Chapter 18.30 — (C)

Palo Alto Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · ingested 2026-07-06 · Palo Alto

GROUND FLOOR (GF) COMBINING DISTRICT REGULATIONS

Sections:

18.30(C).010 Specific Purpose

18.30(C).020 Permitted Uses

  • 18.30(C).030 Conditional Uses

  • 18.30(C).035 Design Standards

  • 18.30(C).040 Annual Monitoring of Ground Floor Retail Use

  • 18.30(C).050 Waivers and Adjustments

18.30(C).010 Specific Purpose

The ground floor combining district is intended to provide design guidelines and modify the uses allowed in the commercial districts and subdistricts to promote active, pedestrian-oriented uses, with a high level of transparency and visual interest at the ground level. For the purposes of this chapter, “ground floor” means the first floor which is above grade. Where the ground floor combining district is combined with a commercial district, the regulations established by this chapter shall apply in lieu of the uses normally allowed in the underlying district. Except for the regulations relating to uses set forth in this chapter, all other regulations shall be those of the applicable underlying district.

(Ord. 5407 § 4 (part), 2017: Ord. 4098 § 2 (part), 1992)

18.30(C).020 Permitted Uses

  • (a) The following uses shall be permitted in the GF combining district, subject to restrictions in Section 18.40.180:

  • (1) Eating and drinking;

  • (2) Hotels;

  • (3) Personal services, except the following on parcels with frontage on University Avenue: fitness and exercise studios exceeding 3,000 square feet in gross floor area;

  • (4) Retail services;

  • (5) Theaters;

  • (6) Travel agencies;

  • (7) Commercial recreation up to 5,000 square feet in gross floor area, except for parcels with frontage on University Avenue;

  • (8) Retail financial services, except drive-in services;

  • (9) Pet grooming services;

  • (10) Automobile showroom;

  • (11) All other uses permitted in the underlying district, provided such uses are not on the ground floor.

(b) Elimination or conversion of basement space currently in retail or retail-like use or related support purposes is prohibited.

(c) Entrance, lobby, or reception areas serving non-ground floor uses may be located on the ground floor to the extent reasonably necessary, provided they do not interfere with the ground floor use(s), and subject to the approval of the Director.

(Ord. 5642 § 4, 2024: Ord. 5637 § 4 (part), 2024: Ord. 5517 § 9, 2021: Ord. 5407 § 4 (part), 2017: Ord. 4098 § 2 (part), 1992)

18.30(C).030 Conditional Uses

(a) The following uses may be conditionally allowed on the ground floor in the GF ground floor combining district, subject to issuance of a conditional use permit in accord with Chapter 18.76 (Permits and Approvals) and with the additional finding required by subsection (b), subject to restrictions in Section 18.40.160:

  • (1) Business or trade school;

  • (2) Commercial recreation over 5,000 square feet in gross floor area or with frontage on University Avenue;

  • (3) Day care;

  • (4) General business service;

(5) All other uses conditionally permitted in the applicable underlying district, provided such uses are not on the ground floor.

(b) The director may grant a conditional use permit under this section only if he or she makes the following findings in addition to the findings required by Chapter 18.76 (Permits and Approvals):

(1) The location, access or design of the ground floor space of the existing building housing the proposed use, creates exceptional or extraordinary circumstances or conditions applicable to the property involved that do not apply generally to property in the same district.

(2) The proposed use will not be determined to the retail environment or the pedestrian-oriented design objectives of the GF combining district.

(c) Any use conditionally permitted pursuant to this section shall be effective only during the existence of the building that created the exceptional circumstance upon which the finding set forth in subsection (b) was made.

(Ord. 5637 § 4, 2024: Ord. 5517 § 10, 2021: Ord. 5407 § 4 (part), 2017: Ord. 4826 §§ 94, 95, 2004: Ord. 4098 § 2 (part), 1992)

18.30(C).035 Design Standards

Where the GF combining district is combined with the CD-C subdistrict, the following design standards shall apply:

(a) Exterior windows on the ground floor shall use transparent glazing to the extent feasible. Low-e glass or minimal tinting to achieve sun control is permitted, so long as the glazing appears transparent when viewed from the ground level.

