East Palo Alto Municipal Code § 18.06.010 Purpose and Intent

This chapter establishes the zones applied to property located within the City and adopts the Official Zoning Map.

A. General. The City is divided into zones to allow for orderly, planned development and to implement the General Plan and adopted Specific Plans. All zones shall be appropriately designated on the Official Zoning Map.

B. Base Zones. Every parcel shall have a base zone that establishes the primary type and intensity of land use allowed, along with development regulations for that particular type and intensity of land use.

C. Overlay/Combining Zones. An overlay/combining zone supplements the base zone for the purpose of establishing special use or development regulations for a particular area in addition to the provisions of the underlying base zone. In the event of conflict between the base zone regulations and the overlay/combining zone regulations, the City retains the right to use the most restrictive design standard or policy, except as otherwise provided in the General Plan or adopted Specific Plan.

D. Effect of Establishment of Zones. Except as otherwise provided in the Development Code, no structure shall be erected and no existing structure shall be added to, altered, enlarged, or moved, nor shall any land, structure, or premises be used, designed, or intended to be used for any purpose or in any manner other than those uses specifically listed as allowed in the zone in which the structure, land, or premises is located. No land use shall be established unless it is a permitted use or conditional use.

The boundaries, designations, and locations of the zones established by the Development Code shall be shown upon the map(s) entitled "Zoning Map for the City of East Palo Alto" and referred to as the Zoning Map. Any additional maps adopted shall also be a part of the Development Code by reference. Changes in the boundaries of any identified zones shall be made by ordinance. The Development Code, together with the Zoning Map, is adopted in compliance with current State planning, zoning, and development laws.

Where a public street or alley is officially abandoned or vacated, the property encompassed by areas associated with the abandoned or vacated street or alley shall be included within the zone(s) of the adjoining properties. If the adjoining properties are in different zones, the boundary lines shall be the centerline of the former street or alley and the extension of the side yard lines of the abutting properties. In the event the street, alley, or right-of-way was a boundary between two or more different zones, the new zone or zone boundary shall be the property line created by the abandonment or vacation.

If there is uncertainty about the location of a zone boundary shown on the Zoning Map, the Director shall determine the precise location of the boundary in the following manner:

A. Where a zone or area boundary approximately follows a parcel line, street line, or alley line, the parcel line, street centerline, or alley centerline shall be construed as the zone boundary.

B. Where a zone or area boundary divides a parcel and the boundary line location is not specified by distances indicated on the subject map, the location of the boundary shall be determined by using the scale appearing on the map.

A. Any land annexed to the City of East Palo Alto shall be deemed to be zoned to a classification most nearly the equivalent zoning classification in the County.

B. Whenever it is determined the zoning of annexed lands is inconsistent with adopted General Plan land use policy or other City policies, the Commission may recommend and the Council may adopt the zone classification(s) which shall apply to the annexed lands.