Council introduces broad development‑code updates to reflect state laws and streamline permits, debates unbundled parking exemption

City planning staff presented a comprehensive development‑code text amendment (ZTA 24‑001) on Feb. 18 to reconcile East Palo Alto code with state law and to streamline several planning processes.

Senior Planner Salifu Yakubu and Planning Manager Elena Lee walked council through major elements: updates to ADU definitions and allowances to reflect 2025 state changes (including a livable‑space definition and expanded detached ADU allowances for some multifamily lots), statutory changes treating transitional and supportive housing as residential uses by right, family day‑care and cooperative care rules, and a proposed unbundled‑parking policy (AB 1317) for qualifying multifamily projects. Staff recommended exempting deed‑restricted and rent‑controlled units from the unbundling requirement; council members flagged East Palo Alto’s Rent Stabilization ordinance and Measure JJ as constraints and debated whether unbundling should apply broadly to market‑rate housing. The amendment also proposes a new ministerial “permit adjustment” process for minor changes to previously approved permits, design standards to soften the impact of 7–8 foot walls (ornamentation, planting and articulation), expanded accessory‑structure heights (to align with ADU changes) and conditional‑use allowance for service stations on University Avenue between Bell and Donahue. After discussion and a brief public comment period, council voted to waive first reading and introduce the ordinance with the staff clarifications and edits.