Temporary Ban on Office to Use Downtown Parking In-Lieu Program

Community Meeting on City’s Temporary Ban for New Commercial Office Uses Above Ground Floor to Participate in the Downtown Parking In-Lieu Program

When: March 23, 2022 at 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Where: Virtual Webinar Via Zoom: https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/82009082482

Zoom Meeting ID: 820 0908 2482 Telephone: +1 669 900 6833

What: Please join us virtually for a Community Meeting for your feedback on the City’s current temporary ban for new commercial office uses above ground floor to participate in the Downtown Parking In-Lieu Program. The temporary ban is set to expire August 1, 2022, per Palo Alto Municipal Code Section 18.52.070(d). 

Staff would like to know your experience with the current temporary ban. Example questions include:

• Has the ban prevented any downtown mixed use or commercial office applications from being submitted to the Planning Department since the ban was instituted on May 2, 2019?
• Has the ban directly or indirectly influenced or sent a signal in the marketplace for downtown businesses (retail leasing/establishment of businesses)?
• Can you describe any circumstances where a ban is helpful or unhelpful to the future of downtown relative to area parking management, area circulation, and/or business retention/attraction?
• How does the ban relate to other current downtown City initiatives that are important to you?

Given that the temporary ban is set to expire August 1, 2022, staff will bring forward recommendations with initial community feedback and staff analysis to the Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC) in Spring 2022. We will take the PTC’s recommendation to the City Council for action on whether the ban should remain temporary, become ongoing, or should lapse. The temporary ban was last discussed at PTC on November 18, 2020 and by City Council on December 7, 2020. 

Contact: Rebecca Atkinson, Planner at Rebecca.Atkinson@paloalto.gov for more information.

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