Palo Alto staff, broker and commissioners debate retail zoning overhaul, waivers and ground-floor rules

City staff and a retail broker led a study session on Oct. 29 to pursue a permanent retail revitalization ordinance that would replace an interim ordinance adopted in December 2024. Jean Eisberg, planning staff, outlined proposed changes to zoning definitions, size thresholds, the permitting process and ground-floor retail rules, and said staff sought commission guidance to prepare an ordinance for council review.

Staff proposed several categories of change: simplify overlapping use tables and combining districts, expand the definition of "retail-like" uses to allow more uses typically excluded under older zoning (examples discussed included takeout-only food businesses, medical retail or medical spas, fitness studios), raise certain size thresholds (such as fitness centers), and make the conditional-use/administrative permitting process easier to understand…