(b) Window coverings are not permitted on the ground floor during typical business hours. Where operations preclude transparency (e.g., theaters) or where privacy requires window coverings, sidewalk-facing frontage shall include items of visual interest including displays of merchandise or artwork; visual access shall be provided to a minimum depth of 3 feet.

(Ord. 5407 § 4 (part), 2017)

18.30(C).040 Annual Monitoring of Ground Floor Retail Use

A downtown retail vacancy rate and use survey shall be prepared annually in September of each year, and a report shall be prepared conveying that information to the Planning and Transportation Commission and City Council prior to the end of the year. The purpose of the survey is to assess changes in retail use in the downtown zones. The vacancy rate shall address all areas zoned CD-C or GF in downtown.

(Ord. 5407 § 4 (part), 2017: Ord. 5065 § 3, 2009)

18.30(C).050 Waivers and Adjustments

(a) The following shall be grounds for a request for waiver or adjustment of this Chapter:

(1) Economic Hardship. An applicant may request that the requirements of this Chapter be adjusted or waived upon a showing that strict application would result in an unreasonable financial burden on the property.

(2) Alternative Viable Use. An applicant may request that the requirements of this Chapter 18.30(C) be adjusted or waived based on a showing that: the permitted retail or retail-like use is not viable; the proposed alternative use will support the purposes of the combining district and Comprehensive Plan land use designation; and the proposed use will encourage active pedestrian-oriented activity and connections.

(b) Documentation.

The applicant shall bear the burden of presenting substantial evidence to support a waiver or modification request under this section and shall set forth in detail the factual and/or legal basis for the claim, including all supporting technical documentation. Any request under this section shall be submitted to the Planning and Development Services Director together with the fee specified in the municipal fee schedule and an economic analysis or other supporting documentation. A request under this section shall be acted upon by the City Council.

(Ord. 5642 § 4, 2024: Ord. 5637 § 4 (part), 2024)

Chapter 18.30(D)

HOTEL (H) COMBINING DISTRICT REGULATIONS

Sections:

18.30(D).010 Specific Purposes

18.30(D).020 Applicability of Regulations

  • 18.30(D).030 Zoning Map Designation

  • 18.30(D).040 Site Development Regulations.

  • 18.30(D).050 Special Requirements

18.30(D).010 Specific Purposes

The hotel combining district is intended to modify the regulations of the research, office and limited manufacturing (ROLM), research park (RP), and general manufacturing (GM) districts to permit hotels in those districts and to develop to specified maximum floor area ratios, upon rezoning to the (H) combining district, and subject to site and design review.

  • (Ord. 5035 § 4 (part), 2009: Ord. 3890 § 14 (part), 1989)

18.30(D).020 Applicability of Regulations

The combining district may be combined with a ROLM, RP, or GM district, in accord with Chapter 18.20 of the Zoning Ordinance. Where so combined, the floor area regulations established by this chapter shall apply in lieu of the comparable provisions established by the underlying ROLM, RP, or GM district.

  • (Ord. 5035 § 4 (part), 2009: Ord. 3890 § 14 (part), 1989)

18.30(D).030 Zoning Map Designation

The hotel combining district shall apply to properties designated on the zoning map by the symbol "H" within parentheses, following the research, office or limited manufacturing (ROLM), research park (RP), or general manufacturing (GM) designation with which it is combined.

  • (Ord. 5035 § 4 (part), 2009: Ord. 3890 § 14 (part), 1989)

18.30(D).040 Site Development Regulations

The site development regulations of Chapter 18.20 (ROLM, RP and GM), whichever is applicable, shall apply except for the following:

  • (a) Floor Area Ratio. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for hotel use shall be 2.0 to 1 in the ROLM, RP and GM districts.

  • (b) Site and design review pursuant to Chapter 18.30(G) shall apply to all proposed hotel uses with a FAR in excess of 0.6 to 1.

  • (Ord. 5035 § 4 (part), 2009: Ord. 3890 § 14 (part), 1989)

18.30(D).050 Special requirements.

Hotels in the CC(H) or CS(H) District shall be permitted to develop beyond the density otherwise permitted in the CC or CS District, whichever is applicable, up to a maximum 0.6 to 1 floor area ratio, only upon issuance of a conditional use permit in accord with Chapter 18.76 (Permits and Approvals), and subject to site and design review in accord with Chapter 18.30(G).

(Ord. 4826 § 89, 2004: Ord. 3890 § 14 (part), 1989)