Planning Division

The Planning Division office at 1960 Tate Street is open to the public on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9 am to 4:00 pm (closed 12:00 pm -1 pm for lunch) and available via email, phone, and virtually Wednesdays and Fridays. Please note to allow for processing time, the last walk-ins for service are at 11:45 am and 3:45 pm. City hours can also be found here. You can also book a virtual appointment by visiting: Speak-to-an- east-palo-alto-planner link.

The East Palo Alto Planning Division is responsible for current and long range planning within the city. The division maintains and updates the city’s General Plan and interprets and enforces the city’s Zoning Regulations. The division provides support to the Planning Commission.

The Planning Department's principal activities are:

• Development and maintenance of the General Plan
• The development of specific plans based on the General Plan, to provide more specific guidance for the development of the various city areas
• Implement RBD/4 Corners Specific Plan and Gateway/101 Corridor Specific Plan.
• Reviewing of private development projects and proposed capital improvements projects and other physical projects involving city property for consistency and conformity with the General Plan and zoning regulations.Includes preparing reports and presenting to Planning Commission and City Council as needed
• The formulation of planning policies and standards that will ensure a quality living and working environment for East Palo Alto neighborhoods and districts
• Providing assistance to residents on a variety of issues regarding their property
• Anticipating and acting on the need for new plans, policies, and Zoning Ordinance changes
• Participates in the management and oversight of the Successor Agency low and moderate income housing stock. Please note that the loss of Redevelopment Agencies has severely impacted the availability of funding for affordable housing programs and projects.

The City of East Palo Alto and its Planning Division completed the process of updating the City’s General Plan, which establishes policies, goals, and programs for the long-term physical development of the community. It’s a guideline for implementing the community’s vision for what residents and other stakeholders want the City to be for future generations. To learn more and see the results of the process, please click here.

Address assignments are now handled by our building department. Please email building@cityofepa.org or call (650)853-3121 for further instruction.

For all fees payable to Community and Economic Development Dept., Planning Division needs to be made via a check or a Money Order.

All checks need to be made out to "City of East Palo Alto"

The checks and application form needs to be attached and mailed to the following address:

1960 Tate Street, East Palo Alto, CA 94303

All check drop off details are listed in the link here.

All planning fees are listed in the link here.

You can find the universal planning application form in the link here

You can determine the zoning designation of your property using the interactive zoning map, click here

Additional resources for the zoning designation map is available in the following web link - click here

For all Accessory Dwelling Unit related information, please navigate to this page. Click here

All Accessory Dwelling Units( ADU's) require a Preliminary Clearance Review from Planning before the building permit applications can be submitted. See more details here.

All new buildings, additions to buildings, garage conversions, new construction, and legalization of existing structure require a Design Review permit prior to any issuance of building permits. See a detailed planning pre-submittal overview in the link here.

All Additional Dwelling Units( ADU's) require a Zoning Clearance from Planning before being streamlined to Building Division. See more details here.

All tenant improvements, remodels, re-roof permits do not require planning review, unless there is a change in the facade or addition of square footage to the project.

When in doubt, please write to us here.

It is highly recommended that applicant meet with Planning staff to discuss plan requirements prior to submittal of application and plans. Should applicant submit the application and plans prior to meeting, the applicant is aware that plans may be deemed “INCOMPLETE” if required materials are missing. It will also be counted as one (1) of the three (3) reviews that are included in the planning review fees.

Preliminary Design: Before starting a project design, the City of East Palo Alto highly recommends the project team (owners, applicants, planners, architects, engineers, landscape architects, and other design professionals) to review this document link here.

Article-2 of Title-18 of the City's development standards can be found here

Specific Plan development standards can be found here

A Design Review Committee Meeting is an inter-division design review committee comprising of inter-division staff members who review development projects. This meeting is coordinated by the Planning Division and may/may not include the developer's presence. The inter-agency staff members include but are not limited to Planning, Engineering, Building, Public Works, Fire Protection District, Police Division, Sanitary District, etc. and subsequent stakeholders who are responsible to condition the project review and approvals.

Typically medium projects with public hearing and major projects are taken to Design Review Committee for discussion.

The Comprehensive Fee Schedule has a detailed breakdown of fees for permits by type, division and rate. See link here

In order to calculate the planning fees, the scope of project with a conceptual sketch will be emailed to consult with a planner. The planner will share a breakdown of planning fees and any other applicable Building Division and Engineering division fees with an estimate over an email.

You can determine the answer to a High-Risk Flood Zone in the web link. Click here.

Link to East Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 15.52 Floodplain Management here.

