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Title 18 — ZONING

Chapter 18.78 — APPEALS

Palo Alto Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-29 · Palo Alto

18.78.040 Action by the city council.

18.78.010 Purpose and scope.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish a single procedure for the filing, review, and action on appeals of the following determinations of the director:

(a) Appeals of decisions on tree removal permits, as set forth in Chapter 8.10, parking adjustments, as set forth in Sections 18.54.120 and 18.54.130, and determinations of incomplete applications, as set forth in Section 18.77.030; and

(b) Other permits and approvals for which such appeals process is authorized by the provisions of this title (Zoning), or other titles of this municipal code.

Where the provisions of this title permit an appeal from a determination of the director, it shall be processed as provided in this chapter, unless otherwise provided.

(Ord. 4826 § 119 (Exh. 4 (part)), 2004)

18.78.020 Filing.

An appeal shall be filed with the planning division in written form in a manner prescribed by the director.

(Ord. 4826 § 119 (Exh. 4 (part)), 2004)

18.78.030 Planning and transportation commission review and recommendation.

Within thirty days of the filing of a timely appeal from a director's determination, the planning and transportation commission shall review the appeal at a public meeting and issue a recommendation to the city council to uphold, overturn, or modify the action or determination of the director.

(Ord. 4826 § 119 (Exh. 4 (part)), 2004)

18.78.040 Action by the city council.

(a) Action by the City Council. The recommendation of the planning and transportation commission on the application shall be placed on the consent calendar of the city council within thirty days. The city council may:

(1) Adopt the recommendation of the planning and transportation commission; or

(2) Remove the appeal from the consent calendar, which shall require three votes, and take action to uphold, overturn, or modify the action or

determination of the director.

(b) Decision by the City Council Final. The decision of the city council is final.

(Ord. 4826 § 119 (Exh. 4 (part)), 2004)

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▸Contents — Palo Alto Municipal Code
Palo Alto Municipal Code
  1. Article VIII — A. Board of Education
  2. Title 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  3. Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
  4. Title 4 — BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
  5. Title 5 — HEALTH AND SANITATION
  6. Title 6 — ANIMALS
  7. Title 8 — TREES AND VEGETATION
  8. Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY
  9. Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
  10. Title 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCEDURE
  11. Title 12 — PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
  12. Title 13 — IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE
  13. Title 15 — FIRE PREVENTION
  14. Title 16 — BUILDING REGULATIONS
  15. Title 17 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE
  16. ▸Title 18 — ZONING
    Overview
    1. 18.01 Adoption, Purposes, and Enforcement
    2. 18.04 Definitions
    3. 18.08 Designation and Establishment of Districts
    4. 18.09 Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling U…
    5. 18.10 Low Density Residential (R-E, R-2 and RMD) Districts
    6. 18.13 Multiple Family Residential (RM-20, RM-30 and RM-40) Dis…
    7. 18.14 Housing Incentives
    8. 18.15 Density Bonus
    9. 18.16 Neighborhood, Community, and Service Commercial (CN, CC …
    10. 18.18 Downtown Commercial (CD) District
    11. 18.20 Office, Research and Manufacturing (MOR, ROLM, RP and GM…
    12. 18.24 Contextual Design Criteria and Objective Design Standards
    13. 18.28 Special Purpose Districts
    14. 18.29 North Ventura (NV) District Regulations
    15. 18.30 Combining Districts
    16. 18.31 CEQA Review
    17. 18.34 Pedestrian and Transit Oriented Development (PTOD) Combi…
    18. 18.36 Hospital (HD) District
    19. 18.38 PC Planned Community District Regulations
    20. 18.42 Standards for Special Uses
    21. 18.44 Green Development Regulations
    22. 18.46 Requests for Reasonable Accommodation for Accessibility
    23. 18.52 Parking and Loading Requirements
    24. 18.60 Alternative Development Standards for Stanford Lands
    25. 18.62 Special Regulations for Hazardous Waste Facilities
    26. 18.66 Creation of Easements Through the Execution and Recordat…
    27. 18.70 Nonconforming Uses and Noncomplying Facilities
    28. 18.76 Permits and Approvals
    29. 18.77 Processing of Permits and Approvals
    30. 18.78 Appeals
    31. 18.79 Development Project Preliminary Review Procedures
    32. 18.80 Amendments to Zoning Map and Zoning Regulations
    33. Chapter 18.01 — ADOPTION, PURPOSES, AND ENFORCEMENT
    34. Chapter 18.04 — DEFINITIONS
    35. Chapter 18.08 — DESIGNATION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICTS
    36. Chapter 18.10 — LOW-DENSITY RESIDENTIAL (RE, R-2 and RMD) DIST…
    37. Chapter 18.13 — MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
    38. Chapter 18.14 — HOUSING INCENTIVES
    39. Chapter 18.15 — DENSITY BONUS
    40. Chapter 18.16 — NEIGHBORHOOD, COMMUNITY, AND SERVICE COMMERCIA…
    41. Chapter 18.18 — DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL (CD) DISTRICT
    42. Chapter 18.20 — OFFICE, RESEARCH, AND MANUFACTURING
    43. Chapter 18.28 — SPECIAL PURPOSE (PF, OS and AC) DISTRICTS
    44. Chapter 18.29 — NORTH VENTURA (NV) DISTRICT REGULATIONS
    45. Chapter 18.30 — COMBINING DISTRICTS
    46. Chapter 18.31 — CEQA REVIEW
    47. Chapter 18.34 — PEDESTRIAN AND TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (P…
    48. Chapter 18.36 — HOSPITAL (HD) DISTRICT
    49. Chapter 18.38 — PC PLANNED COMMUNITY DISTRICT REGULATIONS
    50. Chapter 18.40 — GENERAL STANDARDS AND EXCEPTIONS
    51. Chapter 18.42 — STANDARDS FOR SPECIAL USES
    52. Chapter 18.44 — GREEN DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
    53. Chapter 18.46 — REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR
    54. Chapter 18.52 — PARKING AND LOADING REQUIREMENTS
    55. Chapter 18.54 — PARKING FACILITY DESIGN STANDARDS
    56. Chapter 18.60 — ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR STANFORD
    57. Chapter 18.62 — SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILI…
    58. Chapter 18.66 — CREATION OF EASEMENTS THROUGH THE EXECUTION AND
    59. Chapter 18.70 — NONCONFORMING USES AND NONCOMPLYING FACILITIES
    60. Chapter 18.76 — PERMITS AND APPROVALS
    61. Chapter 18.77 — PROCESSING OF PERMITS AND APPROVALS
    62. Chapter 18.78 — APPEALS
    63. Chapter 18.79 — DEVELOPMENT PROJECT PRELIMINARY REVIEW PROCEDU…
    64. Chapter 18.80 — AMENDMENTS TO ZONING MAP AND ZONING REGULATIONS
  17. Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
  18. Article 7 — AUTHORITY FOR AND SCOPE OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLANS.
  19. Article 8 — PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLAN.
  20. Chapter 19.06 — SPECIFIC PLANS
  21. Chapter 19.10 — COORDINATED AREA PLANS
  22. Title 20 — PRECISE PLANS
  23. Title 21 — SUBDIVISIONS AND OTHER DIVISIONS OF LAND
  24. Title 22 — PARKS

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