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Title 19 — MASTER PLAN

Chapter 19.04 — PLANNING COMMISSION

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

19.04.080 Provisions of statute.

  • Editor's Note: Chapter 19.04, Planning Commission, was adopted by Initiative Ordinance No. 2090, effective July 23, 1962. In regard to initiative ordinances, Article VI, Section 2, of the Palo Alto Charter, states that: "Any ordinance adopted by the electors under the provisions of this section cannot be repealed or amended, except by a vote of the people obtained in the manner hereinabove stated, unless such ordinance shall otherwise provide."

  • For provisions relating to members of the planning commission, see Chapter 2.20.

19.04.010 Duties of planning commission.

The planning commission shall have the primary duty to prepare, adopt and recommend to the city council for their adoption, a long-range, comprehensive general plan to guide the future development of Palo Alto and of any land outside its boundaries which in the commission's judgment bears relation to its planning. Such plan may contain basic recommendations as to the distribution of land use areas within the city, each logically and properly related to each other, standards for population distribution and density, and standards and recommendations for circulation routes as between the various land use areas and through and around the city. In addition to the above, the general plan may contain other elements including a recreation plan, a transportation plan, a community design plan, a housing plan and such additional plans which in the commission's judgment relate to the physical development of the city. The comprehensive general plan may comprise any, all, or any combination of these plans.

(Initiative Ord. 2090 (part), 1962)

19.04.020 Statute adopted.

The provisions of Articles 7 and 8, Chapter 3 of Title 7 of the Government Code of the State of California, as enacted in 1953, as amended through 1959, and entitled Local Planning, are hereby expressly adopted as part of this code.

(Initiative Ord. 2090 (part), 1962)

  • See Section 19.04.080.

19.04.030 Review of general plan.

The planning commission shall annually review the general plan and recommend to the city council such extensions, changes or additions to the plan as the commission may consider necessary in the view of any change in conditions.

(Initiative Ord. 2090 (part), July 23,1962)

19.04.040 Capital improvement program reviewed.

The general plan shall be the guide for the capital improvement program insofar as the capital improvement program affects the physical development of the city. The planning commission shall submit an annual report to the council regarding the capital improvement program, which shall review each project for its conformity to the master plan; review the program as a whole in order to suggest any improvement in economy or efficiency which might be effected through the combining of various projects; and suggest any needed improvements which do not appear in the program.

(Initiative Ord. 2090 (part), 1962)

19.04.050 Physical development of city - Conformity with master plan.

All matters affecting the physical development of the city shall be submitted to the planning commission for a report to the city council as to conformity to the master plan. Such report shall be made to the council within thirty days after presentation of the matter to the planning commission, provided the time may be extended by the council. If the report is not submitted to the council within said thirty day period or any extension thereof, the matter shall be deemed approved by the planning commission.

(Initiative Ord. 2090 (part), 1962)

19.04.060 Industrial or manufacturing zoning or rezoning.

Until such time as a comprehensive general plan is presented to the city council and approved by the council pursuant to the procedures of Article 8, Chapter 3, Title 7 of the Government Code, no industrial or manufacturing zoning or rezoning for industrial or manufacturing uses not embraced within the 1955 Interim General Plan shall be enacted or permitted.

(Initiative Ord. 2090 (part), July 23,1962)

19.04.070 Additional duties.

The commission shall have such other duties as may be prescribed by the ordinances of the city or resolutions and motions of the council.

(Initiative Ord. 2090 (part), 1962)

19.04.080 Provisions of statute.

(ARTICLES 7 and 8, CHAPTER 3 OF TITLE 7 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AS AMENDED THROUGH 1959).

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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
  17. ▸Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
    Overview
    1. 19.04 Planning Commission
    2. 19.06 Specific Plans
    3. 19.10 Coordinated Area Plans
    4. Chapter 19.04 — PLANNING COMMISSION
  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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