Additional questions regarding flood management please contact the Engineering Department engineering@cityofepa.org.

All information regarding City's Housing Ordinance can be viewed in the link here.

If your fence is over the prescribed regulated height as seen in Figure 3.3, you will require a Building permit with planning oversight.

More details of regulations on fences, hedges and walls are in the this link to the East Palo Alto Municipal Code.

1. Any tree with a main stem or trunk that measures forty (40) inches or greater in circumference at a height of twenty‐four (24) inches or two (2) feet above natural grade.
2. Any tree within a public street or public right‐of‐way, regardless of size.
3. Any tree that existed at the time of an approval granted under the city’s subdivision or zoning ordinance and required to be preserved as part of such approval
4. Any tree required to be planted as a condition of any development approval granted by the city.
5. Any tree required to be planted as a replacement for an unlawfully removed tree.

You do not need a permit to trim a tree on private property, however please note the following:

• Please make sure that the tree is located in the private property and not in the public right of way. Email the Engineering division to verify the same.
• Per Chapter 12.16 of the City's Municipal Code - Cutting of trees on public streets or public places is prohibited.

Please budget up to 7 days to hear back on a payment for a permit. If you have not heard back by then, write an email with details of the address and permit type to request for an update.

If you need to speak to a planner kindly go to the link below to schedule and appointment.

Please note: All current appointments are virtual, unless in person is requested.

New mobile vendor process flowchart is linked here

For mobile vendor renewals, contact HDL:

• By email: eastpaloalto@hdlgov.com
• By phone: (650) 223-7740
• Website: https://eastpaloalto.hdlgov.com/

The following items are required to be considered a complete submission.

1. A Preliminary Ministerial Review form filled out as applicable to your project. Link here.
2. Planning review fees as a check payable or money order to City of East Palo Alto.
3. Site plan conveying the existing and proposed design.

Amount of fees will be calculated at (2) hours of planning review time for the Fiscal Year hourly rate. For FY 2023-24, it is 2*324 = $648.00

Please submit required documents to planning@cityofepa.org or drop off/mail to 1960 Tate Street, East Palo Alto, 94303.

Additional ADU resources for qualifying projects are available here.

How do I develop in parcels with High Risk Flood Zone designation where structures are not raised 18" above Base Flood Elevation?

In addition to the required plans for the project, forms and fees, you will have to produce documentation to validate the development improvement in the High-Risk Flood Zone location.

Documents required at the time of development submittal in High Risk Flood Zone where the structure is not raised 18" above Base Flood Elevation is below:

a. Property Appraisal report (not older than 6 months)

b. Construction cost estimate (labor and material separated)

If you need to be approved for any development in these High-Risk Flood Zones, the substantial improvement (SI) allowed is capped at 50% of the dwelling cost of the structure and proposed improvements.

The method that City of East Palo Alto is using to calculate SI is detailed below:

a. The standard appraisal gives the value of the dwelling, and we require that for calculating the project percentage. Only 50% of that amount is allowed to be improved in the High-Risk Flood Zones.

b. When the project is submitted for development review in High-Risk Flood Zone, we require a construction cost estimate that separates the labor and material. We use the material cost against the overall dwelling cost to make sure it is under 50% SI and award it accordingly.

Garages can be converted into new living spaces or to a junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU) if it meets the code requirements, not limited to off-street parking requirements and setbacks. For more information on garage conversion into accessory dwelling unit, please refer to EPAMC Chapter 18.96 Accessory Dwelling Units.

Please refer to the garage conversion sheet for more information.

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  • Temporary Use Permits Issued - 2023
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  Contact Information

  Counter Hours

  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9:00am - 3:45pm (Closed 12:00pm - 1:00pm) Wednesday and Friday virtually and by appointment only

  (Please note in order to allow for processing time, the last walk-ins for service are at 11:45 am and 3:45 pm)

  Counter staff will be available virtually and by appointment only on Wednesday and Fridays. Staff can be reached at any time and appointments can be made by emailing staff at planning@cityofepa.org or via this link. Planning staff will continue to respond to emails by the following day or the following Monday for inquiries received on Friday.

  In the case of more urgent issues or questions tied directly to an existing project, please contact the project planner or call the mainline (650-853-3189) to be routed to the project planner. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

  Note: Please drop off all payments/checks attached with relevant application forms in addition to emailing us a copy. ​Application forms must be attached. Checks without forms attached will not be processed.

  All payment for projects will be required to be paid by a check made out to "City of East Palo Alto"

  This check will be attached to the planning permit application form and dropped off at a no-contact Drop Box at the address listed above.