requirements should be removed only where demand is reduced rather than shifted to surrounding streets or garages. Chang raised concerns about financial feasibility and spillover parking, while Ji said financing may be a greater obstacle than zoning. Peterson supported alternative housing in walkable areas and suggested considering public garages as a shared parking resource.

Several commissioners called for coordinating the work with planning for SB 79, which staff said takes effect July 1, 2026. Staff also agreed to return with a map showing where overcrowding is most severe after citing rates of 8.3% to 12% in the small area between U.S. Highway 101 and East Palo Alto.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet