Chapter 21.20 — DESIGN

The provisions of this chapter shall govern the design of all subdivisions. The provisions of this chapter shall be incorporated in any subdivision approval unless the city council, or director of planning in the case of a preliminary parcel map, finds that due to the particular circumstances these design criteria are not necessary or that alternative designs are preferable; provided, that any modifications to the lot size, dimensions, location or configuration standards shall only be made upon request for and approval of exceptions to said standards, except when each nonconforming lot to be created contains a residence with recorded preservation covenants, where no request for nor approval of exceptions to said standards shall be required. Design of all subdivisions shall include such facilities for the handicapped as may be required by federal, state or local law.

(Ord. 5051 § 7, 2009: Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

In all respects, subdivisions shall be consistent with the Palo Alto comprehensive plan. Subdivisions shall also conform with any specific plan. Subdivisions shall also conform with all other provisions of law, including but not limited to, zoning, safety and health codes. The design of the subdivision or of improvements shall conform in all respects to accepted standards of engineering and shall be subject to the approval of the city engineer. Any subdivision may be approved subject to such additional design criteria or conditions as may be necessary to insure the public health, safety, welfare and convenience.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

When any lots are proposed for commercial or industrial usage, alleys at least twenty feet in width may be required at the rear thereof with adequate ingress and egress for truck traffic. (Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

Where possible, the exterior boundaries of all subdivisions shall be to the centerline of all streets and highways adjacent to said subdivision unless such street or highway is not within the city limits; in such a case, the exterior boundary of the subdivision will coincide with the city limits. The subdivider shall be required to dedicate to the city all property within the city which is not owned by another public agency between the centerline and the proposed right-of-way line of such street or highway as may be established by official plan lines of the city or established by the comprehensive plan or established by any master plan of streets and highways or any specific plan. Any property between the centerline and the proposed right-of-way line with another public jurisdiction shall be dedicated to that jurisdiction. Such property shall be improved or the full cost of making permanent improvements to the property shall be deposited with the city as prescribed in this chapter.

(Ord. 3157 § l (part), 1979)

No lot shall be divided by a city boundary line.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

All lots shall be graded to drain to a public street; but the city engineer may require or allow alternative drainage patterns as may be reasonably necessary to avoid excessive grading or grading which results in a significant height differential at any property line.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

Public utility, sanitary sewer, and drainage easements shall be provided in such locations and to such widths as may be required by the director of utilities and city engineer.

(Ord. 3157 § l (part), 1979)

Interior lots having double frontage will not be approved.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

The city council may, as a condition of approval of any tentative map, require the subdivider to reserve areas of real property for parks, recreational facilities, fire stations, libraries, or other public uses if such reservation would implement the Palo Alto comprehensive plan or any adopted specific plan. Such reservations shall be pursuant to Section 66479 et seq. of the Government Code.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

The size and shape of lots shall conform with any zoning regulations effective in the area of the proposed subdivisions and as shown on the zoning map. In addition, residential lots on curved or cul-de-sac streets shall have a minimum width at the building setback line of sixty feet, a minimum average depth of one hundred feet, and a minimum area of six thousand square feet; provided, that this requirement shall not be deemed to reduce any more restrictive requirement contained in the zoning regulations.

(Ord. 3157 § l (part), 1979)

When a rear or side lot line of a lot borders on any street, the right of ingress or egress may be prohibited to such lot across such rear or side lot line. Dedication of such access rights shall be made either on the map or by separate instrument satisfactory to the city attorney. When the rear or side lot line of any lot borders any freeway, state highway, expressway, or major thoroughfare, a planting strip approved by the city engineer may be required adjacent to such freeway, highway, expressway, or major thoroughfare.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

When lots proposed for commercial usage front on any expressway, arterial or collector street, a service road to provide adequate ingress and egress or in lieu thereof adjacent areas for public off-street parking purposes may be required. When any lot proposed for residential use fronts on any freeway, state highway, expressway, or arterial, an improved service road may be required at the front of such lot. In addition, adequate off-street parking areas for all lots proposed for commercial use shall be required.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

The side lot lines of all lots, as far as practicable, shall be at right angles to straight streets or radial to curved streets. (Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

Street names, whether for public or private streets, require approval by the city council. No street name shall be duplicated. No street name signs or other identification shall be erected showing any name other than that approved by the city council.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

All street names shall be clearly shown upon signs approved by the city engineer. The city engineer shall require traffic-control signal systems, signs, and markings adequate to secure the objectives of public safety and the comprehensive plan. The design and installation of such systems, signs and markings shall be subject to the approval of the city engineer.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

The street design shall conform both in width and alignment to any master plan of streets approved by the city council.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

The street design shall conform to any proceedings affecting the subdivision which may have been initiated by the city council on its own motion or approved by the city council upon initiation by any other legally constituted bodies of the city, county, or state. If a parcel of land to be subdivided includes a portion of the right-of-way to be acquired for a freeway or expressway and the city council determines the boundaries of the right-of-way to be acquired, such right-of-way shall be shown on the tentative and final or parcel maps.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

Reserve strips controlling the access to public ways or which will not be taxable for special improvements, shall be approved only if such strips are necessary for the protection of the public welfare or of substantial property rights, or both. The control and disposal of the land comprising such strips shall be placed within the jurisdiction of the city

under conditions deemed sufficient by the city attorney and approved by the city council or director of planning in the case of a preliminary parcel map.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

As far as practicable, the streets shall be in alignment with existing adjacent streets by continuations of the centerlines thereof and by adjustments by curves.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

Street centerlines shall intersect one another at an angle as near to a right angle as practicable by tangents not less than seventy-five feet in length.

(Ord. 3157 § l (part), 1979)

No freeway, expressway, arterial or collector street shall have a grade of more than seven percent. No other street shall have a grade of more than fifteen percent.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

Whenever any street intersects any other street, the property lines at each block corner thus formed shall be rounded with a curve having a radius of net less than ten feet. The city engineer may require a greater curve radius if streets intersect at other than right angles. This section shall not apply at any intersection where there are no building setback requirements.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

All dead-end streets shall have a turnaround with a minimum radius of forty feet, except that where necessary to give access to or to permit a satisfactory future subdivision of adjoining land, streets may extend to the boundary of the property and the resulting dead-end streets may be approved without a turnaround.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

(a) Streets shown in any master street plan or affected by proceedings initiated or approved by the city council shall have widths as required by such plan or proceedings.

(b) All other streets shall have rights-of-way of the following widths, except where the city council determines that the topography or the small number of lots served and the probable future traffic development are such as to justify a narrowed width. Increased widths may be required where streets are to serve nonresidential property, or where probable traffic conditions warrant such increased widths:

• (1) Major arterials: eighty-six feet to one hundred feet;

• (2) Collector streets, local streets, or cul-de-sac streets longer than three hundred fifty feet: sixty feet;

• (3) Cul-de-sac streets three hundred fifty feet or less in length: fifty feet;

(4) Private streets: Such right-of-way as would be required for a comparable public street, except as specified below. Streets serving five or more lots shall be no less than thirty-two feet wide. Streets serving four or fewer lots shall be no less than twenty-two feet wide providing that the Director of Planning and Community Environment and the City Council specifically approves the twenty-two foot street width.

(a) If a building adjacent to a private street has a setback of at least twenty feet between the street and building allowing on-site parking, then the width of the private street may be no less than twenty-six feet at the discretion of the Director of Planning and Community Environment and the City Council.

(b) If a private street has a public parking strip of at least six feet in width between the street and the building location, then the width of the private street may be no less than twenty-six feet at the discretion of the Director of Planning and Community Environment and the City Council.

Effective Date: This private street width requirement applies to any project or development that has not obtained a final map, building permit, and performed significant construction as of July 31, 2009. If the effective date of July 31, 2009, is held by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final judicial action to be void, voidable, or unenforceable, then the effective date of this ordinance as it applies to private street width shall be November 4, 2009. (Ord. 5059 § 5, 2009: Ord. 3345 § 36, 1982: Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

Walkways through long blocks where necessary to provide adequate public access to schools, parks, or other areas may be required. The design and locations of such walkways shall be approved by the city council, or the director of planning in the case of a preliminary parcel map.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

A right-of-way for storm drainage purposes shall be required and shall conform substantially with the lines of any natural watercourse or channel, stream, or creek that traverses the subdivision. If a parcel of land to be subdivided includes a portion of the right-of-way to be acquired for flood control or drainage purposes and the city council determines the boundaries of the right-of-way to be acquired, such right-of-way shall be shown on the tentative and final and parcel maps and shall either be dedicated or withheld from the subdivision. (Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

If the subdivision as shown on the tentative map has a potential for two hundred dwelling units or more if developed to the maximum density, or contains one hundred acres or more, and transit services are or within a reasonable time will be made available to such subdivision, local transit facilities, such as bus turn-outs, benches, shelters, landing pads, or similar items which directly benefit the residents of such subdivision may be required. (Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

If the subdivision as shown on the tentative map thereof contains two hundred or more parcels, and the subdivider is required to dedicate or offer to dedicate real property for roadways, the subdivision shall also contain bicycle paths for the use and safety of the residents of the subdivision. (Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

In connection with the design of any subdivision, the subdivider shall make such dedications and improvements as are specified in this chapter or in Chapters 21.24 and 21.28.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

In addition to the other requirements of this chapter, the standards contained in this section shall be applicable to any subdivision for which a preliminary parcel map is required and is approved by the director of planning. All lots created by such division shall have frontage, equal to the minimum required by this title, upon a street dedicated as a public street.

(Ord. 3850 § 4, 1989: Ord. 3340 § 18, 1982: Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

(a) The director of planning may approve, pursuant to a preliminary parcel map, not more than one flag lot, as defined in Title 18 of this code, under the following conditions:

(1) The flag lot shall be used only for single-family residential use;

(2) The flag lot shall meet all of the requirements of the zone district within which it is

located and, in addition, shall have an area which exceeds the lot area requirement of the zone district by not less than twenty percent exclusive of any portion of the lot used for access to a public street.

(3) Access from the flag lot to a public street shall not be over an easement but over land under the same ownership as the flag lot. Such access shall have a minimum width of fifteen feet and shall have a paved way not less than ten feet in width.

(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the flag lot or adjacent lot to be created contains a residence with recorded preservation covenants, the flag lot area is not required to exceed the low requirement of the zone district and the flag lot access may be over an easement or land under the same ownership, the access shall have a minimum width of twelve feet for a maximum length no more than 100 feet, and shall have a paved way not less than ten feet in width, and no request for nor approval of exceptions to said standards shall be required.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the creation of flag lots, as defined in Title 18 of this code, shall be prohibited in the R-1 single- family residence district, and no exceptions shall be granted therefore; provided, however, that:

(1) Flag lots may be created in the R-1 zone district as long as a preservation covenant is recorded for a historic resource located on the flag lot or on an adjacent lot to be created; and

(2) Flag lots in the R-1 zone district shall comply with the requirements stated in subsection (a), except that smaller lot areas may be approved pursuant to Section 18.12.140 of Title 18.

(3) Flag lots validly existing in the R-1 district as of the effective date of said prohibition shall, nonetheless, be recognized as legal lots for purposes of this Title 21 only. Development of such existing flag lots shall be subject to all applicable provisions of Title 18 of this code as of the date of any such proposed development. (Ord. 5476 § 1, 2019: Ord. 5051 § 8, 2009: Ord. 3850 § 2, 1989)

All major subdivisions shall provide, to the extent feasible, for future passive or natural heating or cooling opportunities in the subdivision.

(Ord. 3157 § 1 (part), 1979)

For the purpose of carrying out the intent of Chapter 16.52 of this code, all subdivisions shall:

• (a) Be consistent with the need to minimize flood damage;

(b) Have public utilities and facilities such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems located and constructed to minimize flood damage;

• (c) Have adequate drainage provided to reduce exposure to flood damage; and

(d) Base flood elevation data shall be provided for subdivision proposals and other proposed developments which contain at least fifty lots or five acres (whichever is less).

(Ord. 3158 § 2, 1979)