Planning & Transportation Commission - January 15, 2025

Split vote advances 55-unit El Camino housing plan

The Planning and Transportation Commission voted 3-2 to recommend City Council approval of rezoning and related land-use actions for a six-story, 55-unit rental development at 3265 El Camino Real. Allen Akin, Bart Hechtman and Cari Templeton voted yes; Bryna Chang and Doria Summa voted no. The commission’s recommendation is advisory, and City Council consideration was tentatively scheduled for Feb. 10.

The revised application adds one story and 11 units to an earlier five-story, 44-unit proposal. It would provide 14 units with rents calculated at 70% of area median income and 41 at 110% of AMI. Staff described the development as fully deed-restricted and said city code waives housing and linkage impact fees for qualifying 100% restricted-affordable rental projects; commissioners cited more than $4 million in waivers for this proposal.

The split centered on whether the affordability mix provided enough public benefit to justify the requested planned-community and planned-home zoning. Chang said she could not make the second public-benefit finding because of the affordability levels and estimated subsidy. Summa said the income levels did not provide the deeper affordability she believed City Council had intended. Templeton argued that the commission should apply the city’s current rules and advance the improved proposal.

Commissioners across the vote examined whether having fewer parking spaces than homes could cause spillover into the Ventura neighborhood. They discussed notifying tenants that the property could be left outside a future residential parking-permit district, as well as requiring annual reports on how many Palo Alto Unified School District employees live in the development. The proposal also includes free VTA passes, a parking-stacker system and bicycle parking.

Other questions focused on the lack of an on-site pickup and drop-off area and plans to move trash bins from the garage to Lambert before collection. Staff said the revised garage layout improved circulation and that the curbside collection arrangement had been developed with recycling and zero-waste staff.

The length of the affordability restrictions also remains an issue for City Council. Staff said the term would ordinarily be set through a regulatory agreement after Council approval and before building permits are issued, while several commissioners sought a clearly defined long-term restriction. Public comments were largely supportive of housing for teachers and classified school employees, although speakers also raised concerns about zoning, separate parking charges and neighborhood parking.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting agenda